The WFCR Legacy Circle

Each week more than 180,000 people in western New England count on 88.5FM WFCR to bring information, entertainment, music, and perspective into their cars, offices, and busy homes.

From the reliable values of local, national, and international news coverage to the uncompromising quality of classical music, jazz, and world music. 88.5FM WFCR has become an integral part of hundreds of communities in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island over the past 45 years.

Sustaining this vital part of our daily lives is what the WFCR Circle Program is all about. Providing for our children and grandchildren the same uncompromising perspective we have enjoyed for the past half-century depends upon each of us considering our legacy to public radio.

• Bequests: Identifying 88.5FM WFCR in your will is perhaps the simplest form of planned giving. Whether you choose a specific monetary amount, or a residual portion of your estate, including WFCR in your will provides a legacy beyond your lifetime. The language in your will could be as simple as: "I give, devise, and bequeath to 88.5FM WFCR public radio of Amherst, Massachusetts, the sum of $xxx,xxx" (or otherwise describe the gift or specify a percentage of the estate).
• Gifts of Life Insurance: Some of our listeners no longer need life insurance purchased years ago to provide for children or other family members. If that's your situation, consider donating the policy to 88.5FM WFCR. You may be able to claim a charitable deduction for approximately the policy's cash surrender value, and the proceeds are removed from your estate.
• Appreciated Securities: Listeners who contribute appreciated securities held for more than one year (long-term) may receive a double income tax benefit: (1) A deduction for the asset's full fair market value instead of the lower cost basis; and (2) a complete avoidance of capital gains tax on the asset's appreciation.
• Gifts of Retirement Plans: Believe it or not, you may be taxed on your IRA, other retirement plans, and some other assets more than once when you leave them to your heirs. Income in respect of a decedent (IRD) is income you were entitled to but did not receive during your lifetime. IRD is subject to both income, estate taxes, and sometimes generation-skipping taxes too. The most common source of IRD-and the one most likely to comprise a large part of your estate-is an IRA or other retirement plan. You can avoid the taxes on IRD-and make a significant charitable gift to 88.5FM WFCR at greatly reduced out-of-pocket cost-by using IRD assets to make charitable gifts and leaving other assets to family members and other non-charity beneficiaries. By creating a trust in your will, you can even use an IRA to provide life income for a survivor.