Make a Donation

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You can ensure that our organization is able to support our mission for years to come through a gift that costs you nothing today!

Making a planned gift is one of the simplest ways to show your support and appreciation for the Wagner Society. After your lifetime, your gift will continue to support a cause that has been important to you and will extend the legacy of your interest and values.

Types of planned gifts include:

• Gifts through your will

• Gifts from revocable trusts

• Gifts from irrevocable trusts

• Gifts from retirement plans

• Gifts of life insurance policies

When including the Wagner Society in your plans, you will become a member of our Valhalla Society, and, more important, you will play a crucial role in helping us continue to bring the music of Richard Wagner to countless DC residents and beyond!

If you have already included the Wagner Society in your estate planning, or if you would like more information on how to plan the best charitable gift for you, please contact us at legacy@wagner-dc.org. All inquiries confidential.

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A Bequest: Will or Revocable Trust

This is one of the most common types of legacy gifts to support the Wagner Society of Washington DC.

Benefits to you:

• It is not payable until death, so it does not affect your assets or cash flow during your lifetime.

• It is revocable—you can change the provisions in your will or trust at any time.

• It may help minimize estate tax or avoid tax burden for heirs.

There are several ways to control how your bequest is distributed:

• Specific bequests allow you to name a specific dollar amount or named asset.

• Residuary bequests let you leave all or a percentage of what is left in your estate after specific requests, debts, expenses, and taxes have been fulfilled.

• Contingent bequests are fulfilled only if certain conditions are met.

How it works:

• Schedule a meeting with your attorney to review your options and determine the best estate plan vehicle for you based on your personal circumstances and goals.

• Your attorney will prepare the document including your charitable intentions while using the Society’s official language.

• If you have already written a will or trust, it can be amended by your attorney by writing a codicil to include a new bequest, such as a bequest to the Wagner Society, while reaffirming the other terms in your will. Similarly, an attorney can prepare an amendment to a revocable trust.

Retirement Plan
Consider naming the Wagner Society of Washington DC as a full or partial beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k), or of another qualified retirement plan.

Benefits to you:

• You can continue to take withdrawals through your life.

• If your circumstances change, you may change beneficiaries at any time.

• You and your heirs can avoid both income and estate taxes on the residue left in your retirement account.

How it works:

• Using the official Wagner Society of Washington DC name and address, name the Society as a beneficiary on the account.

• Contact the financial institution and complete the necessary beneficiary designation form.

• After your lifetime, the financial institution will contact the Wagner Society and the gift will be distributed according to your instructions as completed on the beneficiary designation form.

• Assets pass to the Wagner Society, tax-free.

Life Insurance
Consider naming the Wagner Society of Washington DC as a primary beneficiary of your life insurance policy, or as a contingent beneficiary should your other beneficiaries not survive you.

Benefits to you:

• You can make a significant gift from income instead of from capital assets.

• If your circumstances change, you may change beneficiaries at any time.

• You will be able to claim an income tax deduction.

• You can remove an asset from your potential gross taxable estate.

How it works:

• Using the official Wagner Society of Washington DC name and address, name the Society as beneficiary of a policy.

• Contact the insurance company and complete the necessary beneficiary designation form.

• After your lifetime, the insurance company will contact the Wagner Society and the gift will be distributed according to your instructions as completed on the beneficiary designation form.

• Assets pass to the Wagner Society, free of federal estate tax.

Additional Types of Beneficiary Designations
You may choose to designate the Wagner Society as the beneficiary of a variety of assets including insurance policies, retirement plans (IRA, 403(b)/commercial annuity/pension), and financial accounts (bank accounts/CDs/savings bonds).

Because many of these assets may be subject to income and estate taxes when left to heirs, leaving them to the Society can be a simple, smart and tax efficient way to make your legacy gift.

Thank you for your interest in including the Wagner Society of Washington DC in your estate plans!

Each year, the Wagner Society shares the music of Richard Wagner through study and performance to residents of the Washington metropolitan area at the highest artistic standards. We could not fulfill our mission of promoting the careers of today’s most promising young singers of Wagner or run our educational programs without your contributions!

Disclaimer: As a reminder, the Wagner Society of Washington DC is providing general information only, and does not provide financial counseling or estate planning advice. For tax or legal advice, please consult with a financial advisor or an attorney. It is important to schedule a meeting with your attorney, discuss your wishes and make decisions based on your personal circumstances and to add the correct legal language to your document.

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