Washington National Cathedral

The Cathedral Founders’ Society

The Cathedral Founders’ Society is an honorary society of friends who have chosen to support the life and work of Washington National Cathedral through bequests, trusts, or other deferred gifts. In gratitude for their generosity, the Cathedral awards Society members special recognition, including a worship service in their honor each year and a lapel pin in the design of the Cathedral’s shield, the crossed keys and sword.

If you have already remembered the Cathedral in your estate plans, we invite you to notify us in writing, so that we might extend our thanks and welcome you into the Founders. Society. You may, if you wish, become an anonymous member.

If you would like to learn more about this opportunity to support the Cathedral, please contact Suzanne Mink, Director of Philanthropy, at (202) 537-2357 or e-mail smink@cathedral.org for additional information.

Types of Gifts

Gifts of Cash — Your gift is immediately available to support the Cathedral, and every dollar you give is deductible in the year you make the gift.

Gifts of Marketable Securities — The securities are often individual stocks, but may include bonds or shares of mutual funds. Outright gifts of security can be made quickly and easily, and can enable you to do more with your gifts because of the tax benefits.

Gifts of Real Estate — When appreciated real estate is given to the Washington National Cathedral, capital gains taxes are completely avoided and the full fair market value of the property is generally deductible as a charitable contribution.

Gifts of Tangible Personal Property — Antiques, artwork, jewelry, book collections—these are just a few of the kinds of tangible property that our friends have used in making charitable gifts to the Washington National Cathedral. The full fair market value of such assets is generally deductible provided the gift asset is used for our charitable-exempt purpose.

Gifts of Life Insurance — When an existing policy is given to the Cathedral, the owner may deduct, as a charitable contribution, the current value of the policy or the net cost of the policy if this is less than current value. In addition, future premium payments are also deductible after ownership has transferred to charity.

Gifts of Retirement Assets — By using retirement assets to fund a bequest to the Washington National Cathedral—and leaving other assets to children, grandchildren, and friends—you may be able to reduce taxes that otherwise would be imposed on those assets that have grown tax-free...and leave more to your intended beneficiaries.

Gifts of Closely Held Stock — A charitable gift of closely held stock presents a unique opportunity for some of our supporters, especially if the closely held corporation has substantial accumulated profits. The fair market value of the closely held stock is deductible as a charitable contribution and there is no capital gains tax no matter how much the stock has appreciated in value.

Life Income Plans — Gifts made to the Washington National Cathedral with a right to retain income.

The Charitable Remainder Trust — For a gift to the Cathedral of $100,000 or more, a charitable remainder trust will provide income for you and your beneficiaries as well as an immediate charitable deduction, among other benefits.

The Charitable Gift Annuity — A gift annuity is an agreement between you and a charitable institution under which the charity agrees to pay you fixed payments for your life (and/or the life of your chosen beneficiary). The amount of the annuity is based on the age of the annuitant(s) and the amount of the gift.

The Charitable Lead Trust — The charitable lead trust is almost a mirror image of the charitable remainder trust. Under a lead trust agreement, an annual income from the trust is paid to a qualified charitable organization such as the Washington National Cathedral for a specified period of years, with the principle of the trust passing to non-charitable beneficiaries (often your children or grandchildren) upon expiration of the trust.

Charitable Bequests — Bequests give you the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. When you make a charitable bequest, you retain full use of your property during life, so there is no disruption of your lifestyle, no immediate out-of-pocket costs. You simply direct that part of your estate to go to your favorite charity.

We will be happy to discuss with you the best way to include the Washington National Cathedral in your estate plans. Please contact Suzanne Mink, Director of Philanthropy, at (202) 537-2357 or e-mail smink@cathedral.org for additional information.