Planned Giving

You can leave a legacy gift to Swedish Hospital through a simple bequest in your will or by naming Swedish Hospital as a beneficiary of your Life Insurance Policy, Qualified Retirement Plan, or Individual Retirement Account. You can also arrange a tax-wise gift that will provide lifetime income for your loved ones and yourself, or that will pass assets to heirs at reduced tax. Donors who make a legacy gift to Swedish Hospital become members of our Heritage Society.

Following are some options available to you:

Bequests and Life Insurance

Through a bequest in your will or living trust, you can designate a certain dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or remainder to Swedish Hospital. Financial assets, such as retirement, brokerage or bank accounts, or life insurance proceeds, can also be donated by designating Swedish Hospital as a beneficiary of these assets.  Gifts made in this way do not provide an immediate deduction for you, but they do allow avoidance of capital gains taxes and a deduction for your estate.

Charitable Gift Annuities

A gift annuity is an irrevocable contract between the donor and Swedish Hospital.  In exchange for the donor’s contribution, Swedish Hospital promises to make fixed guaranteed payments for life to one or two annuitants.  The amount paid is based on the age of the annuitant(s) at the time of the gift, in accordance with a defined rate schedule.  A minimum amount of $10,000 is needed to establish an annuity.  The principal remaining at the time of death will then benefit Swedish Hospital. In addition to the stream of fixed payments, the gift will also generate an immediate charitable income-tax deduction.  Deferred gift annuities are also an option.

Charitable Remainder Unitrust

Like a gift annuity, this kind of irrevocable trust can provide income for you and others, as well as a gift for Swedish Hospital.  When you transfer cash, securities or other appreciated  property into a trust,  the trust provides annual payments to you or your designated beneficiary(ies) of a specified percentage—of the value of the principal and is revalued annually.  Since the value of trust assets may vary from year to year, the payments may also vary.  At the death of the last income beneficiary, the trust principal is distributed to Swedish Hospital Foundation. In addition to the income you will receive from the trust, you will also be entitled to a charitable income-tax deduction for a portion of your contribution to the trust.

Charitable Lead Trust

Charitable Lead Trusts are irrevocable trusts that provide payments to Swedish Hospital for a term of years or the life of an individual. When you transfer cash, securities or other appreciated property into a trust, payouts are provided to the charity through the term of the trust.  At the end of the specified trust term, the assets remaining in the trust are distributed to you or your heirs.

For more information or to make a gift, please contact us at (773) 293-5121 or schfoundation@schosp.org.

Learn more about becoming a Heritage Society member by leaving a legacy gift to Swedish Hospital.