Build Your Legacy
Illuminate The Future
Secure your family’s financial future while creating a lasting impact through the Becky Valentine Foundation.
Shape the Future Through Thoughtful Planning
Did you know that around 67% of Americans do not have an up-to-date estate plan? We want to help make it easy to protect the people and causes you love most. Whether you are writing your first will or updating an existing plan, your legacy can provide security for your loved ones and hope for future generations.
Please note: The Becky Valentine Foundation does not endorse, guarantee, or formally vet the services of any specific professional, business or application on this page. “About” section descriptions are provided by the respective individuals and businesses and do not imply endorsement by the Becky Valentine Foundation. This list is provided as an informational resource for your consideration. We strongly recommend conducting your own due diligence and consulting with independent advisors before making any financial or legal decisions.
More content to be added throughout the month of August!
Your Family Comes First. Your Impact Lives On.
Estate planning isn’t just about financial assets; it’s a reflection of your values. Creating a legacy gift allows you to provide for your loved ones first, while ensuring that the mission of the Becky Valentine Foundation continues for years to come.
Protect Your Family
Eliminate Ambiguity & Family Friction: Clear, documented estate plans with designated charitable gifts ensure your wishes are legally binding, relieving your loved ones of difficult decision-making during emotional times.
Shield Heirs from Unnecessary Tax Burdens: Strategic planning allows you to leave tax-advantaged assets (like cash and real estate) to your family while designating tax-burdened assets (like IRAs) to the Becky Valentine Foundation—maximizing what your loved ones actually keep.
Streamline Estate Administration: Partnering with the Becky Valentine Foundation provides your estate executor with precise, pre-approved bequest language and clear instructions, making the asset transfer process smooth and stress-free for your family.
Protect Wealth with Structured Giving: Establishing trust provisions or structured legacy gifts ensures your family’s financial security is prioritized first, with remaining assets smoothly transitioning to fuel our mission.
Pass Down Your Values
Model Generosity for the Next Generation: Including the Becky Valentine Foundation in your estate plan serves as a powerful, permanent lesson to children and grandchildren about intentional community stewardship.
Engage Family in Hands-On Philanthropy: Members of our Lightkeeper Circle have opportunities to involve family members in foundation engagement, keeping your family connected to our impact across generations.
Create a Named Family Legacy*: You can establish a named scholarship or grant fund through the foundation, ensuring your family’s name remains forever tied to changing lives in our community.
Turns Personal Passions into Permanent Impact: Estate gifts ensure the principles you stood for during your lifetime continue to drive meaningful solutions long into the future.
*Named scholarships and funds depend on gift size and structure. Contact us to learn more.
Maximize Tax Savings
- Delivers 100% Federal Estate Tax Deductions: Bequests made through your will or trust to the Becky Valentine Foundation qualify for an unlimited federal estate tax charitable deduction under IRC Section 2055. This reduces the overall taxable value of your gross estate dollar-for-dollar.
Eliminates Income Tax on Inherited Retirement Accounts: Retirement accounts like traditional IRAs and 401(k)s carry heavy income tax burdens for individual heirs (known as Income in Respect of a Decedent). Naming the foundation as a beneficiary allows 100% of those tax-encumbered assets to support our mission tax-free.
Bypasses Capital Gains Tax via Estate Transfers: Allocating appreciated real estate, business interests, or personal property to the foundation in your estate plan allows your estate to avoid capital gains taxes entirely while claiming a full fair-market value estate tax deduction.
Optimizes Lifetime Gifts of Publicly Traded Stock: If you choose to give during your lifetime, contributing publicly traded securities (“qualified appreciated stock”) directly to the foundation lets you claim a full fair-market value income tax deduction (up to 20% of your AGI) while bypassing capital gains taxes.
The Lightkeeper Circle
The Lightkeeper Circle honors visionary supporters who secure the future of The Becky Valentine Foundation through a planned gift. By including the Foundation in your will, trust, or broader estate strategy, you serve as an enduring beacon for our mission. Joining The Lightkeeper Circle offers meaningful ways to engage with our work today while establishing a lasting footprint for the future.
Lifetime Member Benefits
- Community & Connection: Receive invitations to special foundation gatherings and enjoy opportunities to connect with fellow legacy visionaries, board members, and leadership.
- Recognition & Appreciation: Optional inclusion in Lightkeeper Circle digital updates, select publication honor rolls, and our annual report, along with a commemorative certificate of membership.
- Mission Insight: Experience a closer relationship with our team through insider updates on our educational access and environmental stewardship initiatives.
Enduring Legacy Benefits
- Named Visionary Tributes: Opportunity to establish named scholarship funds or specialized grant opportunities that permanently honor your family or a cherished passion.
- Sustained Impact: The assurance that your foresight ensures the long-term sustainability of our mission, carrying vital work forward for generations to come.
- Perpetual Values: A living testament to your dedication to expanding education and protecting our natural world, creating a light that continues to guide future leaders.
Include Us in Your Will or Trust
If you are working with an attorney to create or update your estate plan, providing them with our official information ensures your legacy gift is executed smoothly.
Information for Your Estate Attorney:
Legal Name: The Valentine Foundation, DBA Becky Valentine Foundation
Tax ID (EIN): 90-0527475
Mailing Address: 5743 Corsa Ave, Suite 208, Westlake Village, CA 91362
Sample Language: “I give, devise, and bequeath [insert specific dollar amount, or percentage of estate, or ‘the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate’] to The Valentine Foundation, doing business as the Becky Valentine Foundation, located in Westlake Village, California, Tax ID #90-0527475, to be used for its general charitable purposes.”
Disclaimer: This sample language is provided for educational purposes and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Please consult your estate planning attorney when drafting or updating your legal documents.
Not sure where to start? Get our free Philanthropic Estate Planning Guide.
Ready to talk to us about supporting your legacy and our mission through a planned gift? Email us at info@beckyvalentinefoundation.org