Planning Your Legacy

Make a difference to families who will need us in the future

By remembering RMHC in your will or estate plans, you help make sure that we can provide a “home away from home” for future generations of guest families.

What is a Planned Gift?
Many people are able to be far more generous through a gift left to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville in their will or trust than they can be during their lifetime.

Your planned gift can support a particular program or service that Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville provides; to honor a loved one or can be designated to one of our endowment funds.

You have flexibility.  Your gift can be part of other desires you wish to accomplish; it can come to us after all beneficiaries’ needs are met.  Your gift can be updated, if needed.

Every gift has a profound impact.  All gifts have an impact on the families being served through the programs of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville. These families are grateful for the ongoing financial and emotional support they receive while their children undergo life­-saving treatments.

Planning Your Legacy
At Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville (RMHC), we provide essential resources and support to children and their families by keeping them together when they need it most.  Your gifts allow us to bring hope and help to children who are sick through our programs, the 36-bedroom Ronald McDonald House and the Ronald McDonald Family Room.

Many of our supporters choose to support our future through planned gifts.  Unlike cash donations, planned gifts are typically made from assets in your estate rather than from disposable income, and may come to fruition after your lifetime.  Even people of modest means can make a difference in the lives of children by planning a gift.

Whether you would like to put your donation to work today or benefit us after your lifetime, we can help you find a charitable plan that meets your goals.  With your help, we can continue to make children healthier and happier by giving families a “home-away-from-home.”

Your professional advisor will explore making gifts to RMHC that create tax benefits.  Laws change and RMHC­ shall not be held responsible for planned gift decisions based solely on the information provided on this website.  There is an established gift acceptance policy that dictates all of RMHC­’s decisions to accept.  Gifts are approved as inquiries are received based on specifics. The only Pre-­Approved Gifts are cash. Please contact Elizabeth Piercy at (615) 343-4000 with any questions.

Estate Gift Intention Form

Sample language for a Bequest, Will or Living Trust: “I give, devise and bequeath to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, Tennessee, Inc., Tax (EIN) #62-1310717, Nashville, Tennessee, [either $_____and/or the sum of ______% of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal] for the charitable purposes of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville [if there is a designated program  – insert its name here].”

Option #1: An Outright Gift of Cash

Put Your Gift to Work Today: When you make an outright contribution to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville — a donation you immediately impart — we both benefit.  Your generosity enables us to meet our most urgent needs and carry out our mission on a daily-basis.

Your Benefits
When you support us with an outright contribution, your benefits include:

  1. The ability to choose how your gift is used.
  2. The opportunity to see the results of your generosity.
  3. You qualify for an income tax charitable income deduction for the full value of your gift up to 60 percent of your adjusted gross income, when you itemize.

Steps to Take to Make Your Gift

  1. Mail us your contribution or donate online by clicking on “GIVE A GIFT.”
  2. Let Elizabeth Piercy at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville know if you would like to direct your gift to a particular program or if you would like us to use your gift for our most pressing needs.
  3. Obtain a written acknowledgement of your contribution from us and keep it for your records.

Option #2: An Outright Gift of Securities

Save in Taxes This Year: If you would like to support Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville with a tax-smart donation this year, a gift of appreciated stocks, bonds or other marketable securities that you have held for more than one year may be just the right gift for you.

Your Benefits
When making a gift of appreciated securities owned for more than one year, you will receive a double tax benefit:

  1. You are entitled to a federal income tax deduction based on the current fair market value of the securities, regardless of their original cost.
  2. You will be exempt from paying capital gains taxes on any increase in the value of the securities since you acquired them – taxes you would pay if you had otherwise sold them.

Steps to Take to Make Your Gift

  1. If you have the physical securities, either hand-deliver them to us or mail us the stocks and stock power separately.
  2. If you don’t have possession of the physical securities, please contact Elizabeth Piercy at Ronald McDonald House Charities to receive our Stock Transfer Instructions or instruct your broker to electronically transfer your intended shares and notify Elizabeth Piercy at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville once the transfer is complete.

