Planned Giving: Leaving a Living Legacy

A living legacy gift is the chance to see your values made real in the world, while you are still here to witness what they create.

Every gift to Emberlight, in whatever season it arrives, tends the same fire: a home where no one has to face their final passage alone, and a community that is relearning how to walk one another home, a movement where we all remember what it is like to care for one another till the end of days. A planned gift lets that fire outlast any one of us. It is a way of saying, long after the details of daily life have fallen away, this is what I stood for.

Each pathway below offers a different vehicle for the same intention: conscious giving, offered on your own timeline, in your own way. Read through them at your own pace, and if any one of them speaks to you, reach out. We are glad to walk through the details with you, or simply to think out loud together about what fits.

Reach out to us at giving@emberlightway.org or 828-329-0823 to start the conversation.

Gifts Through Your Will or Trust

A bequest is one of the simplest ways to leave a living legacy. A sentence in your will or trust, naming Emberlight for a specific amount, a percentage, or what remains after loved ones are cared for, is enough to carry your intention forward. Nothing changes for you today. Your gift takes shape only when the time comes, and it can be changed at any point before then.

We offer this service for free as a perk of membership. And we encourage you to always seek a review from a legal professional to make sure your loved ones and beneficiaries are covered, especially for those who are minors or have disabilities.

As a member of our community, you have access to FreeWill, a resource that lets you create a legal will at no cost as a benefit to all our members. FreeWill gives you the opportunity to begin making plans for your future and your estate. There is no obligation attached, and no pressure to include us as a beneficiary. It is simply one way we can support you in caring for the people and causes that matter to you. Once you have created your will, we encourage you to consult an estate attorney to determine if your will protects you and provides for those you will leave behind in the way you intended, especially for minors and those with disabilities.

Create a Free Will Now

gifts

IRA Charitable Distributions (Qualified Charitable Distributions)

You can make a gift from your IRA at any age. If you’re 70½ or older, you can share your abundance directly from your IRA — up to $105,000 per year — without paying income tax on the transfer.

Why choose this way to give?

See your generosity at work right away.
Pay no income tax on the distribution, even if you don’t itemize.
Your gift can count toward your required minimum distribution.

To make an IRA gift, please ask your plan administrator to send the distribution directly to:

CCLD, PO Box 348, Swannanoa, NC 28778

Tax ID #87-3657907

Please email us at giving@ccld.community to notify us of the incoming gift so we can watch for it and credit you appropriately.

Life Insurance

A policy you no longer need for its original purpose, perhaps because children are grown or a mortgage is paid, can become a gift to Emberlight instead. You might name us as a beneficiary, or transfer ownership of the policy itself. Either way, a modest premium becomes a lasting gift.

Gifts of Stock and Appreciated Securities

Giving appreciated stock, rather than selling it and giving cash, often means more reaches Emberlight and less goes to capital gains tax. It is a gift that rewards both the giving and the growth that came before it.

Gifts of Property

A home, land, or other real estate can become a gift to Emberlight, whether given outright or left through your estate. In some arrangements you can even continue living in the home for the rest of your life, and the gift passes to us only afterward.

Charitable Trusts

For those who want to provide income for themselves or loved ones while also supporting Emberlight, a charitable remainder trust or similar vehicle can do both. These arrangements are more involved to set up, and we are glad to talk through whether one might fit your circumstances.

A Note on the Details

We are not attorneys or financial advisors, and every situation is different. We encourage you to talk with your own advisor about what makes sense for you and the people you love. We are always glad to be part of that conversation, and to answer questions about Emberlight's mission as you think it through.

We'd Love to Hear From You

If you are considering a living legacy gift, or have already included Emberlight in your plans, we would be honored to know. It lets us thank you properly, and it helps us plan for the future of this work with clear eyes.

If one of these possibilities stays with you, or you would like help thinking through what it would actually take to set up, please reach out. There is no step here you have to figure out alone.