Give the Gift of Independence and Opportunity
ACB strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity and quality of life for all people living with blindness and low vision. A planned gift to ACB creates a lasting legacy. Whether you are blind yourself, a relative or friend of someone who is, or a person who wants to make a difference, your support of ACB will:
- Enrich your life and the lives of many others;
- Increase awareness of the capabilities of people who are blind or have low vision;
- Help remove barriers preventing an equitable level of inclusion in society.
Your gift is deeply appreciated and used exclusively for meeting the mission and goals of ACB. If you have any questions about planned giving opportunities, email our team or request more information. You can also contact your financial advisor or tax specialist.
A Guide to Planned Giving
There are many ways to make a charitable contribution. You can create a gift honoring your philanthropic intentions and achieve your financial and tax planning goals at the same time. Your gift to ACB is your legacy of helping make the world a better place for people experiencing vision loss.
Gifts of Cash
Cash contributions are a quick and easy way to show your support of ACB’s services. Simply write a check or make a cash donation through our website. If your employer has a matching gifts program, you could double or even triple your donation to ACB.
Bequests
A bequest to ACB in your Will makes a lasting contribution to help people who are blind achieve independence. Designate a specific amount, a percentage of your total estate, or a share of the remainder after gifts to your heirs.
Gifts through Living Trusts
A Living Trust provides for yourself and your family before and after your death. As in a Will, you can name ACB as a beneficiary.
Gifts of Real Estate
Your charitable contribution of real estate – a personal residence, vacation home, commercial real estate or vacant land – has income and capital gains tax advantages. By choosing an option called “Retained Life Estate,” you can give your personal residence to ACB and still maintain lifetime use of the property.
Gifts of Life Insurance
When you purchased life insurance, you had a need for its benefits. If you no longer have that need, consider contributing your existing life insurance policy to ACB. Simply name ACB as its owner and beneficiary, either in whole or in part. If you are a donor committed to making annual gifts, you can direct a portion of your annual gift to an insurance policy, guaranteeing the continuation of that gift in perpetuity.
Gifts of Retirement Plans
Consider naming ACB as beneficiary of your pension, 401K, IRA or other retirement plan. This gift could be the most cost-effective one you can make, avoiding possible double taxation on retirement plan assets left to your heirs. Another key opportunity is to donate your required withdrawal from a retirement account if you are of an age where these annual withdrawals are mandatory.
Gifts of Securities
Contributions of stock or other securities are a welcome gift to ACB. If you contribute appreciated securities that you have held for one year or more, there are potential capital gains benefits. For transfer options, please email us.
Other giving options include the following:
- Charitable Lead Trusts
- Charitable Remainder Trusts
Leaving a legacy….
Since 1961, ACB has worked to transform the dreams of tens of thousands of blind people into reality. We represent families, students, workers, seniors -- our success is everyone’s business.
ACB brings news and information to thousands of people who are blind or have low vision through the ACB Braille Forum, Dots & Dashes, Community Platform, and ACB Media. ACB also produces educational guides and manuals on a variety of topics to assist ACB members, as well as employers, families, and friends of people with vision challenges. ACB’s YouTube channel features videos for hiring managers interested in diversifying their workforce.
ACB advocates for legislation to establish best practices. ACB’s Audio Description Project, in conjunction with the passage of the 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act, provides improved access to news and entertainment through the use of audio description. ACB successfully advocated for accessible prescription drug labeling and pedestrian safety enhancements, and is developing strategies on other pending legislation that will impact education, medical care and coverage, and access to information. Your support will allow us to continue to do so for decades to come. We hope you will actively plan to be a part of our enduring future by including the American Council of the Blind in your estate plans. Help us insure that the future dreams and aspirations of blind and low vision people will be realized!
“Blindness has always impressed me as being one of the most difficult disabilities to deal with. Even as a young child, I was profoundly affected whenever I saw a blind person struggling to cope with vision loss. After becoming an adult and earning a salary, I realized that I could help people impacted by this severe and cruel disability by donating part of my income to the American Council of the Blind to help support their important programs and services. Since I’ve retired I’ve continued my donations with annual contributions to the ACB. In addition, I’ve also included the ACB as one of several charities that will be the recipient of the bulk of my estate after I pass away. It’s gratifying for me to know that I have ensured that a significant portion of my residual assets will help improve the quality of life for people without eyesight!” David Cozakos, Burbank, CA
Including the American Council of the Blind in your Estate Plans via a bequest is a powerful way to sustain our work for years to come. It also allows you to leave an enduring legacy. A bequest as part of your will is the easiest and most common way you can provide that sustaining support. When you create a will, it gives you the final say in what happens to your possessions and is the only way to be sure that your remaining assets are distributed according to your passions and wishes.
“I wanted to do whatever I could to help make this world a better place for blind and visually impaired people to live. I decided to include ACB in my Will, so that I could continue to support the good work of ACB even after I was gone.” Dan Dillon, Hermitage, TN.
Remember, the idea of leaving a legacy is the need or the desire to be remembered for what you have contributed to the world. In some cases, that contribution can be transformative. Most of us, however, will leave a more modest legacy that doesn’t necessarily change the world but does leave a lasting footprint that will be remembered by those whose lives you touched.
“Most of us aspire to a successful career often measured by a rewarding job, a stable family life and an accumulation of assets to support our retirement years. At some point, we contemplate our legacy to family, friends, and perhaps organizations which touched our lives. This latter point is especially significant to me. I can say without reservation that no organization has affected my life more than the American Council of the Blind (ACB). When I lost much of my sight at the peak of my professional career, I was introduced to ACB and the support, friendships and opportunities it freely offers to the blind and visually impaired. While I could never repay ACB for all it has given me, at the very least I can and have included ACB as a beneficiary in my will. If my action enables ACB to help just one person, lobby for the enactment of one accessibility regulation or heighten public awareness of the abilities and contributions of one blind or visually impaired person, then I have created a legacy of value.” Allen Casey, Graham, NC
In 2014, the American Council of the Blind created The Legacy Society to honor and recognize individuals who have communicated that they have included ACB in their estate plans. We proudly publicize this list on our website and in many of our other donor communications. If you would like to learn more about how to include ACB in your estate plans or wish to communicate your intentions, please contact our office at (202) 467-5081. Your conversation will remain strictly confidential. With your help, just imagine what ACB can accomplish in the years to come!
Legacy Society Members:
Dan Dillon
Dan & Leslie Spoone
David Cozakos
Allen Casey
Anonymous donor
Anonymous donor