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An Easy Way to Give

Beneficiary Designations

Want to learn more about making tax-wise gifts? Download our FREE guide Beneficiary Designations: The 3 Easiest Ways to Leave Your Legacy.

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Passionate about supporting the IRC's humanitarian mission and leaving a brighter future for displaced families? Consider the increased flexibility that a beneficiary designation provides by using: 

  • IRAs and retirement plans
  • Life insurance policies
  • Donor advised funds
  • Commercial annuities

It only takes three simple steps to make this type of gift. Here's how to name International Rescue Committee as a beneficiary:

  1. Contact the administrator of your retirement plan, insurance policy, bank account or donor advised fund for a change-of-beneficiary form or simply download a form from your provider's website.
  2. Decide what percentage (1 to 100) you would like us to receive and name us, along with the percentage you chose, on the beneficiary form.
  3. Return the completed form to your plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution.

Not only is it an easy way to give, but it's also flexible—you aren't locked into the choices you make today. You can review and adjust beneficiary designations anytime you want.

Check Out This Potential Scenario

Older couple smilingRobert and Carol treasure the financial help they've been able to give their children and the IRC over the years. Now that their children are grown, Robert and Carol changed their estate plan so it could work harder for the people and causes they love. The couple updated their will to leave stocks and real estate to their kids. And they left us a $75,000 IRA to be transferred after their death. Because the IRC is tax-exempt, all $75,000 will help support our mission.

If Robert and Carol had left the IRA to their children, approximately $18,000* would have gone to pay federal income taxes—leaving only $57,000 for their family's use. Robert and Carol are happy knowing they are making the most of their hard-earned money thanks to their updated estate plan.

*Based on an assumption of a 24 percent marginal income tax bracket.

Learn How to Fund It

You can name us beneficiary of the following assets:

Next Steps

  1. Contact Bruce Temkin at (212) 551-2947 or bruce.temkin@rescue.org for additional information on beneficiary designations and how they can help support the IRC with our mission.
  2. Talk to your financial or legal advisor to learn which assets will or will not trigger taxable income when paid to a beneficiary.
  3. If you name the IRC in your plans, please use our legal name and federal tax ID.

Legal Name: International Rescue Committee, Inc.
Address: 122 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10168-1289
Federal Tax ID Number: 13-5660870

Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance. A copy of our most recently filed financial report is available from the Charities Registry on the New York State Attorney General’s website (www.charitiesnys.com) or, upon request, by contacting the New York State Attorney General, Charities Bureau, 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005, or us at 122 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10168-1289. You also may obtain information on charitable organizations from the New York State Office of the Attorney General at www.charitiesnys.com or (212) 416-8401.

Want to learn more about making tax-wise gifts? Download our FREE guide Beneficiary Designations: The 3 Easiest Ways to Leave Your Legacy.

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IRC meets all 20 of BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s accountability standards.

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CharityWatch gives the IRC an A+.

Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator gave the IRC its highest rating of four stars.

A charitable bequest is one or two sentences in your will or living trust that leave to International Rescue Committee a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.

an individual or organization designated to receive benefits or funds under a will or other contract, such as an insurance policy, trust or retirement plan

"I, [name], of [city, state ZIP], give, devise and bequeath the sum of $________ or ______ percent of my estate to the International Rescue Committee, Inc., a nonprofit institution incorporated in the State of New York with a business address of 122 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10168-1289 and tax identification number 13-5660870 for its unrestricted use and purpose."

able to be changed or cancelled

A revocable living trust is set up during your lifetime and can be revoked at any time before death. They allow assets held in the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court proceedings and can also reduce federal estate taxes.

cannot be changed or cancelled

tax on gifts generally paid by the person making the gift rather than the recipient

the original value of an asset, such as stock, before its appreciation or depreciation

the growth in value of an asset like stock or real estate since the original purchase

the price a willing buyer and willing seller can agree on

The person receiving the gift annuity payments.

the part of an estate left after debts, taxes and specific bequests have been paid

a written and properly witnessed legal change to a will

the person named in a will to manage the estate, collect the property, pay any debt, and distribute property according to the will

A donor advised fund is an account that you set up but which is managed by a nonprofit organization. You contribute to the account, which grows tax-free. You can recommend how much (and how often) you want to distribute money from that fund to the IRC or other charities. You cannot direct the gifts.

An endowed gift can create a new endowment or add to an existing endowment. The principal of the endowment is invested and a portion of the principal’s earnings are used each year to support our mission.

Tax on the growth in value of an asset—such as real estate or stock—since its original purchase.

Securities, real estate or any other property having a fair market value greater than its original purchase price.

Real estate can be a personal residence, vacation home, timeshare property, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land.

A charitable remainder trust provides you or other named individuals income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create.

You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for a number of years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select. This is an excellent way to transfer property to family members at a minimal cost.

You fund this type of trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. You can also make additional gifts; each one also qualifies for a tax deduction. The trust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to the IRC as a lump sum.

You fund this trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. Each year the trust pays you or another named individual the same dollar amount you choose at the start. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to the IRC as a lump sum.

A beneficiary designation clearly identifies how specific assets will be distributed after your death.

A charitable gift annuity involves a simple contract between you and the IRC where you agree to make a gift to the IRC and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life.
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