Our Longterm Goal
Our longterm goal is to have a farm to provide a managed safe haven for feral cats who are in life-threatening situations and need relocation. We realize this is a lofty goal, but we hope that someday we will be able to realize that dream to own many acres for these cats to live out their lives safely and happily with lifelong care, shelter and love.
So if you are considering donating to animal-welfare organizations in your will, please consider including MEOW Inc. A sanctuary like that takes money and we would love to provide a safe place for feral cats whose caregivers have passed on or for those who need to escape life-threatening situations and have nowhere else to turn.
So please consider giving these sweet cats a very special gift by providing for MEOW Inc through a bequest, trust, annuity, or insurance policy. Planned giving is a powerful way to ensure your longtime legacy of protecting animals; and your commitment will also serve as an inspiration to others. Such arrangements can provide tax benefits, as well as ensure the continuation of MEOW Inc's important mission.
Planned Gift Options
Option 1 - Wills/Bequests
When you support Meow, Inc. through your will (bequest) or with another kind of planned gift, you reinforce your commitment to our community’s homeless and neglected animals. Supporting a local charity this way can make a huge impact in saving lives in your own backyard for generations to come.
When leaving Meow, Inc. in your will, you can designate a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or a portion of the residual of your estate, whichever is best for your circumstances. However because of inflation, leaving a percentage of your estate will have a greater impact on our charity than a flat rate. To leave Meow, Inc. in your will, simply direct your attorney to use this language:
“I give and bequeath the sum of $ __ (or, ___ percentage of my estate) to Meow, Inc., a New Jersey nonprofit corporation (federal ID # 45-5522332).”
All bequests pass to Meow, Inc. free of estate taxes and lower the overall size of your estate for tax purposes.
We do encourage you to contact a professional (attorney or financial planner) before leaving a donation by Will.
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Option 2 - Life Insurance and Retirement Plans
You can play an important role in improving the welfare of animals in our community by making a gift of a life insurance policy or retirement account to Meow, Inc.
Both life insurance and retirement accounts can be used to make a charitable gift to Meow, Inc. By using either of these methods, you can make a larger gift than an outright cash gift. Most often, you can make the gift with no or little loss of income and also receive a substantial tax deduction.
Over time, circumstances in your life may change and reasons you purchased insurance or saved for retirement may change. If you have coverage you no longer need, you may consider contributing a fully paid “whole life” insurance policy to Meow, Inc. by making us your primary or secondary beneficiary. This doesn’t provide an upfront tax deduction because it is revocable. If you want to provide income from your retirement account for a spouse or another beneficiary, you can direct that the proceeds from the plan fund a charitable gift. In this instance, the estate will be taxed, but receives a credit for the contribution.
If making a gift and receiving a tax benefit are important to you, transferring ownership of the policy to Meow, Inc. is the best way to go. Transferring ownership is irrevocable which enables donors to receive a tax benefit for the cash value of the policy. As the donor, you are still the insured individual; however, the policy ownership is transferred to Meow, Inc. and it will receive the proceeds as you intend.
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Option 3 - Gifts of Appreciated Property
Few financial tools are more powerful than appreciated property, specifically stocks and real estate. They can be given at any time and have the ability to magnify wealth faster than nearly any other financial method. In many cases, a person who donates an appreciated asset to a charity instead of selling it can take a charitable deduction for the full value of the property while also avoiding capital gains on the property.
Appreciated assets would typically be transferred to Meow, Inc. and then sold. In most cases, if you have held securities for more than one year, you can deduct the market value of the securities and avoid paying any capital gains tax. If the shares are held in your broker’s office, transferring securities is easy. Simply contact us and we will provide your broker with all the needed information. If you have land, a second home or other real estate you wish to donate, they have similar benefits to appreciated securities. It is also possible to donate your home to Meow, Inc. and retain lifetime use of the property. A trust may be created based upon the value of the home at the time of the donation.
Option 4 - Annuities and Trusts
You can help our community’s animals and at the same time receive income for life and the life of your beneficiary. Charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts are both methods of giving that are used by organizations to benefit their programs.
Annuities and trusts are wonderful strategies if you have appreciated assets (typically stocks or property) and you would like to increase your income. Charitable gift annuities are popular because they provide a fixed income to you for life regardless of the market conditions.
A charitable remainder trust is an irrevocable trust that pays you a percentage of the trust’s value on a regular schedule, and if desired, the lifetime of one beneficiary. Upon the donor’s (or beneficiary’s) death, the principle passes to Meow, Inc. without any estate taxes.
Since a trust is a legal entity, you will need an attorney to draft a trust agreement. You will also need to appoint a trustee to oversee the fund’s investment and distribution of payments. Meow, Inc. can serve as the trustee for qualifying gifts, however, you are always able to select your own trustee.
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