Including BTPM in your charitable plans is a simple process. First, decide where to designate your gift:
- A gift in your estate plan to Western New York Public Broadcasting Association (WNYPBA) will support general operations during the fiscal year for which they are received.
Click here to download the suggested language for the WNYPBA
- A gift in your estate plan to The WNED Foundation, Inc. will help grow our endowment. All endowment funds are invested and managed professionally. Each year, the Board of Trustees of the Foundation appropriates a portion of the investment portfolio’s earnings to help sustain Buffalo Toronto Public Media’s ongoing operations and programming.
Click here to download the suggested language for The WNED Foundation, Inc.
How to Give
Naming Buffalo Toronto Public Media as a beneficiary in your will or living trust can be done at any time. You can add a charitable provision to an existing document or express your charitable wishes in a new one.
These are a few ways to make a gift to the station in your will or living trust:
• Give a specific dollar amount of property item
• Give a percentage of your asset(s)
• Give all or a portion of what remains after gifts to other beneficiaries such as family and friends have been made (your gift can be contingent upon special circumstances or events)
No matter the form or the size, a gift in your will or living trust can help ensure public media remains a vital resource for our community for many generations to come!
Designating Buffalo Toronto Public Media as a beneficiary of your financial accounts, retirement assets, or life insurance is a simple and convenient three-step process:
1. Contact your financial institution, retirement plan administrator, or life insurance company and request a beneficiary designation form.
2. Use the suggested language we've provided on this page, determined by your gift to WNYPBA or The WNED Foundation.
3. Return the form to the original provider, and then contact BTPM to share the wonderful news!
A Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) is a flexible option for those who want to give a large gift of support to BTPM, but still wish to retain interest in their property for any reason. Here's how it commonly works:
• First, make a gift of cash and/or appreciated stock. These funds are then placed in an irrevocable trust.
• The trust will then make regular payments to you and/or a person of your choosing for a selected period. You can select a payout rate that meets your needs and passes certain tax regulations.
• Once the trust ends, the remaining assets in said trust will be passed to BTPM, and perhaps other named charities you've selected.
There are several benefits to giving via a Charitable Remainder Trust:
• If you itemize deductions on your federal income tax, you will receive an immediate charitable deduction for a portion of the gift.
• You receive annual payments for life, and a portion of the payments will be tax-free for several years.
• Your estate may see reduced probate costs and federal estate taxes.
• You will have the satisfaction of knowing your gift's impact will be multiplied when combined with the gifts of others who equally believe in the power of public media!
Please contact Lisa LaTrovato, Director of Leadership & Legacy Giving, to learn more about the different ways to include BTPM in your legacy planning. Connect with Lisa by calling 716-845-7031 or sending her an email at llatrovato@btpm.org. We would be honored to work with you and your advisors as you consider your plans!
We strongly encourage you to consult with your professional advisor for advice on the full impact of your charitable giving as it pertains to your financial and/or legal circumstances. Thank you!
What to Give
A cash gift is a simple and effective way to support BTPM! Your donation provides immediate resources to sustain the station you love, and you may qualify for a charitable tax deduction.
Choosing to give later through your will or living trust can also offer estate tax advantages while ensuring your legacy lives on. No matter when you give, your support helps strengthen public media for future generations.Donating publicly traded stock is a strategic way to support BTPM while maximizing your tax benefits. If your stock has increased in value over time, you may be eligible for a charitable tax deduction based on its full fair market value — without paying capital gains tax on the appreciation. This is a benefit of donating stock as opposed to selling!
By converting your investment gains into meaningful community support, your gift helps sustain public media's vital programming in education, arts, and culture for years to come.Retirement accounts funded with pre-tax earnings — such as IRAs, 401(k)s, and 403(b)s — can be heavily taxed when passed to heirs, often reducing the amount your loved ones actually receive. By naming BTPM as a beneficiary, your gift is fully directed toward public media's mission: that's more educational programming, arts and music, and quality journalism without being diminished by income or estate taxes.
This tax-smart strategy allows you to direct other assets to your loved ones while maximizing the charitable impact of your retirement savings. Additionally, retirement asset gifts bypass probate, ensuring your charitable wishes are fulfilled quickly and efficiently.Many years ago, you may have purchased a life insurance policy to ensure the financial security of your family. If your family's circumstances have since changed, and that policy is no longer needed for its original purpose, you can turn that policy into a gift to BTPM.
By donating a partially or fully paid-up policy, you may be eligible for an immediate tax deduction based on its fair market value or net premiums paid.
