Naming a CRT as an IRA beneficiary can provide an income stream for heirs, and may be one of the few ways to "stretch" the payout from an IRA over a beneficiary's life expectancy.

Gift planners who work for and/or advise charities or donors as counsel need to be aware of the best practices associated with the education, cultivation, negotiation, completion, recognition and stewardship of planned gifts. Best practices assure compliance with legal and ethical standards to serve the interests of both donors and charities. Gift revenue may be increased for charities while tax and other benefits can be maximized for donors at reduced risk of legal or ethical violations. This article explores the most important elements in creating effective gift planning policies and procedures. It shares model policies for types of planned gifts, assets for gifts, documentation, privacy, crediting, valuing, recognition, stewardship, reporting, ethical standards and many other topics.

Donors transfer mutual funds to a CRT, making significant gifts to charity now and later.

There are more than three million Subchapter S corporations in the United States with nearly six million shareholders. These corporations and shareholders can be major sources of charitable gifts, but there are technical tax laws that can turn a mistake in the gift transaction into a severe financial cost to the corporation, its shareholders, and even to a charity that receives a gift. What are these laws? How does a charity evaluate whether the economic and tax benefits from the gift will exceed its costs? When can a CGA be safely issued for a gift of S corporation stock? This article addresses these questions.