Ensure Your Legacy

Remembering AFS-USA in your will or trust is easy to do: simply provide a specific dollar amount or other property. You can also designate AFS-USA as the organization to receive a specified percentage of your estate assets.

Here is a sample text you can use to include AFS-USA in your will or trust:”I give and bequeath to AFS-USA, Inc., 120 Wall Street, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10005, the sum of $___ (or specific asset or _____ % of the remainder of my estate) to be used for its general charitable purposes.”

To restrict a gift, you should include the following text:

“If the program that I have designated for this gift is no longer offered by AFS-USA, then the Board of Trustees has the right to redirect the funds to a need that is close to my original intent.”

To restrict your gift to a specific program, you can write: “to be used for ________.”

Yes, you can support AFS-USA’s educational mission by donating appreciated assets like stocks, real estate, works of art, etc. to AFS-USA. By donating an appreciated asset to AFS-USA, you may benefit from an income tax charitable deduction at the current market value and not pay capital gains tax on the asset’s appreciation.

Here is an example. Note to Carrie: Is this still true?:
Margaret has stock valued at $50,000. When she bought the stock it cost her $5,000. If Margaret was to sell the stock she would have to report $45,000 in capital gains tax. At the current tax rate Margaret would have to pay $6,750 in capital gains tax. However, if Margaret gave the stock to AFS she would get a charitable income tax deduction of the full $50,000 and would not have to report the capital gains.

Charitable trusts blend donors’ desires to secure their own or their family’s financial future while making a contribution to AFS-USA. A Charitable Remainder Trust will allow donors to provide income to one or more beneficiaries for a year-long terms or for their lifetimes. At the end of the term of the trust, the remainder will pass to AFS-USA, enabling us to use your funds to carry our important mission of providing international education to individuals, families, schools, and communities through a global volunteer partnership.

Yes, a charitable lead trust is a gift option that provides a stream of income to AFS-USA for the term of the trust. At the end of the term, the remainder value is usually paid to the donor’s heirs at appreciated values with favorable tax implications. Here is how it works:

Yes, you can list AFS-USA as the partial or sole beneficiary of your IRA, 401(K), 403(B) or other retirement assets. You can also name AFS-USA as a contingent beneficiary in case you are predeceased by your immediate beneficiary. To list AFS-USA in your retirement funds, please request a “Change of Beneficiary” form from your retirement plan administrator. On the form, list us as:

AFS-USA, Inc.
120 Wall Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10005
Tax ID # 39-1711417

Yes, you can list AFS-USA as the partial or sole beneficiary of your life insurance policy. You can also name AFS-USA as a contingent beneficiary in case you are predeceased by your immediate beneficiary. The gift you make to us by donating your insurance policy will not be subject to estate taxes upon your death. You can also transfer ownership of the policy to AFS-USA during your lifetime and qualify for income tax charitable deduction, allowing you to deduct the cost of future premium payments. To list AFS-USA in your retirement funds, please request a “Change of Beneficiary” form from your insurance company. On the form, list us as:

AFS-USA, Inc.
120 Wall Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10005
Tax ID # 39-1711417