• Credit Card Gifts
• Gifts or Pledges by Mail
• Estate and Planned Gifts
• Gifts of Appreciated Securities or Mutual Funds
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• Financial Information
• GSEM Annual Report
• GuideStar (please note - to see GSEM's information, you will have to register [free] on GuideStar)
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By making a gift through estate planning, you can serve as a role model to other adult volunteers by preserving Girl Scouting in the City of St. Louis and 28 surrounding counties for generations to come. If you are considering a gift to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri:

1. Know what you have. A simple list with today’s market values is needed. Include your home(s), IRAs, investments and property. Total it up. The IRS allows you to give your heirs $1,000,000 estate tax-free. Your spouse can do the same. Unless you make careful plans, what you own above that will be taxed from 20% to 55%.
2. Decide if you want to pay estate taxes. In addition to being able to give your heirs a total of $1,000,000 during or after your life time, the IRS also allows you to give them up to $10,000 a year—gift and estate tax free. You can give any amount to charity annually or through your estate plan—gift and estate tax free. You have the ability to direct your assets from estate tax to a cause or program you care about. In addition, there are ways to combine a gift to charity and a gift to your heirs, which will reduce estate taxes.
3. Identify your charitable dream. Designate the amount you would like to give. Carefully think about what your bequest will mean to the charities you choose. Consider discussing your plan with them.
4. Seek advice from a professional advisor. You can receive a referral to a professional advisor—accountant, attorney, financial planner, insurance representative, investment professional or trust officer who can help you determine your needs and objectives. They can help you understand how to accomplish your goals by managing your assets wisely.

Questions

For more information on other resources for making estate and/or planned gifts, please contact Fund Development at 314.592.2365 or lsullivan@girlscoutsem.org.