A Charitable Gift Annuity is a simple agreement (contract) between a Donor[s] and United Way of Allegheny County. The agreement provides that the Donor will contribute a gift of cash or readily marketable securities to United Way, and will receive an annuity payment for a term of years or for life.

With a Charitable Gift Annuity, an actual annuity contract, such as would be utilized with a standard annuity purchase, is not part of the transaction. Rather, United Way's agreement to make the annuity payments is backed by the full faith and credit (assets and good name) of the organization. The Donor and United Way will agree on the amount of the gift, the amount of the annuity payments (within guidelines and life expectancy projections), the term for payout, the beginning date for payout, and the frequency of payments.

A Charitable Gift Annuity is in part a sale and in part a gift. The Donor receives annuity payments for a term of years or for life and United Way receives the remainder interest (whatever is left of the gift at the end of the annuity term). It is structured so that the value of the property contributed should exceed the present value of the annuity payout. This "excess" amount constitutes a charitable gift and provides a charitable income tax deduction for the Donor. The amount remaining at the eventual termination of the annuity (the remainder interest) belongs to United Way and may be placed in the Bridges to the Future Endowment Fund to provide needed support for the community in perpetuity.

To learn more about how a Charitable Gift Annuity could benefit both you and your community, including examples and an opportunity to plug sample numbers into our planned giving calculator, please visit our on-line slide presentation. Another slide presentation, which discusses United Way of Allegheny County's Bridges to the Future Endowment Program, is also available to you.

If you would like to speak with a member of our gift planning staff to discuss how you might leave your lasting legacy for the community, and be eligible for potential income and/or estate tax deductions, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , complete our request for information, or contact the Major Gifts Department at 412.456.6753. We will be happy to provide you with information or to visit with you personally.