In early January the Office of the Treasurer hosted the final nationwide webinar on The Writing of a Will and Testament. These presentation were a part of our office’s initiative to honor the Master and commemorate the centenary of His passing and the reading of His will and testament during this special year. Though this initiative has ended, we would still love to continue to learn with you and explore together The Writing of a Will and Testament booklet. Developed by the National Spiritual Assembly’s Office of the Treasurer in collaboration with the Board of Trustees of Ḥuqúqu’lláh in the United States, the booklet is a valuable tool in helping the friends understand this important law. At this time we do not have any future dates scheduled to host the webinar. If your community is interested in a presentation on the writing of a will and testament, please consult and work with your Local Spiritual Assembly or the nearest Local Spiritual Assembly to see if this is something they would like to sponsor and bring to the community. Our office is planning to offer smaller local presentations on this topic after Ridván. 

To download The Writing of a Will and Testament booklet, click here https://www.bahai.us/community/resources/planned-giving , sign in, and under Bequests/Wills section, download the booklet. 

Did you know that the Bahá’í.us website has a Planned Giving Resource page? A great tool for those who wish to learn about the Planned Giving options or about writing a will and testament.

On the page you will find information about various Planned Giving services such as setting up Charitable Gift Annuity accounts, making a contribution through an IRA Charitable Rollover, donating appreciated stock, real estate, and more. You can download The Writing of a Will and Testament Booklet (also available in Persian) and other resources. You will also find contact information for Planned Giving/Office of the Treasurer for further questions and information.

To navigate to the Planned Giving resources, sign in at Bahai.us/community. Under the National Fund thermometer on the right-hand column, click Planned Giving. 

In this year of the Centenary of the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, to honor Him and follow His example, the Office of the Treasurer would like to help as many friends as possible write or update their will and testament. In the past few weeks, we have hosted informational webinars about The Writing of a Will and testament booklet. The webinars have been attended by over a thousand friends, whose feedback includes:

"It renewed my spiritual bond with our purpose of the importance of leaving a will. And the presentations were very heartfelt. I got teary-eyed at some point."

"Very informative & has made me want to learn more. Also, & most importantly, gave me a sense of urgency to do my will & testament."

The webinar also gives the opportunity to write your testament in this dignified and prayerful space. If you would like to join a future Writing of a Will and Testament webinar, where all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend, click on a date below:

Sunday August 22, 12:00pm Central Time

Wednesday August 25, 7:30pm Central Time

For future webinar date announcements, subscribe to our texts by texting 'bahaifund' to 313131, where we send Fund updates, inspiring quotes, and announcements 2-3 times a month. 

In this year of the Centenary of the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, to honor Him and follow His example, the Office of the Treasurer would like to help as many friends as possible write or update their will and testament. Click below to view a short video about the writing of a will and testament:

Believers age 70 ½ and older may make a direct transfer from their traditional IRA to the National Spiritual Assembly for an amount not to exceed $100,000 per year as a non-taxable event. This allows believers who are required to take a minimum distribution to contribute an amount of their choice to the National Baha’i Fund while taking advantage of the tax benefit.

For example, if you take a distribution from your traditional IRA and with that money make a contribution to the Fund, you will still pay taxes on the full distribution amount. However, if you instruct your IRA administrator to transfer the amount of your contribution directly to the National Spiritual Assembly, you will pay taxes only on the part of the distribution that you receive for yourself. As a result, your taxable income will be lowered and there can be additional money left over that can be put towards the Fund.

For more information about the IRA Charitable Rollover, contact the Office of the Treasurer at 847-733-3472 or BahaiTreasurersOffice(at)usbnc.org

Disclaimer: This option is not intended as nor should be relied upon as financial advice. For advice or assistance with your particular situation, please consult a professional advisor.

Another financial instrument to consider when contributing to the funds of the Faith is a donor-advised fund (DAF). With a donor-advised fund, you can contribute cash and/or appreciated securities, claim a deduction for that year, and grow your contribution tax free over a number of years. You can establish a DAF at a financial institution or qualified community foundation. Another benefit of the DAF option is a consolidated tax document with all your charitable giving.

Planned giving plays a significant role in supporting the National Bahá’í Fund. One of the options available for making a contribution is through the IRA Charitable Rollover. This popular consideration allows believers age 70 ½ and older to make a direct transfer from their Traditional IRA to the National Spiritual Assembly for an amount not to exceed $100,000 per year as a non-taxable event. For additional information please click on Planned Giving at bahai.us/fund, email plannedgiving (at) usbnc.org, or call Amin Vargha at 847-733-3569.