Legacy Gifts
“There is no right way to do the wrong thing.” – Renee King-Sonnen
Animal agriculture is the seminal issue of our time. It is the root cause of immense suffering from the animals to the planet to our health.
Your vision for a kinder and more compassionate world for farmed animals can be realized by leaving a legacy gift.
We asked one of our legacy donors about her “why”? This is how she answered:
“More than 25 years ago I became a vegetarian. Approximately 15 years ago I decided to take the next step and become vegan. It was a process and an adjustment, but I feel so much better. Living in an exurb of Philadelphia, our small borough of Newtown is surrounded by family farms. One such farm, a produce and dairy farm, continues to sell milk, butter, eggs and homemade ice cream made from its own cows’ milk. On one produce shopping occasion, after my vegan journey had begun, I saw one of the cows give birth in the pasture. It was beautiful, natural, and unceremoniously amazing. Families watched while enjoying their ice cream cones as this miraculous event took place. Within minutes, farm hands came out into the field with a wheelbarrow, separated the calf from its mother, placed the still wet, nursing, newborn in the wheel barrow, taking it on a hasty, bumpy transport to one of the barns. The mother cow, with the umbilical cord dragging on the ground tried to chase after her baby. Another cow joined her quest, but both were pushed aside and eventually removed from the herd. I will never forget the sounds of pain and grief from those cows and the cries of the newborn calf. I now saw the actual cost of milk, ice cream, and flesh.
When I learned about Rowdy Girl ~8 years ago, its history and mission, I knew that I had a way to pay back for some of the unnecessary pain that my uninformed ignorance had caused over the years. Renee and Tommy were even closer to the carnage by having owned and operated a cattle ranch. The true story of Rowdy Girl, their life experience and transition were an inspiration to me. I wanted and needed to be a part of it. Although their mission of farm animal rescue, advocacy, and compassion continues to grow and become more influential all over the country and the world, they are family taking care of our animal family members in need, as well as caring for the overall environment and all other life forms. They see the big picture, the interconnectedness of each and every living thing. Every aspect of this endeavor is carefully planned and executed. That takes hard work, intelligence, and financial backing. Rowdy Girl members are part of the family and this existential mission. I am very grateful to be a part of something far greater and more meaningful in life and have chosen to include Rowdy Girl in my estate planning. It is the least that I can do.”
Mary Theresa Gonzalez, PhD, APRN, BC
August 21, 2024
When you create a gift in your will, trust, investment accounts, retirement plans, or other estate plans, you can create sustainability for Rowdy Girl Sanctuary and our work to affect change for these non-human beings. Putting a legacy gift in place is an easy and meaningful way to continue changing the world for farmed animals.
It can be as simple as including language like this in your will:
“I give, devise, and bequeath to Rowdy Girl Sanctuary, Inc., Federal Tax Identification # 47-3375043, 634 FM 1296, Waelder, TX 78959 [insert estate distribution percentage, sum, or description of property] to be used for its general purposes.”
OTHER WAYS TO MAKE A GIFT NOW OR LEAVE A LEGACY:
Donate Securities:
Make a gift of publicly-traded securities to Rowdy Girl Sanctuary and potentially save income tax and capital gains tax, too.
A gift of publicly-traded securities could be right for you if:
- You own publicly-traded securities that you have owned for at least one year.
- Some of these securities have increased in value since you bought them.
- Some of these securities may provide you with little or no income.
- You would like to make a gift to Rowdy Girl Sanctuary.
How it works:
You transfer shares of one or more publicly-traded securities, such as stock, bonds, and mutual funds to Rowdy Girl Sanctuary.
The two most common ways to give publicly-traded securities are to make an outright gift of your securities or to make a gift of your securities and receive payments for life.
Donate Retirement Assets:
Make a tax-free gift with an IRA charitable rollover (also called a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD.)
You can make a tax-free gift from your traditional IRA. Such a gift is known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution or QCD. (Other qualified retirement plans such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s are not eligible). You must be at least 70 ½ years old to take advantage of this opportunity. Your QCD must go directly from your IRA administrator to Rowdy Girl Sanctuary.
The total of all of your QCD gifts for 2024 cannot exceed $105,000 per person; however, your spouse with a separate IRA can also make a QCD of up to $105,000 in 2024 if they otherwise qualify.
The benefits of a QCD gift include:
If you don’t itemize and are not yet required to take your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), a QCD offers all of the benefits of an itemized income tax charitable deduction.
If you are age 73 and must take your RMD, a QCD can satisfy your RMD without increasing your income taxes.
Your gift supports the important work of Rowdy Girl Sanctuary with a tax-free gift.