Make saving lives your legacy.

Ensure that your legacy contributes to the future well-being of animals in our community. Remembering Blue Ridge Humane Society in your estate plans ensures we can continue to help animals for years to come through our lifesaving work. 

To help you get started on your plans and legacy, you can use FreeWill, an online tool that guides you through creating your will or trust. It’s easy to use, accessible online and can be completed in 20 minutes. You can use this resource on its own or use it to document your wishes before finalizing your plans with an attorney.

Get Started Now

The Legacy Society is our way of recognizing those whose planned gifts ensure a healthy financial future for the homeless pets in our care. If you’ve already included us in your giving plans, please let us know so we can show appreciation and recognize you as a Legacy Society member.

Legacy Society Intent

There are many ways to make a gift to the Blue Ridge Humane Society. Take a look at some of your options designed to help you achieve your specific goals. 

Designated Beneficiaries

Do you have an IRA, 401(k), life insurance policy, or other assets not included in your will? If so, these are called non-probate assets; you must plan your beneficiaries separately. Use this online tool to make your plans and designate us as a beneficiary of one or more of these assets.

Give from Your DAF

Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are investment accounts for the sole purpose of supporting charitable organizations today. This tool automatically links with your DAF, allows you to recommend how you’d like your gift to be used and notifies Blue Ridge Humane Society of your intentions.

Give from Your IRA

If you are 70.5 or older, giving from your IRA can help reduce your taxable income — and for those over 73 who must take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), an IRA gift is a simple way to fulfill it! By using the link below to give from your IRA, you can auto-complete your paperwork and we can track your gift to send you the proper tax receipts.

Donate Stocks

Donating stocks allows you to avoid capital gains tax and often take a charitable deduction for the full value of the asset. Use the tool linked above to donate stock so we can track your gift, send you the correct receipt, and ensure you can get the tax savings you deserve. If you would prefer to make your donation through your broker, access our transfer information to notify Blue Ridge Humane Society of your gift.

Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs) offer a secure, fixed payment stream for yourself and/or a loved one for your lifetime. You will also receive tax benefits and the satisfaction of creating a lasting legacy.

  • You donate cash or appreciated securities worth $20,000 or more to Blue Ridge Humane Society. In return, you and another beneficiary will receive fixed payments for life.
  • Your payment rate is based on your age (payments start at age 55 or later) and will never change.
  • A portion of your payments will be tax-free.
  • The older you are (or the longer you defer starting your payment) the higher your payments will be.

A Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) is a tax-free trust that pays you and/or other beneficiaries an annual distribution. This payment is either a percentage of the trust’s yearly value or the original gift amount.

  • You transfer cash or an appreciated asset into an irrevocable trust.
  • The trustee then sells the asset, paying no capital gains tax, and reinvests the proceeds.
  • For the rest of your life (or a term of years), you and/or another beneficiary receive payments from the trust.
  • After your lifetime, the remaining principal is used to support our mission.

Blue Ridge Humane Society can be named as a contingent beneficiary in your will or personal trust if one or more of your specific bequests cannot be fulfilled. The following is suggested language for your legal adviser:

In the event that ____________ (name or names of heirs) shall not survive me, I give, devise and bequeath those beneficiaries’ shares to Blue Ridge Humane Society Inc (TIN ID: 56-6048726) located at 1214 Greenville Highway, Hendersonville, NC 28792, for its ___________ program, or for general purposes as determined by its Board of Directors.

Use your assets to benefit the Blue Ridge Humane Society while at the same time preserving the benefits of those assets. You may wish to transfer ownership of real estate. In doing so, you remove the property from your estate and relieve yourself of any future management worries. In addition, you can deduct the property’s appraised value from your income tax liability and avoid capital gains. You may give now or defer your gift.

To receive instructions on transferring property to Blue Ridge Humane Society, please call 828-692-2639 or email donate@blueridgehumane.org.

The following is the suggested language of a deferred gift for your legal adviser:

I give, devise and bequeath to Blue Ridge Humane Society Inc (TIN ID: 56-6048726) located at 1214 Greenville Highway, Hendersonville, NC 28792,  ___________ (description of personal property) for its __________ program, or for general purposes as determined by its Board of Directors.

Name the Blue Ridge Humane Society as a beneficiary of a specified amount or percentage of your estate or trust. You may make your gift unrestricted or direct it to a specific purpose. The following is suggested language for your legal adviser:

I give, devise and bequeath to Blue Ridge Humane Society Inc (TIN ID: 56-6048726) located at 1214 Greenville Highway, Hendersonville, NC 28792, the sum of $________ for its _________ program, or for general purposes as determined by its Board of Directors.

As a benefit of membership in our Legacy Society, healthy and adoptable pets of Legacy Society members are guaranteed a home should the member predecease his or her pet(s).

Donate Cryptocurrency

We now accept donations of Ethereum, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies! This gives us one more way to fund our work and can provide you with extra tax benefits.

Blue Ridge Humane Society is a nonprofit 501 c3 animal welfare organization and limited admission shelter whose mission is to reduce the overpopulation of companion animals and to improve their quality of life through adoption, collaboration, and community education.

Federal Tax ID: 56-6048726