Thank you for considering a gift to Lifewater in your will! By doing so, you will model to your loved ones a steadfast commitment to financial stewardship, charitable giving and building God’s Kingdom.

By using the following language in your will, you ensure that Lifewater continues to provide water, health, and hope to vulnerable families well beyond your lifetime.

I give to Lifewater, a nonprofit ministry with its principal offices located at [ADDRESS, CITY, STATE] [the sum of $____] OR [____% of the residue of my estate], to be used [for its general purposes] OR [designated purpose]. If, in its opinion, the need for funds for the designated purpose no longer exists, Lifewater is authorized to use these funds for a similar purpose.

Take the next step in putting a plan in place today by requesting “How to Give to Lifewater in Your Will.” Contact [NAME] today at [PHONE] or [EMAIL].

Thank you for considering a gift to Lifewater as a beneficiary of your IRA! This is a significant way to support this important mission and to extend the impact of your giving, well beyond your lifetime!

To gift your retirement assets, simply contact your plan’s administrator and file the appropriate beneficiary designation form(s). Use this contact where needed:

Legal Name: Lifewater International
Address: PO Box 2868, Bentonville, AR 72712
Tax ID Number: 95-3987142

While no one could possibly care for your children like you, it’s crucial you choose a trustworthy guardian to provide for your children’s long-term spiritual, emotional and physical needs in the unlikely event you cannot.

As you move through this difficult process, here are a few questions about potential candidates to guide your thoughts and conversations.

• Do they share your Christian faith? Do their decisions and behaviors reflect an authentic commitment to living a Christ-centered life?
• Do they foster an atmosphere within their home where your child(ren) will thrive?
• Are they committed to the responsibility of raising your child(ren) to adulthood?

While many choose to select a guardian from their immediate family, others select a close friend who is a better fit because of their values, lifestyle or circumstances. The most important thing is to choose someone – regardless of their relation to you – who will provide your child(dren) a safe, healthy, faith-filled environment where they can grow into their full, God-given potential.

We want to be fair when dividing our estate, but one of our kids needs more help than the others. How should we approach this?

Dividing an estate among children is a complex issue – and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. An estate plan based on equality often leads to results that are not helpful, and in some cases, does more harm than good.

We recommend you walk through this decision with a trusted advisor to help you find a solution that “fits” your circumstances and goals. They will help you answer questions like…

• How can we structure our estate plan to support our children’s needs and encourage their personal growth?
• Should each of our children receive their inheritance in a lump sum, or would they benefit from an annual income stream instead?
• Who is best suited to become the next steward of our God-given resources?

Through Lifewater’s partnership with Barnabas Foundation, you can have a complimentary, confidential conversation with a trusted planner who shares your Christian values.

A personal representative (also known as an “executor”) is the person you’ve named in your will to carry out your instructions. They may also…

• Collect and maintain property until your estate is settled,
• Take care of final expenses, such as paying off debt, utility bills or taxes (funded by your estate), AND
• Make court appearances on behalf of your estate.

Almost anyone over the age of 18 can serve as a personal representative, but common choices include spouses, siblings and children. The most important qualities in this person are integrity, financial knowledge, dependability, available time and the ability to communicate effectively with those impacted by your estate.

Absolutely! If you are 70 ½ or order, gifts from your IRA are smart, tax-wise ways you can support the mission of Lifewater! Not only do these gifts satisfy your required minimum distribution, but they also reduce your taxable income.

By giving non-cash assets, you can…

• Receive a fair market value deduction at the time of your gift and avoid tax liability on the sale of appreciated assets.
• Give assets you no longer need or want to manage (such as rental properties or vacation homes) for the benefit of ministry.
• Give from your excess resources without restricting cash flow.
• Eliminate potential taxes or complications for your heirs by giving complex or burdensome assets to ministry in the here and now.

There are a couple things to consider when making an end-of-year IRA gift to Lifewater. 

• If your gift is coming directly from your IRA administrator, you must complete your paperwork in time for your administrator to send a check to Lifewater on or before December 31.  
• If you have been given an IRA checkbook, your check must be received AND PROCESSED by December 31 in order for it to count toward your required minimum distribution. It is NOT enough that personal IRA checks are postmarked or even hand-delivered by December 31.

Bottom line, allow extra time at the end of the year to ensure your IRA gift is mailed, received and processed well before December 31.

Furthermore, since IRA checks do not include your name and look very similar to standard bank checks (which have different guidelines), it’s a good idea to alert Lifewater when giving in this manner.

Whether you are wanting to sell a vacation home, farm or rental property, giving real estate holds significant benefits for you AND God’s Kingdom. However, there are a few things you should consider when giving real estate:

• A qualified appraisal of the property by a professional is required to claim your charitable deduction on your tax return. 
• The property must be given before signing any legally-binding obligation to sell. 
• It is best that the property is debt-free and marketable.

Through Lifewater’s partnership with Barnabas Foundation, you have complimentary access to trusted planning support, all from a Christian perspective. A planner will answer your questions with clear, easy-to-understand information so you can identify the best giving solutions to achieve your personal and charitable goals.

Lifetime income gifts are wonderful solutions for Christians who wish to give in a substantial way, but are concerned about retirement income. You can gift cash or other property, and receive steady income for the rest of your life (or designated number of years). The remainder will go to benefit the important mission of Lifewater.

Key benefits of a lifetime income gift:

• Secure payments for life
• Give assets you no longer need or care to manage (such as rental property or vacation homes) to benefit God’s Kingdom
• Receive an income tax deduction at the time of your gift
• Reduce capital gains tax when funding your gift with appreciated assets

Through Lifewater’s partnership with Barnabas Foundation you have complimentary access to trusted planning support from a Christian perspective. A Barnabas Foundation planner will help determine the best giving option for you.

Life income gifts are wonderful solutions for Christians who wish to give in a substantial way, but are concerned about having enough to meet their family’s needs. You can give cash or other property, and receive steady income for the rest of your life (or a designated number of years). The remainder will go to support the important mission of Lifewater.

Your income from a charitable gift annuity (CGA) depends on your age and the original gift amount. Each year (or quarter) you’ll receive a percentage of your original gift. The older you are when you begin the gift annuity, the higher the percentage – and the bigger the payment!

For example, if you’re a single 70-year-old, you’ll receive a payment rate of 5.1% of your gift for the rest of your life. The rate for a single 80-year-old is currently 6.9%. These examples follow the recommended rates set by the American Council on Gift Annuities.* 

*Rates as of January 1, 2020. Subject to change.

A charitable gift annuity is as secure as the organization that secures it. Lifewater partners with Barnabas Foundation for issuing and overseeing charitable gift annuities. When you establish a gift annuity through Barnabas Foundation, you can have confidence knowing your annuity is administered by – and backed by the assets of – a trusted, well-established organization that has been helping Christians accomplish their charitable goals since 1976.

Charitable remainder trusts are powerful, tax-wise gifts that enable you to support Lifewater while securing lifetime payments for you and your loved ones. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! 

1. Create a CRT and make a gift to it. Contributions may include cash, publicly traded securities, some types of closely held stock, real estate and other non-cash assets. 
2. Receive ongoing payments for one or more individuals, including yourself. 
3. Remaining assets are distributed to Lifewater upon termination of the trust.