Planned Giving - Leave Your Legacy

Join the Heritage Circle and leave a gift that lasts!

Planned Giving


Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA) offers a variety of ways that you can donate to a vital cause and help to ensure a brighter future for Native Americans living on remote and impoverished reservations — while achieving your financial goals.

Join the Heritage Circle

Did you know that it is possible to assist Native Americans without it costing you anything during your lifetime? Become a member of our Heritage Circle and help create positive change in Indian Country through legacy giving.

As a member of the Heritage Circle, you will be kept up to date on our efforts to provide services to Native Americans living in need in the areas we serve. You will receive a beautifully-framed plaque containing authentic Native American artwork acknowledging your admission into the Heritage Circle. Your personalized plaque is a token of our sincere appreciation in honor of your legacy gift to Native Americans. The artwork incorporates a highly stylized medicine wheel. In its design, the wheel is divided into four sections, which signifies the four directions of North, South, East, and West.

The colors stand for the four races of man and the circle design symbolizes the circle of life. We included the feathers in the design to embody the strength, pride, and independence the eagle has held in many American Indian cultures.


Planned Giving Options

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WILLS & BEQUESTS

WILLS & BEQUESTS

Support your loved ones, protect your possessions, and champion hope for Native Americans!

No other planned gift is as simple to implement and as easy to change. You maintain the use, benefit, enjoyment, and control of your assets for as long as you need them, for as long as you live.

Options for your will:

  • You can include a bequest provision in your will or living trust that specifies an amount or percentage of your estate that you wish PWNA or your choice of PWNA programs to receive.
  • You can make adjustments to your Will or trust if circumstances change.
  • Your loved ones will not be overlooked because you can specify the amount given to each party.

Benefits:

  • It does not affect you financially during your lifetime.
  • You may make adjustments to your will or trust if circumstances change.
  • Your loved ones will not be overlooked because you can specify the amount given to each party.
  • A charitable bequest or trust distribution is deductible for federal estate tax purposes. There is no limit on the deduction your estate can claim. The gift may also be exempt from state inheritance taxes.

Note: It may be possible to specify where you would like your bequest to go. Please contact Joe Langenderfer, CFRE, Director of Planned Giving at (214) 217-2600 Ext. 111. You are also encouraged to consult with your legal and financial advisors when considering a planned gift.

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Why do I need a Will?

Everyone has priorities in life… spouse, children or other loved ones, favorite charitable causes, etc. Many people have dedicated their lives to working hard, paying their bills and ‘taking care’ of important people and things around them. It is the source of a proud legacy built over a lifetime. A Will is a continuation of your responsible planning demonstrated throughout your life. Through a Will, you determine the recipients of your lifetime of accomplishments. Otherwise, without a Will the state in which you reside will determine such recipients including the legal guardians of your minor children. And the state does not distribute your assets to your favorite charities. Having a Will helps to establish and perpetuate your legacy.

Who can create a Will?

Anyone over the age of 18 years can create a Will and should review and update it every three to five years. It is particularly important for parents of minor-aged children to have an updated Will so that you may be able to name a legal guardian for your offspring if a simultaneous tragedy should befall you and your spouse.

LIFE INCOME GIFTS

Life Income Gifts: Charitable Gift Annuity

A Charitable Gift Annuity is a contract between a donor and Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA. You make a gift to PWNA which agrees to pay a specified income to you for life (or after your passing, to your 2nd annuitant.) It is a legally binding agreement and payable from the general assets of our organization. The payout rates for a “Single Life Annuity” or “Two Life Annuity” agreement do not exceed those suggested by the American Council on Gift Annuities (ACGA) as updated on their website. PWNA is a member of ACGA.

You are invited to enter into a Charitable Gift Annuity agreement with PWNA or specific PWNA programs with an annuity amount starting at $10,000 and if you are age 61 years or older.