Option #1: A Gift in Your Will or Living Trust

One of the easiest and most popular ways to make an impact at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville is to include a charitable bequest in your will or living trust.  A bequest allows you to leave a legacy of support for sick children and their families without affecting your cash flow today.

With a bequest, you can give a percentage of your estate, so that your gift will remain proportionate to the size of your estate, or you can give a certain amount of cash, securities or property.  Either way, your gift allows you to retain full control of your assets now, while ensuring that RMHC of Nashville will continue to give strength and support to families far into the future.

Why Should You Choose a Bequest?

A bequest in your will or living trust is:

  • Easy.  A few sentences in your will or living trust complete the gift.
  • Revocable.  Until your will or trust goes into effect, you are free to alter your plans.
  • Versatile.  You can give a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or, most common, a percentage of your estate.

Steps to Making Your Bequest

  1. Determine whether you’d like to make a gift of a specific amount or leave a percentage of your estate, and whether you would like to direct your gift to a specific program or leave your gift unrestricted, allowing it to be used for our most pressing needs.
  2. Take our bequest language to your estate planning attorney to include in your will or living trust.
  3. Contact Elizabeth Piercy at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville to inform us of your gift so we can thank you and ensure your bequest will be fulfilled in the manner you intend.

Bequest Language

The following language is an example of wording that may be used to name Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville as a beneficiary of your last will and testament.  Your gift may be of a specific dollar amount or it may also be a percentage of your estate.

“I, [name], of [city, state ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, Tennessee, Inc., [federal tax ID #], [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

Option #2: A Gift of Retirement Plan Assets

A Tax-Wise Strategy: While 401(k)s, IRAs and other retirement plans are excellent vehicles for accumulating assets for your use during retirement, much to many people’s surprise, they are a far less attractive way to pass an inheritance to loved ones. Here’s why:

The Tax Burden

Retirement plan assets are subject to heavy income and possible estate taxes when you name anyone other than your spouse as a beneficiary.  These taxes can deplete a significant percentage of your hard-earned savings – leaving less for heirs than you had hoped.

A Charitable Solution

If you would like to include a gift to help children and families through your estate, consider the tax-smart strategy of naming Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville as the beneficiary of all or a portion of your retirement plan assets and leaving other less-taxed assets to your heirs. Because of our tax-exempt status, the full value of your retirement plan assets can make a difference in the lives of children who are sick.

Steps to Take to Make Your Gift

Donating retirement plan assets is easy and if you need to change or revoke your gift at any point during your lifetime, you can.  Simply take these steps:

  1. Contact your retirement plan administrator for a simple change-of-beneficiary form.
  2. Decide what percentage (1–100) you would like us to receive.
  3. Name Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville and the gift percentage on the form.
  4. Return the form to your plan administrator.
  5. Contact Elizabeth Piercy at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville to let us know of your plans.

Option #3: A Gift of Charitable Gift Annuities

A Win-Win Donation Option: If you would like to make a donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, supplement your income during your retirement years and receive valuable tax benefits, consider establishing a charitable gift annuity.

How It Works

You can set up a gift annuity with a simple contract between you and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville.  You can make a donation and we, in turn, agree to pay a fixed amount each year for life to you alone or to you and another person you select.  The rate of payment is set at the time of your gift and doesn’t fluctuate with the stock market, interest rates or inflation. After the lifetimes of the people receiving payments, the remaining balance is used to support children and families in need.

Your Benefits

  • You have potential to receive increased disposable income.
  • You are eligible for an income tax charitable deduction for a portion of the gift, when you itemize.
  • A portion of your payment is income tax–free throughout your estimated life expectancy.
  • Any long-term capital gains income can be reportable over your life expectancy, in most cases.
  • After your lifetime, the remaining portion of your gift will support our mission, helping to fulfill your charitable goals.

Steps to Take to Make Your Gift

  1. Determine which asset to donate.  You can fund your gift annuity with cash, stocks, bonds or possibly another asset.
  2. State who should receive the payments.  You can receive payments for life, or you can provide payments for another individual — typically your spouse, but it could also be a parent, adult child, family member or friend.
  3. Decide your payment date.  Your payments can begin immediately, or you can defer the start of your payments into the future. Deferring your payments can increase your annual payout as well as your income tax charitable deduction.
  4. Contact Elizabeth Piercy at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville to help you determine, with your financial advisors, if a gift annuity is right for you.

