Leave a Legacy: Building Endowments for a Brighter Future

Legacy & Endowments

A legacy gift is a charitable vision that serves as a permanent force for good for generations to come. You can practice smart generosity by creating a permanent charitable fund at Kern Community Foundation as part of your estate planning – confident in knowing that your original intent will be honored in perpetuity, keeping your name and fund protected and relevant to the issues and communities you support.

The Power of Endowment

The money you leave to your fund at Kern Community Foundation will be invested for long-term growth as an endowment. With the endowment, your original gift becomes the fund’s corpus, or principal, and cannot be spent. This principle will generate earnings, which will become available for grants. Over several decades, an endowed fund’s principal can significantly grow….while supplying grants every year.a steady stream of grant dollars is created to support the causes you care about in perpetuity. Your estate gift will be maintained and make a lasting, meaningful difference.

How it Works

• You include Kern Community Foundation as a beneficiary of your will or trust. We can help you or your attorney with sample bequest language.
• You determine the type of fund you would like to establish with your gift.
• Your charitable gift is excluded from your assets for estate tax purposes.
• Your gift creates a permanent source of community capital, helping to do good work forever.

You can make a legacy gift through:

• your estate by bequest in a will or trust
• a lifetime vehicle such as a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) or Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA)
• a gift of a retirement plan account

Visit our Planned Giving Center for resources to help you plan your legacy, including a confidential wills planner. We are happy to partner with you and your professional advisor to help maximize the impact of your philanthropy. While we publicly recognize those who have notified us of their plans, we also appreciate and honor the wishes of those who wish to remain anonymous.

Contact our Donor Services at 661.616.2617 or donorservices@kernfoundation.org to learn more about creating your legacy.