All it takes is four easy steps to learn how you may obtain an annuity and what your estimated quarterly payments will be for the rest of your life:

  1. Call Joe Langenderfer, Director of Planned Giving at (214) 217-2600, Ext. 111 to see if we offer gift annuities in your state.
  2. Provide the gift amount and your method of funding (cash, stock, other appreciated property).
  3. Provide the cost basis of your appreciated property (if appropriate) and your current income tax bracket (so that the tax-free portion of your annuity income can be calculated accurately).
  4. Provide your date of birth (and that of the 2nd annuitant if a Two-Life Annuity)

We will then provide you with an illustration of the interest rate for your annuity and the amount of quarterly or annual payments you will receive along with relevant tax information. When you decide you want the annuity and transfer the cash or stock to PWNA, you will start receiving your lifetime income stream.


Life Income Gifts: Charitable Remainder Trust

A Charitable Remainder Trust is a gift vehicle that provides a stream of income for the lifetime of a donor or multiple beneficiaries or for a period of years. There are two basic variations of a Charitable Remainder Trust. An Annuity Trust is designed to pay a fixed Amount to the donor or one or more non-charitable beneficiaries. The amount never changes and may serve as a reliable income during retirement years. A Charitable Remainder Unitrust is designed to pay an annual income to the donor or one or more non-charitable beneficiaries in an amount equal to a fixed percentage of the value of trust assets. The amount of each payment to the beneficiaries will vary based on the fluctuating value of the trust as determined on an annual basis. Some donors appreciate the opportunity to receive higher payouts during years when the market is over-performing.

Upon the death of the last surviving beneficiary, the assets of the trust are transferred to Partnership With Native Americans or a PWNA program. The payout rate is set at a minimum of 5 per cent.

Donor Benefits:

  • Rely upon a consistent or variable income stream for life or for a period of years.
  • Can fund the Trust with cash or appreciated property including real estate.
  • Knowledge that the fund will be used for the purpose directed by the donor
  • Additional contributions may be made to the Fund at any time by the donor. (Unitrust only.)
  • Contributions of appreciated property may be particularly attractive by avoid most or all capital gains on the asset which claiming a charitable deduction on the amount of your Fund deposit.

CHARITABLE LEAD TRUST

Charitable Lead Trust

The Charitable Lead Trust is the inverse of a life income gift. It is designed to provide income to Partnership With Native Americans for a specified number of years as determined at the creation of the trust. Once the term of the trust expires the trust assets are returned to the donor or to a designated individual.

The income to Partnership With Native Americans can be in the form of either an annuity interest (fixed income) or unitrust income (varies with the value of the trust).

Donor Benefits:

  • Ability to support PWNA for a period of years and later have the corpus returned to the donor.
  • Can fund the Trust with cash or appreciated property including real estate.
  • Reduce estate taxes — if the trust assets are passed onto heirs, the asset contributed to the trust will be considered part of the donor’s estate, but the donor’s estate may be eligible for an estate tax deduction.
  • Reduce gift taxes — donors may be eligible for a gift tax charitable deduction, based on the present value of the interest going to PWNA.
  • Contributions of appreciated property may be particularly attractive by avoiding most or all capital gains on the asset which claiming a charitable deduction on the amount of their Fund deposit.

LIFE INSURANCE

Life Insurance

Your life insurance policy is usually an untapped and forgotten part of your financial planning. Yet it is a simple way to ensure the continued work of Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA). There are many ways that your life insurance policy can benefit Native American people.

Options to donate your policy:

  • You can name Partnership With Native Americans as a beneficiary in your current life insurance policy.
  • You can donate your paid-up policy directly to Partnership With Native Americans.
  • You can start a new policy, making Partnership With Native Americans the owner and beneficiary.

Benefits for you:

  • You may be eligible for a charitable deduction if you transfer a policy and name PWNA as the owner or beneficiary.
  • You would be eligible for a charitable deduction if you purchase a new policy and name PWNA as owner and beneficiary. Note: to achieve this charitable deduction you would make the annual insurance premium check payable to PWNA which will in turn pay the insurance company.