Option #4: A Gift of A Charitable Remainder Trust

Receive Lifetime Payments for Your Generosity: If you are looking for ways to receive reliable payments while making a significant gift to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, you may want to consider a charitable remainder trust.

How It Works

With this type of gift, you create the trust and fund it with assets, such as cash, real estate or appreciated securities.  You receive income (either a variable or fixed dollar amount) each year for the rest of your life or for a period of up to 20 years from the trust.  At the end of the trust term, the balance in the trust goes to support our mission.

Your Benefits

  • Qualify for an income tax charitable deduction, when you itemize.
  • Up-front capital gains tax elimination.
  • Potential for increased disposable income.
  • Professional management of assets available.

Steps to Take to Make Your Gift

  1. Decide which asset to donate.  You can fund your trust with a variety of assets. Appreciated securities you’ve owned for more than one year are an ideal choice, because you could possibly boost your cash flow with a higher payout from the trust.
  2. Choose who receives the payment.  Your trust can make payments to you and other beneficiaries you choose, such as a spouse or a child.
  3. Identify the income you want from the trust.  The rate of payment must be at least 5 percent of the trust asset’s value.
  4. Determine the length of the trust.  The term of your trust can be the lifetime of the beneficiaries you select or for a period of up to 20 years.
  5. Contact Elizabeth Piercy at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville to help you determine, with your financial advisors, if creating a charitable remainder trust is right for you.

Option #5: A Gift of Life Insurance

A Low-Cost Way to Make a Big Impact: If you would like to help us support children and families with a substantial gift with little cost to you, a gift of life insurance may be right for you.

How It Works

Your Charitable Options

Name Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, Tennessee, Inc. as Beneficiary.

If you would like to obtain the flexibility to change your mind at any time by retaining ownership of a policy, you can:

  1. Name us as the primary beneficiary for a percentage of the policy.
  2. Name us as the contingent beneficiary to receive benefits only if your primary beneficiary predeceases you.

Name Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, Tennessee, Inc. as Owner.

You may be entitled to an income charitable tax deduction (when you itemize) for the value of a policy, future annual premiums or both when you:

  • Transfer ownership of an existing policy.
  • Purchase a new policy and name us as the owner.

Your Next Step

Contact Elizabeth Piercy at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville to discuss your options for making a bigger impact than you thought possible through a gift of life insurance.

Endowment Gifts

Endowment gifts provide a permanent investment in Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville’s future.  An endowment sustains program excellence by ensuring a continuous source of funding for our two programs and strategic plans for growth meeting the future needs of our medical community of families with critically ill children.  From major gifts that support operations to targeted gifts that support a staff position in a specialized field, each endowment fund enriches the organization and the lives of our families.

When endowment gifts are received, the principal is held in perpetuity, with part of the annual earnings generating ongoing support for House activities designated by the donor.  Although gifts, costs and fundraising revenue might fluctuate annually, the stability of an endowment ensures crucial strategic planning and program expansion stays on target.  The Board Finance Committee of professional volunteers oversees policies and investments.  Their goal is balancing asset diversity to maintain purchasing power over time and overcome inflation in higher program costs.

Named funds not only make a lasting impact at the House and Family Room, but also offer the opportunity to honor your family’s commitment to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville or pay tribute to a loved one.  Endowments can be established through contributions of cash, stock, charitable remainder trusts, bequests or other assets.  Pledged payments, normally on a five­-year timeline, are welcome.

To discuss endowment funds, please contact Elizabeth Piercy by phone at (615) 343-4000 or by email at legacy@rmhcnashville.com.

No matter how large or small, every gift in a will that we receive really does make a difference to the hundreds of families that we support every day. Making a will is easy and relatively inexpensive. We recommend using a legal professional, to ensure that your will is legal, preventing any future problems. For more information on making your will and leaving a gift to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, please email info@rmhcnashville.com.