For Advisors

Your relationship with your clients is built on trust and respect. The success of the Florida Elks Charities' gift planning program is also based on a tradition of trust. We pay close attention to our supporters' interests and philanthropic goals, as well as their unique financial circumstances. We urge our donors to consult professional advisors before making any planned gift and strongly encourage them to consider how their gifts fit into their overall financial plan.

We welcome the opportunity to work with you and your clients to create a well-crafted estate or philanthropic plan—one that provides your clients with financial resources and tax advantages, achieves their philanthropic goals, and helps to support higher education. Find more information below about the gift options available.

FAMILY PHILANTHROPIC PLANNING SERVICES

We assist families in using philanthropy as a tool to bond the family, work together, and pass values down to younger generations. Additionally, we ensure that these plans align with a family's existing financial, tax, and estate planning objectives. Our goal is to create strategies that engage families and maximize the social and economic benefits associated with their philanthropic pursuits.

REAL ESTATE

The Florida Elks Charities specializes in turning almost any kind of unencumbered real estate into a financially prudent gift for our mission. Property can be used to fund outright gifts, gifts that provide income, donor-advised funds, and retained life estates. Different terms and conditions apply for each type of real estate, so please contact us to discuss your clients' individual situations.

Giving real property to the Florida Elks Charities, for the benefit of the organization, can provide a donor with significant tax benefits, including avoiding capital gain on the sale of the property and obtaining a federal income tax charitable deduction. Additionally, by deeding ownership of a property to the Florida Elks Charities, a donor can avoid having to go through the sale of the property themselves.

GIFTS OF STOCK

One of the easiest ways to donate to the Florida Elks Charities is to make a gift of stock. Making a gift of publicly-traded stock, bonds, or mutual funds offers you the chance to support our work while reducing or eliminating federal capital gains tax. Moreover, you are entitled to a federal income tax charitable deduction based on the fair market value of the securities at the time of the transfer.

GIFTS THAT PROVIDE INCOME

Clients who wish to make a current gift and receive a tax deduction now, but need to keep or enhance their cash flow, might consider a life-income gift, such as charitable gift annuities, deferred gift annuities, and unitrusts. The Florida Elks Charities' gift planning team can assist you and your client in determining the benefits of such a gift.

RETAINED LIFE ESTATES

For clients who are considering making a significant gift of their home or vacation property to the Florida Elks Charities, we offer a Retained Life Estate. This arrangement allows the donor to continue living in the property rent-free for life or a specified number of years while receiving a tax deduction for the gift.

BEQUESTS

A bequest is one of the simplest ways for clients to make a significant gift to the Florida Elks Charities without impacting their current financial situation. The organization can be named as a beneficiary in a will or living trust, retirement plan, or life insurance policy.

CHARITABLE LEAD TRUSTS

A Charitable Lead Trust is an effective way for clients to make a significant gift to the Florida Elks Charities while also providing for their heirs. The trust transfers the income from the trust assets to the organization for a specified period, after which the assets return to the donor or their heirs.

TESTAMENTARY LIFE-INCOME GIFTS

A testamentary life-income gift allows clients to provide for both the Florida Elks Charities and their heirs with one estate asset. The estate creates and funds a charitable gift annuity or unitrust, which provides income to the heirs for their lifetime or a specified period, after which the remaining balance passes to the organization.

We urge all our donors to consult with their legal, financial, or tax advisors before making any type of gift. Our gift-planning team is available to assist you and your client in exploring these and other gift options.