Alternatively, naming BTPM as a primary or contingent beneficiary of a new or existing policy allows you to make a meaningful future gift without affecting your current finances.A gift of tangible personal property such as artwork, jewelry, antiques, or collectibles, can support BTPM while offering valuable tax benefits. If your donated item has increased in value, you may qualify for a charitable tax deduction and avoid capital gains tax — especially when the gift aligns with BTPM's mission.
Even without cash, your personal treasures can help build precious value in our communities! If it is more convenient, you can also give property later through your will or living trust.
Per our Planned Giving Policy, gifts of tangible personal property will be reviewed by the gift acceptance committee before acceptance.A gift of real property can include personal residences, vacation homes, rental property, and farmland. You have several options for making a gift of property to BTPM:
• Make an outright gift and claim a tax deduction• Give later through a gift in your will or revocable living trust
• You can deed the remaining interest of your residence to BTPM, retain the right to remain in the home for life, and receive a tax deduction
Through a gift of real property, you can perhaps make a much larger gift than you otherwise thought possible, avoid income and estate taxes, and minimize or eliminate burdens on your loved ones.
Gifts of real estate will be reviewed by the gift acceptance committee and approved by the respective board before acceptance.What it is:
• A direct transfer of funds from your IRA to a qualified charity (501(c)(3)).Tax Impact:
• The distribution is excluded from your taxable income, even though it satisfies your RMD obligation.Age:
• You must be 70½ or older to make a QCD.How to give your QCD to BTPM:
You will need:
• Our Tax ID #: 16-0834459• Our Formal Name and address:
Western New York Public Broadcasting Association
140 Lower Terrace St.
Buffalo, NY 14202
Because the IRS requires that you receive no goods or services in exchange for your (QCD, RMD, or DAF) donation, you are not eligible to receive thank you gifts when making a gift from your (IRA for QCD and RMD section or DAF for DAF section)
What it is:
• A mandatory annual withdrawal from most retirement accounts (IRA, 401(k)) once you reach a certain age (currently 73 for most).Tax Impact:
• The withdrawal is added to your taxable income for the year.How to give your RMD to BTPM:
You will need:
• Our Tax ID #: 16-0834459• Our Formal Name and address:
Western New York Public Broadcasting Association
140 Lower Terrace St.
Buffalo, NY 14202
Because the IRS requires that you receive no goods or services in exchange for your (QCD, RMD, or DAF) donation, you are not eligible to receive thank you gifts when making a gift from your (IRA for QCD and RMD section or DAF for DAF section)
A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a dedicated account for charitable giving. By contributing to your DAF, you can recommend grants to BTPM. These grants are tax-deductible, effective, and impactful, fueling our work to end hate and harassment nationwide.
BTPM is eligible to receive Donor Advised Funds from all DAF providers, including your financial institution, charitable funds like Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard, and community foundations. We are a certified 501(c)3 organization.
There are three ways to donate to BTPM through a Donor Advised Fund:1. If you already have a DAF, you can request a grant distribution through your DAF sponsor, using BTPM’s Tax ID: 16-0834459
2. If you prefer to send a check, family foundations and other DAFs can mail directly to:
Western New York Broadcasting Association
140 Lower Terrace St.
Buffalo, NY 14202.
3. If you do not currently have a DAF, but are interested in supporting BTPM, you can set up a DAF through your financial institution or a community foundation to provide flexible charitable giving.
For more information on how to establish a DAF, contact your community foundation or financial advisor, or reach out to Lisa LaTrovato at BTPM at 716-845-7031 or at llatrovato@btpm.org
Our team is here to provide everything you need to recommend BTPM for a Donor Advised Fund. If you have any questions on the process, would like to discuss the impact of your gift, or would welcome step-by-step instructions, you can reach out to our Director of Leadership at Legacy Giving, Lisa LaTrovato at 716-845-7031 or at llatrovato@btpm.org, who can answer any questions you may have.
If you cannot donate through a DAF at this time, you can still donate through BTPM’s secure online donation page to support the mission of Public Media.Because the IRS requires that you receive no goods or services in exchange for your (QCD, RMD, or DAF) donation, you are not eligible to receive thank you gifts when making a gift from your (IRA for QCD and RMD section or DAF for DAF section)
By filling out the form, we can add your name to our legacy wall, include your name in our annual report, and invite you to our annual Donor Appreciation Dinner.
Please contact Lisa LaTrovato, Director of Leadership & Legacy Giving, to learn more about the different ways to include BTPM in your legacy planning. Connect with Lisa by calling 716-845-7031 or sending her an email at llatrovato@btpm.org. We would be honored to work with you and your advisors as you consider your plans!
We strongly encourage you to consult with your professional advisor for advice on the full impact of your charitable giving as it pertains to your financial and/or legal circumstances. Thank you!