Invest your legacy where it will make a difference

At Bicycle Colorado, we’re grateful for every gift we receive—no matter the size—but we understand that not everyone feels they can make a substantial gift today. Some prefer the increased flexibility that planned giving via a beneficiary designation provides by using:

IRAs and retirement plans
Life insurance policies
Commercial annuities

It may sound complicated to set up a beneficiary designation, but it is actually quite simple. In fact, it only takes three simple steps to make this type of gift. If you are interested in designating Bicycle Colorado as a beneficiary of your estate, here are a few simple steps to help you do it:

Contact your retirement plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution for a change-of-beneficiary form.
Name Bicycle Colorado as a beneficiary on the form and designate the percentage you would like to give to Bicycle Colorado (1-100%).
Return the completed form to your plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution.

That’s it! Easy, right?

Planned giving is a simple but powerful giving tool

When you choose to give to Bicycle Colorado via planned giving, you invest your legacy in a shared vision of a Colorado where everyone can ride safely. Your generous support of the movement will make Colorado a better place to live and ride.

I finally got to a point in my life where I was thinking about my own planning. Where did I want my assets to go at the end of my life? What did I want my personal legacy to be? … In considering my legacy, I thought about the nonprofit organizations that have been most meaningful to me in my life. Bicycle Colorado was among the organizations on that fairly short list.

Russ Shaw

Philanthropic Specialist, Wells Fargo Bank

Want to hear from a fellow member? Philanthropic Specialist with Wells Fargo Bank and Bicycle Colorado Board Member, Russ Shaw, told us why he chose Bicycle Colorado as a beneficiary of his planned giving on the Bicycle Colorado blog.

Fast facts about planned giving

Planned Giving means making gifts to nonprofits like Bicycle Colorado that require planning. This includes estate gifts like bequests and beneficiary designations, and also includes current gifts that require planning, such as real estate.
The majority of planned gifts are charitable bequests.
$35.7 billion was given via charitable bequest in 2017.
Most planned gift donors will never tell the charity about the gift. (If you have Bicycle Colorado in your estate plans, please let us know!)

Myths about planned giving and bequests

Only wealthy people make bequests. At the time they made their bequest commitment, most bequest donors had income of less than $75,000. Generally, bequest donors are people of modest means, who cannot afford to make large outright gifts.
Only older people make bequests. At the time that they made their bequest commitment, most of bequest donors were under the age of 65, with approximately, nearly 20% of whom were under age 45.
Only well-educated people make bequests. A person’s attained level of formal education is not a determining factor in their willingness to make a bequest.
Leaving money to a charity in an estate plan requires hiring an attorney. Beneficiary designations can be used to leave money to charity from an IRA, other retirement plan, or insurance policy, without involving an attorney.
Once you make a charitable bequest, it’s set in stone. Bequests are flexible and easy to change at any time. Just ask Russ.

How you can help

Share your passion for Bicycle Colorado with friends and family!
Consider naming Bicycle Colorado in your will to receive a bequest. Even a very small bequest will help.
Consider naming Bicycle Colorado to receive a contingent (secondary) bequest.
Consider naming Bicycle Colorado as a beneficiary, or a contingent (secondary) beneficiary, in your retirement account. Although most of us plan to leave our assets to our family, perhaps they would understand if you left a small percentage of your IRA, 401k, or 403b to continue the good work we do. This is easily accomplished through a beneficiary designation form that can be downloaded from your Retirement Plan custodian, and can easily be updated if you change your mind.