Leave a legacy that honors and empowers paralyzed veterans by creating planned giving through a will.

How Can Your Planned Giving Help Paralyzed Veterans?

Planned giving allows you to leave a meaningful legacy in support of a charitable organization that matters most to you. Donating to the Vaughan Chapter, Paralyzed Veterans of America with a bequest from your estate will help support our continuing efforts of advocating for the benefits and quality healthcare for our country’s injured heroes. Planned gifts help provide resources and activities that enrich the lives of paralyzed veterans through sports and recreation, educational grants, adaptive equipment, and community awareness programs now and for years to come.

We recommend consulting an attorney, financial planner, or other licensed professional when considering or making changes to your planned giving arrangements. This information does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice.

Advantages of creating planned giving to Vaughan PVA via a will include:

• A bequest costs nothing now but gives you the satisfaction of knowing you have provided for paralyzed veterans in the future
• You retain control and use of your assets during your lifetime
• You may modify your bequest if your circumstances change
• Gifts to Vaughan PVA from your estate are exempt from federal estate taxes
• If you let Vaughan PVA know of your plans, we will recognize you as a valued donor (only with your permission; you may give anonymously if you prefer)

How to Make a Bequest to Vaughan PVA?

You can make a bequest to Vaughan PVA for a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, or for all or a portion of what is left after your bequests to your family. To make a gift to Vaughan PVA from your estate, you must sign a new will or living trust instrument, add a codicil to your present will, or make an amendment to your present trust instrument.

Alternatively, you can designate Vaughan PVA as a beneficiary of a retirement plan or life insurance policy. Contact your retirement plan administrator or life insurance company and complete the appropriate beneficiary designation form to make Vaughan PVA the beneficiary.

What to Know When Planning Your Bequest?

When planning for a bequest to Vaughan PVA, you will need to consider how you would like your gift to be used to benefit Vaughan PVA – whether unrestricted in purpose, or restricted to a specific program or purpose, and whether you would like it to be an expendable fund (to be spent when received) or an endowed fund (to last in perpetuity.)

• An unrestricted bequest allows Vaughan PVA to determine how to use the funds based on its most pressing needs. Unrestricted bequests are extremely valuable because Vaughan PVA can use your bequest to meet future needs
• A restricted bequest directs assets to a specific fund, program, or particular purpose. A restricted bequest may be for an expendable or endowed fund
• Expendable funds are used in their entirety, generally within a relatively short time frame. Some larger expendable gifts are used over longer periods
• Endowed funds provide income every year in perpetuity to carry out the designated purpose of the fund. Note that endowed funds have minimum required amounts. Please speak with the Chapter Executive Director if you are considering a bequest to establish an endowed fund

Ready to Make a Bequest to Vaughan PVA?

Contact the Vaughan PVA Executive Director at:

Maria Hernandez, Executive Director
Vaughan PVA
2235 Enterprise Drive, Suite 3501
Westchester, IL 60154
708-947-9790 (office)
800-727-2234 (toll-free)
vpva@vaughanpva.org