DONATION OF STOCK

Donation of Stock

Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA) is an organization that is humbled daily by the generosity of our donors and partners and the loyalty they show to the work we do in Indian Country. We recognize that many of our donors are interested in other means of giving and are leveraging their ownership of stock and securities to help fund PWNA’s mission.

PWNA is able to receive proposed donations of securities through our brokerage account with JP Morgan Securities LLC. (JPMS). Please contact the Planned Giving Office for account information and other instructions to share with your broker/dealer.

Benefits:

  • If you own stock for over one year that has increased in value and you donate shares of that stock to PWNA or a specific PWNA program(s), you may avoid paying the capital gains tax through this direct donation. Note: When making a gift, you should transfer shares of the stock directly to PWNA instead of selling the stock and giving cash (otherwise, if you sold the stock first, you could be taxed on the capital gain of the increased stock value at the time of sale).
  • You may also be entitled to a charitable tax deduction on the amount of the gain.

IRA ROLLOVER: Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

IRA Rollover: Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is a distribution from your IRA made directly to an eligible charity such as PWNA or a PWNA program. If you own an Individual Retirement Account and are at least 70 and 1/2 years old, you can contribute some or all of your IRA assets to PWNA up to $100,000. The gift counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) starting at age 73 years old (effective January 1, 2023).

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (Secure Act 2.0) expanded the benefits of the QCD by allowing a one-time transfer of up to $50,000 to a charitable remainder annuity trust, standard charitable remainder unitrust or immediate charitable gift annuity.

NOTE: For you to be eligible for the tax benefits of this form of contribution, the distribution must come directly from your IRA representative to PWNA following your authorization. Our Planned Giving Office can provide you with a sample instruction letter to provide to your IRA representative.

DONOR ADVISED FUNDS

Donor Advised Funds

A popular charitable gift option in recent years has been the use of Donor Advised Funds. You are invited to include Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA) or specific PWNA programs as a charity you wish to designate.

PWNA works directly with community-based agencies on the reservations. Our partnerships ensure that we are providing the right kind of support — food, health, education, housing or animal rescue to name a few. We work on the ground throughout the year to help close the gap on the pervasive needs of these hardworking communities in tough circumstances.

Help is needed for the short-term to supply material aid and relief efforts, for the mid-term to ensure capacity building such as scholarships and partner training, and for the long-term to support grassroots sustainable solutions such as community gardens, farmer’s markets, and winter fuel projects.

Options to give through a donor-advised fund (DAF):

  • You can designate Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA) as a beneficiary of your Donor Advised Fund.
  • You can control the size of your gift to PWNA.
  • You can designate a one-time or a periodic gift through your donor-advised fund.

  • It is based on funds you have already set aside for philanthropy.
  • You may use this gift vehicle as a convenient way to fulfill your recurring monthly/annual donations to PWNA.

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION

Beneficiary Designation

Anyone who has a bank account, retirement plan, life insurance policy or commercial annuity has the ability to name Partnership With Native Americans or PWNA program as a beneficiary of their financial planning instrument.

  • Contact your plan or policy custodian and request a ‘Beneficiary Designation Election Form.
  • Once you receive it, determine the percentage who wish to give to benefit the Native Americans.
  • Upon completion, you may return your completed and signed form to the custodian of your retirement plan, insurance policy or annuity.



Donor Testimonials

Our Heritage Circle members are some of our most cherished donors and great friends of Native American people. Their heartfelt act of including us in their legacy helps to ensure the future of our programs and to realize our vision of strong, self-sufficient Native American communities. See how these donors made their choices and let them inspire yours...

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Tracie T., New York

Tracie T., New York

Tracie grew up in a household with many pets. As she became older, she studied and observed the animals around her. Amazed by these intelligent sentient beings, she wanted to assist animals in crisis on the reservation through philanthropic giving. Tracie believes that animals are an important part of our lives, families, communities, and the planet we share. She chose to make a Planned Gift to PWNA to have far-reaching efforts.

