“Your estate plan expresses your sense of how you want to impact humankind,” she says. “It’s how you say who you are.”
"SFI is doing work that is influencing the future of the world in groundbreaking ways," she says. "And it needs more supporters. It deserves more supporters. It doesn't even occur to people to put SFI in their estate plans – but it should."
~ Michelle Gaugy (pictured)
A friend of SFI since the late 1980s decided to include SFI in his will because he wanted to support a local institution that is having a durable, worldwide influence on science and technology.
“SFI is going to do a lot of good for New Mexico and humanity,” he says.
~ Bill Cozad
An estate gift can have additional tangible benefits, including reducing a donor’s tax liability. For more information about ways to plan a legacy gift to SFI, consult your financial advisor or contact SFI’s Development Office at 505.946.3678.
Click on the image to view a PDF version of the brochure.
Please if you would like to receive our Planned Giving brochure in the mail.
The Santa Fe Institute was built on the creativity and forward thinking of a dedicated group of researchers who broke out of the confines of mainstream scientific thought to create a place where cross-disciplinary, independent research would not only be possible, but encouraged. In the more than 25 years since it was founded, SFI has become established as a highly respected organization dedicated to understanding complex adaptive systems.
The efforts of SFI’s founders were made possible by the generosity of individuals like you who shared their vision, and your past support of SFI has been indispensable. Now that the Institute has demonstrated its long-term significance in the scientific community, will you also consider the long-term influence you may have by including SFI in your estate planning? Planned giving can benefit you personally in many ways while it makes a tremendous impact on SFI in the long run.
A planned gift is special. It represents your life’s achievements, illustrates your world view, and communicates your hope for the future. Including SFI in your estate plan also demonstrates your dedication to complexity science research and your commitment to the Institute. A planned gift is an opportunity to ensure that your support of SFI’s groundbreaking work will continue far into the future.
The gifts you make to the causes you care about say a lot about you and the life you live. Explore your options with our interactive, easy-to-understand tool.
Simply naming SFI as a beneficiary in your will or living trust is the easiest way to make a planned gift. You may also create a trust or an annuity. All of these may also have important tax benefits — both now and for your heirs, depending on how the gifts are structured. Some planned gifts allow you to maintain control of your assets during your lifetime while helping to support the groundbreaking work that takes place at SFI for generations to come.
Your attorney can help you include SFI in your will, trust, or annuity. Including SFI in your will is the simplest form of planned giving and may be done by including the following language in your will:
I hereby give, devise, and bequeath _____________ (enter a specific dollar amount, or all or a percentage of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate) to the Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, for its general purposes.
With more complex structures, you may earn current income as generative tax savings, or provide for payments to a spouse or other beneficiary. These arrangements require the assistance of an attorney, but SFI is ready to accommodate these forms of giving.
If you do not have an immediate need for these assets, you may give them to SFI and potentially gain tax benefits on the appreciation, or you can give them via an estate gift to the Institute. You may also name SFI as a beneficiary in your life insurance policy, IRA, or pension. In all cases, SFI benefits and you could enjoy a reduction in your tax liability. Please consult your tax advisor to determine your personal gains by giving these kinds of assets.
Charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, and donor-advised funds are often used as a creative way for a member of the SFI community to make a significant gift in support of the Institute while creating a tax-sheltered income stream. Your financial advisor or legal advisor can give you more information about these forms of giving, and we can help you ensure they will accomplish your wishes for SFI.
A planned gift is a partnership between you and SFI. After you have begun the process by deciding how you would like to give and have made the necessary arrangements with your legal advisor, contact the Office of Development to make sure that your planned gift to SFI will be directed in the way you wish. Whether your vision for SFI includes endowment, support for research, or the improvement of our facilities, our development staff can help make sure that your gift is used to fulfill your vision for the future of the Institute.
If you have made a provision for SFI in your will or trust, we would like to recognize you as having the foresight to leverage your own philanthropic footprint through a planned gift. By celebrating your gift publically, you help demonstrate to others the joy and benefits of giving in this way.
This information is intended for general purposes, and is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a qualified attorney or financial planner. Individual financial situations and needs vary, and SFI recommends that anyone considering a planned gift consult with his or her own financial or legal advisor.
SFI has grown into the long-established, highly-respected institution it is because of the generosity of you and others who have a long-term view of the future. If you are thinking about your estate plan, please consider including the Santa Fe Institute.
Already including SFI in your estate plan? Please let us know by emailing the or by calling 505.946.3678.
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