Endow Your Annual Gift
Have you ever worried about what would happen if your favorite charities lost your annual donation?
Your annual donation is vital to Oakland Symphony. In fact, annual donations make up 75% of our total operating funds. Ticket sales provide 22%, and distributions from our endowments provide 3%.
Large or small, every penny of your donation matters and is used to protect and preserve Oakland Symphony. We need your help to increase our endowment to stabilize our annual revenue and create sustainable funding. The best part is you can help us in a way that costs you nothing today.
What is an endowment?
An endowment is an invested fund that provides a permanent
source of ongoing income for Oakland Symphony. It's like your personal
retirement plan, but provides Oakland Symphony with sustainable, long-term
funding.
When you make a gift to our endowment, your gift is invested and grows. It
is maintained in perpetuity, making a lasting, permanent difference to Oakland Symphony.
Benefits of endowing your annual gift through your will or trust
- Costs nothing now, yet gives you the satisfaction of knowing you have provided for Oakland Symphony in the future
- Pay tribute to a loved one
- Receive an estate tax charitable deduction
- Reduce the burden of taxes on your family
- Leave a permanent and lasting legacy that supports Oakland Symphony for which you or a person you choose to pay tribute will be recognized and honored forever
- You can change your gift at any time if your circumstances change
How to endow your annual gift in your will or trust
With the help of an attorney, you can include language in your will or trust to make a gift to Oakland Symphony. Or you can designate us as a beneficiary of a retirement account, bank account, or life insurance policy — which does not require changing your will.
What gift amount will endow my annual gift?
To determine the minimum gift amount you need to leave in your will to endow your annual gift, multiply your annual gift times 20. For example, if you currently give $2,500 each year, a gift of $50,000 ($2,500 x 20 = $50,000) in your will to our endowment will replace your annual gift forever. Our endowment will take your gift of $50,000 and invest it. Each year, it will distribute 5% of the fund's value to Oakland Symphony to use for annual operations — $50,000 x 5% = $2,500. To have an even bigger impact, you can leave a larger gift to our endowment.
Contact us
To learn more about how you can endow your annual gift, please contact us
Have you already included a gift in your will, trust or estate plan to Oakland Symphony? Let us know! We want to recognize you today for your generosity and welcome you into the Oakland Symphony Society .