Endowment Gifts
You can leave a legacy to perpetually support the causes you love with an endowment gift. An endowment is a fund you can create now or in the future to achieve the impact you desire. The income earned on your endowment will provide lasting annual support to your charitable causes.
You enjoy several benefits with an endowment gift
- Establish an endowment during your lifetime and see the impact each year.
- Benefit from an income tax deduction in the year you make your gift.
- Avoid capital gains tax on an endowment gift of appreciated property.
How an endowment gift works
- You make an initial gift to fund an endowment.
- The assets in your endowment are invested to earn income.
- The income is distributed annually to achieve your desired impact.
- You can make additions during your lifetime or supplement your endowment with your estate plan.
Opportunities for Impact
- General Endowment. A gift committed to the Seattle Symphony Foundation builds our endowment for the long term — an essential source of annual support we can rely on, year after year. Your endowment gift provides the robust foundation the Symphony depends on to plan ahead, support critical programs and share the power of music with all.
- Endowment Funds.
Donors who want to endow particular programs and activities can commit to specific Seattle Symphony Foundation funds:
- The Fund for Education and Community Engagement supports arts education programs that reach thousands of young people each year as well as transformative partnerships with neighbors and community groups.
- The Benaroya Hall Endowment Fund maintains and enhances our irreplaceable home.
- A custom fund that staff can work with you to define and create will enable you to secure in perpetuity whatever motivates you most.
- Naming Opportunities. Whether you make your commitment to the Orchestra or to the Foundation, irrevocable gifts valued above certain amounts grant you naming opportunities — for orchestra positions, endowed funds, or other programs that staff can determine in partnership with you — so that your legacy can be shared with all.
Income distributed from your endowment
At the time you create your endowment, you sign an endowment agreement that details the scope and desired impact of your endowment funds. Your funds will generally be invested to produce stable, predictable growth. Each year, a percentage of your endowed funds will be distributed according to your endowment agreement.
Contact us
If you have any questions about endowment gifts, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you and answer any questions you might have.
