Your Personal Legacy

When contemplating the pathway that will lead to your personal legacy, you can feel confident that a contribution to Houston Hospice will be a gift that will be cherished by all for whom we care.

Giving is Uniquely Rewarding and Individual to You

The determination to make a charitable gift is an expression of cherished values and priorities. We recognize that no two donors and no two gifts are alike in their aspirations and motivations. Through a deliberate and thoughtful process, Houston Hospice professionals will work with you and/or your advisors to create a giving opportunity that speaks to you and your family's unique desires.

Endowment gifts share a vision for the future and can sustain current programs. The Butterfly and Wings program, Bereavement Counseling, Community Outreach and Education programs are examples.

Giving is Trustworthy and Flexible

Houston Hospice takes seriously the trust our donors place in us. A strategic plan guides the organization's management and continued growth. How a particular donor chooses to make a gift varies. Whether it is an immediate or planned gift, all that is necessary is a commitment to benefit Houston Hospice. To ensure your gift is in keeping with your estate and income needs, we encourage you to discuss contributions with your family.

Our Legacy

For over 25 years Houston Hospice, a community based not-for-profit organization, has served our community with great distinction. Our responsibilities to our patients and families have never wavered from the basis tenet of hospice, which is "to help you live until you die." We fulfill our mission to "provide uncompromising, compassionate end-of-life care to patients and families in our community" wherever they may be. We do this, one patient, one family at a time. And with your help, we will continue to care for the generations to come.

We all must die. But if I can save someone from days of torture - that is what I feel is a great and ever new privilege. Pain is a more terrible lord of mankind that even death. -Albert Schweitzer, humanitarian, physician and theologian

Our Values

We believe it is important to share our values with you, values that we have maintained since our founding and that will sustain our future. Our values are and will remain:

• Respect for the worth and dignity of each individual.
• Dedication and commitment to provide the highest quality of care.
• Neither the hastening nor the postponing of death.
• Professionalism, integrity, and excellence in all aspects of the organization.
• Creativity in program development to meet the needs of those we serve.

To find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. -R. W. Emerson

Ways to Give

The following are the most common types of planned gifts. These are simply an overview of your options, and are not intended to constitute tax, accounting or legal advice. Donors should consult with their own professional advisors regarding a planned gift.

Bequests
The most popular type of planned gifts. Anything you leave to a charitable organization will reduce the size of your taxable estate, while helping a good cause. A bequest may be a specific dollar amount, a percentage of an estate or a specific asset. Regardless of the size of your estate, a bequest can be made to a charity of your choosing. The entire value of a bequest is eligible for an estate tax charitable deduction.

Outright Gifts
Immediate gifts or cash, appreciated securities, real or tangible property are welcome gifts to Houston Hospice.

Wills and Revocable Living Trusts
A gift made through your will or living trust permits you to retain all your assets during your life. Designation may be for a percentage of your estate, a specified amount or for the residue of your estate.

Charitable Trusts
Charitable trusts can provide life income to you and/or a loved one. After your lifetime(s), the trust principal passes to Houston Hospice. You may name other charities as principal recipients as well.

Charitable Gift Annuity
In return for tax-deductible contributions, Houston Hospice pays a fixed life income to you and/or a lived one. After your lifetime(s), the remaining balance passes to Houston Hospice.

Life Insurance
When added protection of an insurance policy is no longer needed, transferring the policy's ownership to Houston Hospice can result in tax benefits for you and a generous gift to Houston Hospice.

Charitable Lead Trusts
If you desire to retain ownership of the trust principal to meet future financial goals for your family, but have ample income now, a charitable lead trust directs income from the trust to Houston Hospice for the specified terms of the trust. After that period of time, the principal returns to you or your designee.

Beneficiary Designations
You may add Houston Hospice as a revocable beneficiary of your qualified IRA, pension plan, bank account or insurance policy.

To download a charted list of planned giving strategies and benefits, click here.

Houston Hospice Legacy Circle

Envision your legacy. Then make it come true though Houston Hospice.

Life is a journey, each of us on a distinctive path. Our legacy speaks for us - our commitment to care to our utmost ability. Our path is to let each life we touch live fully until death. For many, successful life paths were governed by strong values, beliefs and actions, making each unique.