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.

One of the helpful options for supporting the work of the Cause is giving through stocks. The friends can also enjoy some tax benefits that come with giving through this option. To learn more, contact the Planned Giving Coordinator at:

Tel: 847 733 3569
Email: plannedgiving@usbnc.org

Please share this information with the friends, particularly anyone over 70 years of age:

Individuals age 70 ½ and older can make a direct transfer of an amount up to $100,000.00 per year, from their IRA to the National Spiritual Assembly as a non-taxable event. This option benefits the National Bahá'í Fund, and can be a great tax savings for the donor. Please note, no additional deduction is permitted for this contribution.

In order to participate in the IRA Charitable Rollover the following criteria must be met:

*The donor must be at least 70½ years of age when the direct transfer is made

*The transfer must be made directly from the IRA administrator to the National Spiritual Assembly, Tax ID 36-2981492, 1233 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201

*A contribution from the IRA can be any dollar amount but cannot exceed $100,000 per person in a given year

*The direct transfer must be an outright contribution ( i.e establishing a charitable gift annuity with these funds is not permitted).

*Funds from a 401k do not apply

For additional information regarding the IRA Charitable Rollover please contact: Beverly Abercrombie, Planned Giving Coordinator, at 847-733-3495 or babercrombie@usbnc.org or Amin Vargha, Planned Giving Associate, at 847-733-3495 or avargha@usbnc.org.