Planned Gifts

Ensure the future of people with disabilities by making a planned gift to OPTIONS and helping provide them with the best quality of life for years to come.

OPTIONS Legacy Society

OPTIONS Legacy Society is a Planned Giving Program to ensure people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have the best quality of life in the future.

By making a planned gift to OPTIONS, you will become a member of the OPTIONS Legacy Society.

Donations by will have been widely used for centuries to distribute to charities some or all of a donor’s remaining assets upon his or her death.

Donors sometimes hesitate to make a substantial donation of cash, land, or other property during their lives because they are concerned they might unintentionally deplete assets that they will need later in their lives.

A gift by will—a will being something that they can change at any time—avoids this concern.

What is Planned Giving?

Planned Giving is a critical tool for OPTIONS to maintain the long term sustainability of premier care for people with disabilities. Planned gifts include:

These gifts lead to exponential growth and much needed financial support both large and small to support people with disabilities.

How do I make a Planned Gift?

The first step when considering a Planned Gift to benefit OPTIONS is to look at the many possibilities that are available. Each gift is important to the future of OPTIONS and will be deeply appreciated.

WILL

Cash.The most common type of gift. It is fast, simple, tax-deductible.
Assets. Gifts made in the form of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.
Real Estate. Gifts of a house, land, a building, rental property, etc.

Insurance

OPTIONS is made beneficiary of a new or “paid-up” policy.

Trusts

Make OPTIONS a remainder beneficiary.

Retirement

Name OPTIONS as the beneficiary of an IRA or 401(K)

To learn more about Planned Giving please join us for an OPTIONS Planned Giving Presentation or by contacting Sylvia Bush at 985.969.7477 or sbush@options4u.org.

If You Have A Loved One with Disabilities

Retirement plans have their own planning considerations which may be different if your beneficiary is an adult child with disabilities.

Adults with disabilities who are named as beneficiaries of retirement plans or IRAs may become ineligible for government assistance programs, including SSI and Medicaid, after their parents’ deaths.

If your primary assets are in retirement plans and you will need to use all or some of these assets to support your loved one after your lifetime, it’s important to work with your attorney to determine the best and correct way to transfer these assets.

Special Needs Trusts

A special needs trust, sometimes called a supplemental needs trust, holds assets for a beneficiary with disabilities in order to supplement the beneficiary’s income without impacting eligibility to receive other benefits.

Depending on the type of Special Needs Trust, you may be able to name OPTIONS as a remainder beneficiary of the trust.

OPTIONS would only receive funds remaining, if any, after the individual beneficiary’s lifetime. Please discuss this with your attorney to determine if this may be right for you.

Gwen and I made our decision to make a Planned Giving commitment from our estate because we are very passionate about the independence and self-worth that OPTIONS has provided to adults with special needs. In addition, we want our children to understand how important it is to be a part of something that is greater than ourselves.

Matthew Cotton-Legacy Society Founding Member

Have you already made a

Planned Gift to OPTIONS?

Please let us know if you’ve included a gift for OPTIONS in your will, trust, or by beneficiary designation. Providing us with documentation is the best way to ensure that your gift is used in the way you intend.

Please send confirmation to Sylvia Bush at: