Planned Giving

Your gift ensures that St. Mary’s Catholic Center and all its various ministries continue to thrive and support our mission to form apostles for the Church and the world. We invite you to be a part of the Aggie Catholic legacy today and for years to come!

Photo: Church Dedication in 1958

What is Planned Giving?

Planned giving allows you to designate a future gift to St. Mary’s in your estate plans, creating a legacy of support for the next generation of Aggie Catholics and beyond.

Our Planned Giving Team helps donors establish after-lifetime and dual-benefit gifts that will aid St. Mary’s and its students in the future. Because of their long time horizon, planned gifts are an essential source of future support in forming Apostles for the Church and the world for generations! The popularity of planned gifts continues to increase, as these flexible commitments allow individuals to customize their method of giving, receive potential financial benefits and provide for loved ones, all while supporting the many ministries and organizations at St. Mary’s.

Explore your options

Learn how to get started on planning your gift for St. Mary’s today.

Bequest

A bequest is simply leaving a gift in your will or trust to St. Mary’s Catholic Center. It is one of the easiest ways you can make an impact on Forming Apostles for the Church and world.

Beneficiary Designation

Beneficiary Designation- Designating St. Mary’s as the beneficiary of a retirement account or life insurance policy is a simple and affordable way you can support our ministry.

Many retirement accounts pass to heirs with high tax burdens. Because St. Mary’s is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, we receive retirement assets tax-free, ensuring that the only thing your assets pass on is impact for future generations of Aggie Catholics.

How it Works

You can name the St. Mary’s as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy, IRA, donor advised fund, or other retirement, investment or bank account. Simply ask for a new beneficiary designation form from your broker, banker, insurance agent or other individual who helps with your account and send it back once you’ve completed it. 

You can continue fully using your account and make changes or add new beneficiaries at any time. You can also designate whether a beneficiary will receive the full remainder of your account or a partial amount. It is also important to inform St. Mary’s of your gift so we can ensure the funds will support the programs of your choice after your lifetime.

  • You continue to use your account as long as you need to.

  • You don’t have to pay for any legal counsel.

  • You reduce the burden of taxes on your family and could receive an estate tax charitable deduction.

  • You can easily make changes to your gift if your circumstances change.

  • You support St. Mary’s!

Benefits

IRA Rollover

Giving through an IRA charitable rollover is an easy, popular way to use your retirement assets to support St. Mary’s operations today. If you are 70.5 or older, this method can provide you with tax benefits while supporting our ministry. 

What is an IRA charitable rollover?

An IRA charitable rollover is a special provision allowing anyone over the of age 70.5 to transfer assets from their IRA directly to a public charity like St. Mary’s. Many donors use this option to support us with gifts up to $100,000.

What benefits do I receive from this method?

Everyone 73 or older must take a required minimum distribution from their IRA each year. Giving through an IRA charitable rollover can help you satisfy this requirement while avoiding taxes on the amount transferred. Because the funds are received right away, you can also see your immediate impact on St. Mary’s.

Donor Advised Funds

Donor-advised funds are one of the most popular charitable giving vehicles in the United States because they are one of the easiest and most tax-advantageous ways to give.

If you already have a donor-advised fund (DAF), you can direct funds from your account to St. Mary’s.

What is a donor-advised fund?

A DAF is often referred to as a personal charitable savings account. A donor creates an account with a sponsoring organization, which can be a nonprofit or an investment company. The donor then makes a contribution of cash, stock, or other assets, and can take an immediate tax deduction for the gift. An adviser manages and invests the assets and works with the donor to identify charitable causes they wish to support.

Photo: A full church for an evening of prayer in October ‘23

Charitable Gift Annuities

With fixed lifetime payments to you and future funds to benefit St. Mary’s, a gift annuity can meet your financial and charitable needs.

How it Works

A contract between you and our financial institution, a charitable gift annuity can be created with a $10,000 minimum gift of cash or securities. In return, our fiduciary provides fixed payments to one or two individuals for life.

After this time, the remainder of the annuity will benefit St. Mary’s. Individuals receiving payments must be at least 50, while the fixed payments will depend on the age of the recipient.

You can also choose to start receiving payments at a later date by creating a deferred gift annuity.

Assets You Can Give

  • Cash

  • Real Estate

  • Appreciated Securities

  • Retirement Assets

  • Life Insurance

When you support St. Mary’s through a planned gift, we welcome you to our distinguished St. John Paul II Legacy Society (JPII Legacy Society). This is a way to recognize past and current gifts that have been given to support St. Mary’s Catholic Center by creating a legacy for years to come. The JPII Legacy Society consists of Aggie Catholics who have given gifts that come in a variety of ways: bequests, the designation of St. Mary’s as a beneficiary through a planned gift, or a major gift to support the future success of St. Mary’s. JPII Legacy Society members are honored annually at St. Mary’s Honors celebration.

Contact Jessica Koeneman at jkoeneman@aggiecatholic.org to learn more!

Photo: The original St. Mary’s chapel in 1926