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Bequests
A charitable provision in a will or trust may allow a supporter to include HLS Maritime Academy in a long-term estate plan while retaining control of assets during their lifetime.
A Legacy of Opportunity
Some Gifts Are Designed to Continue Working Long After We Do.
Legacy and planned giving can allow supporters to connect their long-term financial and estate plans with causes they believe should endure.
For HLS Maritime Academy, that can mean helping create pathways into maritime careers for students who may enter the Academy years — or even generations — from now.
Planned giving is deeply personal. There is no single approach that is appropriate for every donor, and HLS does not provide legal, tax, investment, accounting, or estate planning advice.
The best place to begin is often a conversation — first with your own advisors, and then with HLS when appropriate.
Ways to Create a Legacy
Planned Giving Can Take Many Forms.
The options below are presented as possible areas for discussion. Availability, eligibility, acceptance, and tax treatment depend on the specific gift and donor circumstances.
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Beneficiary Designations
Depending on the account and governing documents, supporters may be able to name a qualified charitable organization as a beneficiary of certain retirement, financial, insurance, or other assets.
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Donor-Advised Fund Grants
Supporters with donor-advised funds may wish to recommend grants to HLS Maritime Academy through their sponsoring organization, subject to that organization's requirements and applicable law.
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Appreciated Assets
Publicly traded securities and certain other appreciated assets may offer another way to support a charitable organization. Acceptance, valuation, documentation, and tax treatment depend on the nature of the asset and the donor's circumstances.
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Retirement-Account Giving
Certain donors may be eligible to make charitable distributions directly from qualifying retirement accounts under applicable federal rules. These arrangements should be coordinated with the donor's financial and tax advisors.
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Other Planned Gifts
Some donors may wish to explore other estate, trust, property, or long-term philanthropic arrangements. HLS welcomes an initial conversation before any complex gift is proposed or transferred.
Beyond a Lifetime
A Legacy Gift Is Ultimately About the Future.
The person helped by a legacy gift may be someone the donor never meets.
It may be a future veteran transitioning into civilian employment, a young adult searching for a first career, a displaced worker beginning again, or someone who simply needed one meaningful opportunity.
Legacy giving allows one person's belief in opportunity to continue creating possibility for people who come later.
Thoughtful Planning
Complex Gifts Deserve Careful Consideration.
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Your Intent Matters
A planned gift should reflect the donor's values, family considerations, financial circumstances, and philanthropic goals.
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Professional Advice Matters
Planned gifts can involve legal, tax, investment, estate, and financial considerations. Donors should work with their own qualified professional advisors.
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Acceptance Is Individual
HLS must evaluate proposed non-cash and complex gifts individually to determine whether they can be responsibly accepted and stewarded.
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The Conversation Can Begin Early
A donor does not need to have every detail finalized before contacting HLS. Early discussion can help identify what information or coordination may be needed.
Work With Your Advisors
Your Professional Team Should Help Guide the Decision.
Planned gifts can affect estate plans, taxes, investments, retirement assets, beneficiaries, and family financial decisions.
HLS strongly encourages donors to work with their own attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, estate planners, and other qualified professionals before completing a planned or complex contribution.
HLS can provide organizational information and discuss charitable intent, but donor advisors should determine the legal, tax, financial, and estate consequences of any proposed arrangement.
Gift Acceptance
Please Speak With HLS Before Transferring Complex Assets.
Some planned or non-cash gifts may create legal, administrative, valuation, liquidity, environmental, financial, or long-term stewardship responsibilities for the receiving organization.
HLS therefore evaluates proposed complex gifts individually and may require additional documentation, professional review, governing-board approval, or other due diligence before acceptance.
A discussion with HLS before initiating a transfer can help prevent complications and ensure that the proposed gift can be responsibly received.
Begin a Confidential Conversation
You Do Not Need to Have Everything Decided Before Reaching Out.
If you are considering including HLS Maritime Academy in your estate or long-term philanthropic planning, we welcome an exploratory conversation about your intent and the Academy's mission.
There is no obligation to make a commitment, and donors should continue to work with their own professional advisors throughout the process.
Important Information
HLS Does Not Provide Professional Financial or Estate Advice.
HLS Maritime Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Information on this page is general and educational only and should not be treated as legal, tax, investment, accounting, financial, appraisal, or estate-planning advice. Gift eligibility, deductibility, valuation, documentation, reporting, and other consequences depend on applicable law and individual circumstances. Donors should consult their own qualified professional advisors before completing any planned or complex gift.
“The future is shaped not only by what we build in our lifetime, but by what we make possible after it.”