Planned Giving
Creating a legacy
Like the music we make and your everyday actions, your charitable giving leaves a lasting impact on others.
Perhaps you want your charitable legacy to continue through philanthropy beyond your lifetime, to have your family remembered, and to weave your philanthropy into the lives of others for generations to come. With a planned gift, you can.
We invite you to join others whose philanthropy will endure through a gift they have planned in their estate to the Santa Rosa Symphony Association.
Heritage Society
The mission of the Heritage Society is to preserve and build upon the Symphony’s impact. By including the Symphony in your estate plan, you qualify to become a member of this special group. When you notify us of your planned gift, you will enjoy Heritage Society membership benefits, including:
- Recognition in the Santa Rosa Symphony season program book and other publications (unless you prefer to remain anonymous);
- An invitation to the exclusive Heritage Society Luncheon, featuring a private recital by a special guest artist;
- Opportunities to connect with like-minded visionary supporters and Symphony leadership and learn how your legacy gift will help shape the future of music and music education in Sonoma County.
If you have already included the Santa Rosa Symphony in your estate plans—or are considering doing so—we would be honored to hear from you. Please complete our Heritage Society Intent Form so we can welcome you as a member, ensure your gift intentions are understood, and thank you for your commitment to the future of music in our community.
Your membership in the Heritage Society will serve as an inspiration to others, though if you prefer, we honor any requests for anonymity.
For more information on membership in the Heritage Society, please contact Enid Rickley-Myres, Director of Development, at (707) 546-7097 ext. 214 or erickley@srsymphony.org.
Types of estate gifts include:
- Bequests in wills and trusts, including gifts of cash, securities, real estate, or other property
- Beneficiary designation in retirement plans and/or life insurance policies
- Payable on Death (POD) designations on checking or savings accounts
- Irrevocable provisions in Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, and Charitable Lead Trusts
Will or Living Trust
A bequest is a gift from your estate—a transfer of cash, securities, real estate, or other property—made through your will or living trust. A bequest to the Symphony can be made for a specific amount, for a percentage of your estate, or for all or a portion of what is left after you have made provisions for your family. Remembering the Symphony with a bequest will strengthen our organization and sustain our impactful artistic and education programs for generations to come. Some of the advantages of creating a bequest include:
- It costs nothing today;
- You retain full control of your assets during your lifetime;
- You may change your plans if your circumstances change;
- An estate gift to the Symphony is exempt from federal estate taxes;
- If you notify the Symphony of your plans, you become a member of the Symphony’s Heritage Society.
To make a gift to the Symphony from your estate, your attorney can include simple bequest language in a new or existing will or living trust. Sample language is provided below.
Retirement Account of Life Insurance Designation
One of the simplest ways to support the Symphony through your estate plan is to designate the Symphony as a beneficiary of your retirement account or life insurance policy. Simply request a beneficiary designation form from your retirement plan administrator or insurance company and name the Santa Rosa Symphony as a beneficiary for all or a percentage of the proceeds. Because these assets pass directly by beneficiary designation, this type of gift is easy to establish, can be changed at any time during your lifetime, and may provide important tax advantages for your heirs and your estate.
Payable on Death (POD) Bank Account Designation
Through this designation, you can leave funds from a checking or savings account to the Symphony. By completing a POD beneficiary designation form with your bank, you can name the Symphony to receive all or a percentage of the account balance upon your passing. The funds transfer directly to the designated beneficiary without going through probate, and you retain complete ownership and control of the account during your lifetime, including the ability to change the designation at any time.
Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, and Charitable Lead Trusts
A charitable gift annuity allows you to make an irrevocable gift to the Santa Rosa Symphony in exchange for fixed payments to you or another beneficiary for life. After the payment period ends, the remaining funds support the Symphony’s mission.
A charitable remainder trust allows you to place cash or other assets into an irrevocable trust that provides income to you or your beneficiaries for a specified period or for life. When the trust terminates, the remaining assets are distributed to the Santa Rosa Symphony to support its future work.