"There is no greater gift than a person honoring the life and deep-rooted values of their ancestors through a philanthropic act as an expression of love."

Alicia S., Texas

Alicia S., Texas

Alicia works with our incredible data processing team to help ensure our donor records and gifts are accurately reflected in our fundraising database. She has been employed with PWNA for nearly 20 years!

In 2005, she started donating because she was so impressed PWNA was giving hope and a hand up — not just a handout. Over the years, she has been humbled to not only play a small part in making a difference, but to know that she joins with so many other donors who are just as passionate about having an impact in Indian Country for animals, children, students, families, and Elders.

One of the most impactful moments Alicia says she experienced recently was when a 14-year-old girl donated $1,000 of her own money for COVID-19 emergency relief. That sacrifice warmed her heart and strengthened her own resolve to continue helping whenever possible — leading her to join our Heritage Circle by making a bequest to PWNA's education service.

Kathryn S., New York

Kathryn S., New York

When Kathryn, a talented New York designer, wanted to look into her family history she made a discovery that greatly disturbed her. She learned that a distant relative was one of the many in the U.S. Army who forced American Indians from their homes and land following President Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act of 1830.

Having grown up with a profound respect for Native Americans she felt dismayed by her own ignorance of her ancestor’s role in the “Trail of Tears.” She began to read everything about Native American history “and to understand the current Native American situation.” Once again she was shocked to learn about chronic poverty, hunger, health problems, and lack of educational opportunities that are largely unknown to Americans, but which face Native Americans on a daily basis.

Today Kathryn supports many Native American causes through her donations to PWNA’s programs. And because she has a particular passion for education she became a Heritage Circle member by designated in her Will a bequest to PWNA’s education services.

Through her passion and generosity, Kathryn is ensuring that her family legacy going forward will be one she — and her daughter — will be rightly proud of.

Gary & Mary Ann C., North Carolina

Gary & Mary Ann C., North Carolina

Gary and Mary Ann are an amazing couple from North Carolina. During their lifetime together, they have turned their concern for Native Americans into a shared passion. Both Gary and Mary Ann have Cherokee heritage and Gary was fortunate to know his Cherokee great grandmother.

After visiting several reservations during a trip through the Southwest, they were upset to the point of anger at the "third world conditions" they saw. Gary witnessed these same conditions in many countries during his 24 years of military service.

Gary and Mary Ann replaced their concern with action and turned their anger into providing support to many of PWNA's services that help to fight these conditions. Being especially concerned for the support of Native youth and the future of education, the couple chose to become Heritage Circle members by leaving a bequest to our scholarship service in their Wills.

Gary and Mary Ann chose to give Native Americans hope for the future through PWNA because they felt that helping an organization that helps Native communities on so many different levels would have the biggest and longest impact.



Frequently Asked Questions

Making a planned gift is a big decision. Rest assured, you are in control of your giving and we are here to help. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions (with answers). If you don't see your question listed here, please fill out the form to the right and our Director of Planned Giving will reach out to you specifically.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a Planned Gift?

A ‘planned gift’ is also known as a Legacy Gift or Deferred Gift. It is a term describing a category of charitable and tax-advantaged gift vehicles that afford the donor the opportunity to support Native American causes after passing to their eternal reward. The reason that a person is inspired to support Partnership With Native Americans during their lifetime is the same thought-process that motivates a person to support their favorite cause after their lifetime.

What types of Planed Gifts does PWNA accept?

  • Wills & Bequests
  • Life Income Gifts
  • Charitable Remainder Trust
  • Charitable Lead Trust
  • Life Insurance
  • Donations of Stock
  • IRA Rollover
  • Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)
  • Beneficiary Designation (retirement funds, investments)


I don't have a big estate — can I still make a planned gift?

There is no such a thing as an ‘estate being too small.’ Everyone who gives with charitable intent is a philanthropist and can certainly execute a planned gift. Your gift could provide a life-changing experience for the recipient.


