A legacy gift is one that outlasts you. It may come through a will, a retirement account, a life insurance policy, or a transfer of appreciated securities. It may also happen now, as a tax-advantaged gift that benefits you during your lifetime. Whatever the vehicle, the result is the same: your values continue working after you are gone.
For blind and low-vision Alaskans, that work is concrete. A guide dog, a magnifier, a screen reader, a summer camp for a blind teenager. A legacy gift to ACBVI is a commitment to that future, placed on behalf of people you may never meet.
Download beneficiary designation worksheet (PDF)
Ways to Give
Bequest in a will
You name ACBVI as a beneficiary of a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder after other bequests are satisfied. A bequest requires no cash during your lifetime and can be changed at any time. Your estate attorney can add one in a single paragraph.
Download sample bequest language (PDF)
IRA qualified charitable distribution
If you are 70½ or older, you can direct up to $105,000 per year from your IRA to a qualified charity. The transfer counts toward your required minimum distribution and is not included in your taxable income. ACBVI qualifies. This is one of the most tax-efficient gifts available to donors in that age range.
Download IRA qualified charitable distribution information (PDF)
Appreciated securities
You transfer stock or mutual fund shares that have grown in value. You receive a charitable deduction at fair market value and pay no capital gains tax on the appreciation. The Alaska Community Foundation receives the shares, liquidates them, and credits the ACBVI Endowment Fund. Start the process at the Alaska Community Foundation Smart Giving hub.
Charitable gift annuity
You make an irrevocable gift in exchange for a fixed income payment for life. When you pass, the remainder goes to ACBVI. The Alaska Community Foundation administers gift annuities on behalf of agency fundholders, including ACBVI. Learn more at the Alaska Community Foundation Smart Giving hub.
Donor advised fund grant
If you have a donor advised fund at the Alaska Community Foundation or another sponsor, you can recommend a grant directly to the ACBVI Endowment Fund. No application required, no reporting requirement. See the Alaska Community Foundation DAF grant FAQ.
Beneficiary designation
You name ACBVI as a beneficiary on a retirement account, life insurance policy, or bank account. One form with your account custodian is all it takes. You can update or change the designation at any time during your lifetime.
The ACBVI Endowment Fund
ACBVI holds an endowment fund at the Alaska Community Foundation, established in 2009. Assets are invested alongside ACF’s broader portfolio. Earnings generate a sustainable annual distribution to ACBVI, supporting programs in perpetuity rather than in a single year.
When you give to the endowment, your gift joins a permanent fund that grows over time. It is not spent in the year it is received. It becomes part of the financial foundation that ACBVI stands on, year after year.
Talk with Someone
Legacy giving is a personal decision. A conversation before you act is worth the time.
Alaska Community Foundation
Celeste Earley, CFRE, Director of Development
CEarley@alaskacf.org | (907) 249-6612
Celeste works directly with donors on planned giving options including charitable gift annuities, donor advised funds, and estate planning strategies.
Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Nate Kile, Executive Director
NKile@AlaskaBVI.org | (907) 268-3885
Resources to Bring to Your Advisor
The Alaska Community Foundation maintains a library of estate planning materials for donors and their advisors, including recorded webinars and presentation slides on wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and charitable legacy planning.
Estate planning resources at the Alaska Community Foundation
For questions specific to ACBVI’s endowment or how a gift will be used, contact Nate Kile at NKile@AlaskaBVI.org.
How We Honor Legacy Donors
ACBVI recognizes legacy donors in our annual report and at our annual luncheon. If you have included ACBVI in your estate plans, we would be honored to know. It allows us to thank you personally and to count you among the people who are building something that will outlast all of us.
To let us know about a planned gift, contact Nate Kile at NKile@AlaskaBVI.org or (907) 268-3885. Your information remains private unless you choose otherwise.