Creating the legacy you wish to leave is one of the most effective ways to ensure a lasting impact. Making a gift in your will or living trust, known as a bequest, can guarantee that your legacy endures. Your gift may be a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate or the remainder after all other provisions are specified.

Friends of the Dallas Public Library encourages and solicits contributions of cash and other forms of property in the development of our programs and operations. Contributions are accepted either as outright gifts or through planned gifts permitted by the Internal Revenue Code and the laws of the State of Texas.

The types of gifts may include, but are not limited to:

BEQUESTS: A bequest is typically made through a will and the Foundation will receive the gift upon the death of the donor. The will may include a specific item, a specific dollar amount, or a percentage or portion of an entire estate. Follow this link for sample language to use when drafting your bequest.

SECURITIES: Publicly traded non-restricted stocks and bonds can be transferred to the Foundation

TRUST DESIGNATION: Like a bequest according to a will, a trust designation may designate a specific item, specific dollar amount, or a percentage or portion of a trust.

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS: A donor may designate Friends of the Dallas Public Library as a beneficiary on his or her qualified retirement plans i.e. IRA, 401(k), 403(b), Keogh, and Employee Stock Ownership Plans, insurance policies, or payable on death accounts.

GIFTS OF LIFE INSURANCE: A donor may name Friends of the Dallas Public Library as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or the donor may transfer the entire ownership of his/her life insurance policy to Friends of the Dallas Public Library.

LIFE OR FIXED TERM INCOME GIFTS: A donor may make an irrevocable gift while retaining interest for one or more lifetimes or a fixed term of years (on some gifts). This type of gift allows the donor to increase income, save taxes and make a charitable gift.

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY: A contract with a donor where Friends of the Dallas Public Library promises to pay a fixed amount to one or two beneficiaries in exchange for an irrevocable gift today.

RETAINED LIFE ESTATE: A donor may donate his/her home, vacation home, farm, etc., to Friends of the Dallas Public Library while retaining the right to live in it and use it for the remainder of one or more lifetimes, a fixed term of years, or a combination of the two.

QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS (QCDs): Individuals aged 70½ or older can make a tax-free gift directly from their Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to Friends of the Dallas Public Library. These Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) can count toward required minimum distributions (RMDs) and help reduce taxable income while supporting the library. By donating through a QCD, donors can maximize their philanthropic impact while receiving potential tax benefits. Contact your IRA administrator for instructions on how to make a QCD gift.