I want my kids to receive an inheritance — can I afford a planned gift?

You are in charge. While only you can make the determination of affordability, you do have numerous planned giving options to help PWNA as well as provide for your children.



How can I make a gift to PWNA and get an income for life?

A Life Income Gift takes many forms and varies in complexity. The Charitable Gift Annuity is the simplest form of such a gift. A Charitable Remainder Trust is a bit more complex but offers more latitude to the donor in achieving their financial and charitable desires. There are also additional variations of the remainder trust.


What are some ways that I can leave some money to PWNA through my Will?

The most common source of a bequest in your Will is a specific amount of an asset such as cash or appreciated property. You may also identify a percentage of the asset value. Finally, you may elect to name a person or organization as a contingency beneficiary which is a bequest made to a person or organization but is contingent upon other circumstances such as the death of a primary beneficiary.


Am I too young to create a Will?

Anyone who is 18 years of age or older should have a Will and should review and update it every three to five years.


How can I create a Will for free?

Visit www.FreeWill.com/PWNALegacy today to start your Will at no charge.


How do I change the current way I am giving?

For monetary donations, please contact our Donor Relations Department at (800) 416-8012 and they will be happy to help you. For questions or changes to planned gifts, please contact Joe Langenderfer, CFRE, Director of Planned Giving at (214) 217-2600, Ext. 111


Can I view the company's current and past financials?

Yes. At the bottom of every page on our website, there is a link to our IRS Form 990. A new tax return is posted each year when available.


Are contributions to PWNA tax-deductible?

Yes. PWNA is a 501(c)(3)_nonprofit. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.


How do I know where the money I donated is going?

Please contact our Donor Relations Department at (800) 416-8102 Ext. 200 and they will be able to answer any questions you may have.


How can I become a member of your "Heritage Circle?"

Please contact Joe Langenderfer, CFRE, Director of Planned Giving at (214) 217-2600, Ext. 111, and let him know that you wish to leave PWNA a donation through your will, trust, life insurance policy, retirement fund, donor-advised fund or other tax-advantaged gift plan.


Do I have to designate PWNA in my Will as the beneficiary or may I designate a program of PWNA?

You may choose PWNA or a program(s) of your choice, such as NPRA, SWRA, AIEF, SWIRC, NAA, NRF, SNRF, or RAR, as the beneficiary of your Will. Many Heritage Circle Members have chosen to include several of our Programs in their estate planning.


Can I make a memorial gift in honor of someone who has made an impact on my life?

Yes, please contact our Donor Relations Department at (800) 416-8102 for more information.


If I want to send in a donation now, to whom should I make out my check and where do I mail it?

Please make your check payable to PWNA and send to Partnership With Native Americans, 16415 Addison Road Suite 200 Addison, Texas 75001-3210, United States. To make your gift go even further, donate online using this secure donation form.


Do I need to retain legal counsel to establish a planned gift?

We encourage you to consult your tax or legal advisor when considering any planned gift.


What is your tax ID number?

47-3730147


Where do I send my planned giving information or intentions?

If you have any questions regarding planned giving, please contact Joe Langenderfer, CFRE, Director of Planned Giving at (214) 217-2600, Ext. 111. You are also encouraged to consult with your legal and financial advisors when considering a planned gift.






Donate Now






Contact Us:
Joe Langenderfer, CFRE, Director of Planned Giving
jlangenderfer@nativepartnership.org
(214) 217-2600 Ext. 111


Or use this form to contact us about your Planned Giving questions.

CONTACT US






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You are encouraged to consult with your legal and financial advisors when considering a planned gift.

For all Planned Giving inquiries, please contact Joe Langenderfer, CFRE, Director of Planned Giving at jlangenderfer@nativepartnership.org or (214) 217-2600 Ext. 111.
You can also use this online form to contact us with your questions.


AIEF, NAA, NPRA, SWIRC, RAR, NRF, SWRA, and SNRF are all programs of PWNA.