A charitable lead trust is another irrevocable rust giving vehicle in which the cash or other assets you contribute to the trust provide annual payments to the Santa Rosa Symphony for a specified number of years, after which the remaining assets pass to your family or other beneficiaries.
Planning for your gift
Every planned gift is unique. You may choose how your gift will support the Symphony based on your personal interests and philanthropic goals. Your gift can be unrestricted in purpose or restricted to a specific program or purpose. It can also be an expendable fund (to be spent when received) or an endowed fund (to last in perpetuity.)
- An unrestricted bequest allows the Symphony to determine how to use the funds based on the areas and programs of greatest need. Unrestricted bequests are extremely impactful because the Symphony can use them flexibly to meet its future needs.
- A restricted bequest directs assets to a specific fund, artistic or education program, or particular purpose. A restricted bequest may be for an expendable or endowed fund.
- Expendable funds are generally used in their entirety within a relatively short time frame. Some larger expendable gifts are spent down over a multi-year period.
- Endowed funds provide income via earnings and appreciation every year in perpetuity. Symphony policy requires gifts to its Endowment to be for a minimum amount of $10,000.
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Because individual estate and tax situations are unique, we encourage you to consult with your attorney or financial advisor before finalizing your estate plans. The Santa Rosa Symphony would be happy to work with you and your advisors to ensure your gift accomplishes your charitable goals.
To include Santa Rosa Symphony in your will or trust, you may use language similar to the following:
Unrestricted expendable bequest:
I hereby give, devise, and bequeath the sum of $________ (or _______% of my estate, or the residue of my estate) to the Santa Rosa Symphony Association, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, tax ID # 94-6134075, to be used for its general charitable purposes, where the need is greatest, as determined by its Board of Directors.
Unrestricted endowed bequest:
I hereby give, devise, and bequeath the sum of $________ (or _______% of my estate, or the residue of my estate) to the Santa Rosa Symphony Association, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, tax ID # 94-6134075, to be added to its permanent endowment. The principal shall be invested in accordance with the Symphony’s investment policies, and annual distributions shall be made in accordance with the Symphony’s spending policy to support its general charitable purposes.
Expendable bequest for a specific purpose:
I hereby give, devise, and bequeath the sum of $________ (or _______% of my estate, or the residue of my estate) to the Santa Rosa Symphony Association, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, tax ID # 94-6134075, to be used for the following purpose: _____.
If, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, this purpose becomes impossible, impracticable, or no longer consistent with the mission of the Santa Rosa Symphony, the Board may use these funds for a purpose that most closely fulfills my charitable intent.
Endowed bequest for a specific purpose:
I hereby give, devise, and bequeath the sum of $________ (or _______% of my estate, or the residue of my estate) to the Santa Rosa Symphony Association, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, tax ID # 94-6134075, to establish (or add to) an endowed fund to support the following purpose: _____.
The principal shall be invested in accordance with the Symphony’s investment policies, and distributions shall be made in accordance with the Symphony’s spending policy. If, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, the stated purpose becomes impossible, impracticable, or no longer consistent with the mission of the Santa Rosa Symphony, the Board may redirect distributions to a purpose that most closely fulfills my charitable intent while preserving the endowment.
Facilitating your wish to make a lasting contribution
The Symphony welcomes the opportunity to meet with you personally in order to understand and facilitate your wishes for the future. We also recommend discussing your wishes with an estate planner or other professional advisor.
To make a donation or inquire about supporting the Symphony, contact Enid Rickley-Myres, Director of Development at (707) 546-7097 ext. 214 or erickley@srsymphony.org.
Valuable information
Legal Name: Santa Rosa Symphony Association
Tax ID: 94-6134075
It is an estate planning best practice to include both the legal name and tax identification number in any will or trust documentation.
Disclaimer: The Santa Rosa Symphony cannot offer legal or tax advice. Please consult your personal tax, financial, or legal advisors about putting a planned gift in place.
Photo by Carlin Ma