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Become a Swift Legacy Circle Member

Create a Legacy

A wonderful way to establish your legacy while making a philanthropic commitment to Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo is to leave a bequest in your will or living trust. You will help maintain Hospice’s mission and quality care, ensuring that it’s available for generations to come.

By doing so, you will be recognized as a Swift Circle Member. Named in honor of Harlan and Margaret Swift, who served as avid volunteers and donors, Swift members are recognized for their generosity and long-term commitment to Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo.

We encourage Swift members to work with our staff to ensure that your personal wishes are carried out with your philanthropic commitment. Your bequest can be tailored to fit your personal goals and needs. You have the ability to designate your gift to the program of your choice, decide to establish an endowment, leave a cash gift, or even designate a particular asset.

In addition, proper estate planning will allow you to achieve financial protection for your loved ones and may reduce gift and estate taxes.

Endowments at Hospice Buffalo

Your gift for a restricted endowment ensures Hospice and palliative care programs and activities will continue for years to come. There are several special endowment funds that provide income to support and preserve the excellent care and related services provided by Hospice. For a gift of $50,000 or more, you can create your own endowment fund that will carry the name selected by you, the donor, in perpetuity.

Charitable Gift Annuity

A charitable gift annuity allows you to make a gift to Hospice and still provide a stream of income for yourself and/or another beneficiary. A charitable gift annuity is a contractual agreement between you and the Hospice Foundation. The contract states that in exchange for your gift of $10,000 or more, the Foundation agrees to make fixed payments to you, and/or another beneficiary for life.

If you are under age 65, you may want to consider a deferred gift annuity. This allows you to make a gift to Hospice now, but defer annuity payments to a predetermined date in the future.

Gifts of Assets

Life Insurance

Life insurance is an asset that can be donated to Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo and provide you tax benefits. You can transfer ownership of your policy to Hospice and receive an income tax deduction based on the cash surrender value of the policy at the time of transfer. You can also name Hospice as the beneficiary of your policy. For such a gift, your estate will be entitled to an estate tax deduction based on the value of the proceeds paid to Hospice.

Retirement Funds

A gift of retirement plan assets can be made by naming Hospice the beneficiary of all or a portion of your retirement plan, such as an IRA, 401(k), 403(b) or other qualified retirement savings plans. This is a simple way to make sure you have enough during your lifetime but still maintain your charitable intent. When you donate retirement plan assets, your estate will be entitled to an estate tax deduction based on the value of the assets given to the Hospice Foundation.

Stock

An outright gift of appreciated securities, stock, bonds or mutual funds is a wonderful way to support Hospice and enjoy a tax deduction equal to the current market value of the donated asset, regardless of its original cost basis.

Hospice recommends that you consult with your attorney when making or amending your will. If you wish to make a provision including Hospice in your will, you may do so by asking your attorney to add the following language:

I bequeath $ ________ or ________% to the Hospice Foundation of WNY, Erie County (Federal ID # 22-3137812)

If you have already designated Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo in your will or trust, thank you! Please let us know so we can thank you personally and officially welcome you into the Swift Legacy Circle.