Would you like to help support AMC’s mission of protecting the outdoors without changing your will or parting with any assets now?

You can do this by designating AMC as a beneficiary of certain assets or accounts you own. This “beneficiary designation” is one of the simplest ways to make a gift to AMC. It’s literally as easy as filling out a form.

You can name AMC as the sole beneficiary of your assets or as one of several beneficiaries. For example, you can use some of your assets to make a legacy gift and use the rest to provide for family members or other loved ones.

There are many benefits of making a gift by beneficiary designation:

  • Flexibility: Assets remain in your control should you need them.
  • Easy to arrange: It doesn’t require a change to your will. 
  • Revocable: You can change your gift designation at any time.
  • Tax incentives: Funds passing by beneficiary designation to AMC are not subject to income or estate tax. This means 100% of your gift is available for use by AMC.
  • Family-friendly: You can name family or other loved ones to benefit from some of the asset value, with AMC receiving the remaining portion.
  • Support your cause: Your gift to AMC helps us create a future where being outdoors is an integral part of people’s lives.

 

Assets to consider designating for AMC include: 

Retirement assets: These include IRAs (regardless of the type of IRA) and most qualified retirement plans, such as 401(k) and 403(b) plans. Request a Beneficiary Designation Form from your plan administrator and designate AMC as a beneficiary of either a percentage of your plan balance or of a specific dollar amount.

Retirement assets can be taxed at rates of 50% to 70% or even more if you leave them to someone other than a surviving spouse. This is because most distributions from an IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or other qualified retirement plan are subject to both income tax and estate tax too.

In contrast, retirement funds that pass directly to AMC by beneficiary designation are not subject to either of these taxes. From a tax standpoint, a transfer of assets remaining in an IRA or other retirement account is the very best charitable gift.

Life insurance policies: Simply complete and return to your insurance company a form designating that AMC receive all or a portion of the death benefit associated with your life insurance policy.

Bank account: You can instruct your bank to pay to AMC all or a portion of what remains in your checking or savings account. Your bank can provide you with the appropriate Beneficiary Designation Form.

Investment account: You can instruct your investment company to transfer to AMC some or all of the investments held in your account at the time of your passing. Your broker or agent can let you know the process for doing this – it may be as simple as adding “T.O.D. to AMC” after your name on the account.