Your planned gift to the National WWI Museum and Memorial creates a deeply personal legacy, preserving the extraordinary stories of courage and sacrifice that have inspired you.
By including the Museum and Memorial in your planning, you become a guardian of history, ensuring these profound lessons continue touching hearts and transforming lives for generations.
Ready to explore your legacy options?
If you have questions about planned giving, we have answers tailored to your unique situation. Whether you want to understand different gift options or are ready to discuss how your values can create lasting change, we’re here to support your philanthropic goals.
Complete this form and we’ll connect with you personally to explore the possibilities.
Benefits
When you join this distinguished community, you enjoy exclusive access and recognition.
- Your legacy celebrated: Choose to have your name honored on our Legacy Society donor wall.
- First access to extraordinary experiences: Attend exclusive events and exhibition previews before anyone else.
- Insider access to hidden stories: Explore behind-the-scenes and enjoy special programming created just for you.
- Meaningful connections: Build relationships with fellow Museum and Memorial champions who share your passion.
- Personal impact updates: See exactly how your future gift will transform lives and preserve history.
- Deep personal fulfillment: Experience the profound satisfaction of safeguarding vital stories for future generations.
Estate and financial planning has additional important advantages for many people including reducing estate taxes, providing a life income stream, providing a current income tax deduction, and helping to reduce or avoid capital gains.
Please consult your tax, legal or financial advisor concerning the specific details about how making a planned gift applies to you.
Types of Gifts
Your values and vision for the future can be expressed through several planned giving options that, for many, leave a more significant personal legacy than anything they could have imagined.
- Bequest in your Will or Trust: A simple way to leave a charitable gift. Include it in the drafting of your Will or Trust, or as an amendment, using this Codicil form (PDF)
- Annuity: Secure a reliable income for your retirement while making a meaningful difference through a charitable gift annuity. This option provides you with fixed payments for life and helps you create your legacy.
- Charitable Remainder Trust: Build your philanthropic impact while managing your tax and income goals with a charitable remainder trust. This versatile option can be tailored to your specific financial needs.
- IRA Charitable Distribution: Make a significant impact at minimal cost by designating the Museum and Memorial as a beneficiary of your retirement plan. This tax-wise option can help preserve more of your assets for both charitable giving and your heirs.
- Life Insurance Policy: Transform an existing life insurance policy into a powerful legacy by making the Museum and Memorial a beneficiary.
- Securities: Stocks, bonds and mutual funds may be gifted during your lifetime or as part of your estate.
- Customized Gift Arrangements: Additional customized giving arrangements are available to help you achieve both your philanthropic vision and financial goals.
Join the Pershing Legacy Society
Establishing your legacy by joining the Pershing Legacy Society is easy to do. We look forward to welcoming you when the Letter of Intent (linked here and also in the Forms section) is completed and returned to us.
Forms
Your membership in the Pershing Legacy Society begins when the Letter of Intent is completed and returned to us.
Join us today with this document:
Use this document to include us in an existing Will or Trust:
Frequently Asked Questions
Planned giving is accessible to individuals of all wealth levels. Even small gifts can make a significant impact, and many planned giving options (like designating a beneficiary on an insurance policy or retirement account) ensure your assets reflect the legacy you want to leave.
For peace of mind, it's beneficial for individuals of all ages to plan for the unexpected. An estate plan ensures your wishes are honored and eases the administrative burden on family. People of all ages may have assets like life insurance or retirement accounts that can be designated as planned gifts.
Yes, the Letter of Intent form may be edited in the event your desires or circumstances change.
Many planned gifts, like designating a beneficiary in a will or retirement account, are relatively simple to arrange. It's always advisable to consult with an attorney or financial advisor, but the process doesn't have to be daunting.
It's beneficial for us to know about planned gifts to help us plan for the future and ensure the gift meets your philanthropic goals. It also allows you to receive the rewards of Pershing Legacy Society membership. It allows us to keep you/your estate informed of your gift’s impact. If you prefer not to be recognized by name for your planned gift, you may remain anonymous.
Yes! You have complete freedom to direct your legacy gift toward the area that means most to you – whether that’s educational programs, artifact preservation, research initiatives or any other aspect of our mission that resonates with your values.
Your designated gift ensures your philanthropic vision becomes exactly as you envision it. We’ll work closely with you to craft language that captures your intent perfectly, and we’ll honor your wishes precisely as you’ve specified. This is your opportunity to create lasting change in the area you care about most.
Absolutely! Your legacy gift becomes a beautiful tribute to someone who shaped your life or shared your passion for history. You can honor a veteran, family member, mentor or anyone meaningful to you. We’ll ensure their memory lives on exactly as you wish – through permanent recognition that reflects both your generosity and their lasting impact on you.
You have flexibility in how you structure your planned gift. A planned gift is your broader strategy – it includes any thoughtful giving arrangement you make today for future impact, whether during your lifetime or after.
As estate gift is one type of planned gift that comes from your Will, Trust or other asset after you pass away.
The beauty is that you can choose what works best for your situation: lifetime gifts through your IRA, charitable trusts that provide you income now, or traditional bequests through your estate.
Your planned giving strategy can even combine multiple approaches to maximize both your current benefits and your future impact.
You’re in excellent company – many thoughtful people haven’t yet created these important documents. This gives you a perfect opportunity to accomplish two meaningful goals at once: protect your loved ones and create your philanthropic legacy.
When you work with an estate planning attorney to draft your will or trust, you can include your gift to the Museum and Memorial as part of your overall plan. You may also designate the Museum and Memorial the beneficiary of life insurance policies, 401(k)s or accounts at financial institutions. You’ll gain peace of mind knowing your family is protected while ensuring your values live on through your support of the stories that matter to you. Many donors find this process simpler and more rewarding than they expected.
Already included us in your plans?
If you’ve thoughtfully included the National WWI Museum and Memorial in your estate and/or financial plan, you deserve recognition as a Pershing Legacy Society member. Simply let us know about your gift through the Contact Form so you can enjoy all the exclusive benefits you’ve earned. You control how you’re recognized – publicly celebrated or completely private, the choice is always yours.
