Friends of AEI who would like to make a substantial gift, but must also consider their own and their spouses' financial needs, may find a life income plan to be an attractive solution. Life income plans allow you to make a gift to AEI and at the same time retain a benefit from the assets you give, in some cases making it possible to contribute more than you originally thought. When you establish a life income plan, you make an irrevocable gift of assets and in return receive payments for life or for a term of years. When the life income plan terminates, the assets remaining pass to AEI. Life income arrangements vary, but all share the following advantages and offer a number of important potential benefits:

• An immediate income tax charitable deduction;
• Increased income in many cases from low-yield, appreciated securities;
• Elimination of, or reduction in, capital gains tax liability if appreciated property is donated;
• Payments for life, to you and/or another beneficiary or beneficiaries you may designate;
• Reduced estate taxes; and the satisfaction of supporting AEI during your lifetime.

Charitable Gift Annuities are the oldest and most popular vehicles for making a gift and receiving income. Gift annuities offer important financial benefits:

• A fixed annual income, a portion of which is tax free, and which may be greater than the income available on your current assets;
• An income tax charitable deduction;
• Reduced capital-gains taxes if appreciated securities are donated; and
• Reduction of your taxable estate.

Example: Mr. Smith, who is seventy-five years old, establishes a $1,000,000 gift annuity for the eventual benefit of AEI using appreciated securities that generated annual dividend income of $14,000. This gift annuity guarantees Mr. Smith an income for himself and his sixty-nine-year-old spouse for life. He and his surviving spouse will receive payments fixed for life at a percentage rate determined by actuarial tables. At 6 percent, for instance, they would receive $60,000 per year paid in quarterly installments, a portion of which is tax free. They can also claim an immediate charitable deduction on their income tax. By using appreciated securities with a low cost basis, Mr. Smith has increased his annual income more than fourfold and has diminished his capital-gains taxes.

Charitable Remainder Trusts are separately managed irrevocable trusts that can be tailored to meet your financial goals, especially with respect to the payout rate, the length of the trust term, and the assets used to fund the trust. The two most common types of trusts are: (1) the annuity trust, which pays a fixed dollar amount each year based on a percentage of the initial fair market value of the trust assets; and (2) the unitrust, which pays a variable amount based on a percentage of the fair market value of trust assets as revalued each year. The recommended minimum contribution to establish a charitable remainder trust is $250,000. At the termination of the trust, the remainder comes to AEI.

Charitable Lead Trusts provide a method of making a significant contribution to AEI while transferring income-producing assets to your heirs at a greatly reduced tax cost. It differs from the other trusts in that AEI receives the income for the term of the trust. At the end of the term, the remaining assets in the trust principal are transferred to your heirs at no additional tax cost. A charitable lead trust allows AEI to anticipate a current income stream for the support of its activities.