Continue Supporting Our Work After Your Lifetime.

Leave a Legacy of Compassion for animals and people who come after you. 

You can continue to save animals and build a more humane community long after your lifetime by including CVHS in your estate plans.  It’s easier than you might think.

Planned gifts are vital to our daily operations and ongoing programs, as well as our long term sustainability.  Did you know that a bequest made it possible for CVHS to move into the new Adoption Center? It’s true! Bequests and other planned gifts are powerful gifts that can completely transform a small rural organization like CVHS.

We’d be grateful if you would let us know if you plan to or have already included CVHS in your estate plans. Not only does it enable us to express our gratitude to you, it is useful to our internal planning processes.

The material presented in this website is intended only as general educational information and should not be interpreted as legal, financial or tax advice. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical purposes only and are subject to change. We encourage you to consult your financial, tax, and/or legal advisors to obtain guidance specific to your individual situation and philanthropic goals. 

What is planned giving?    

Planned giving is traditionally defined as a gift that an individual creates during his or her lifetime that will take effect at or after their passing. It often enables people to make larger gifts than they could make from their discretionary income while they are alive.

Who can make a planned gift?

Charitable planned giving is not only for the wealthy! Most everyone has an estate, whether modest or substantial. Anyone with assets can be a philanthropist and provide for the future benefit of their community while still providing for their family.

All gifts large and small are important. And the simple act of including CVHS in your estate plans sets an example for the entire community — compounding the value of your gift.

Provide for Your Family and Support CVHS

You can provide for your family AND leave a legacy of charitable giving. It does not have to be either / or — it can be both.  And in the process, charitable planned gifts can actually save your family money by decreasing inheritance and/or income taxes — making the most of your hard earned money.  It can be as simple as designating a set amount or percentage, or even the remainder of an estate to be gifted to CVHS after you provide for your family.

The Companion Legacy Society  

When you inform us that you have made a planned gift to benefit CVHS, you automatically become a valued member of our Companion Legacy Society. You’ll be part of a compassionate community of people who feel as you do — that every animal deserves a chance at life and a loving home — and that pets enrich our human lives and communities beyond measure.  

A Donor's Story

I’ve adopted four pets from CVHS over the past 25 years.  They were all beloved companions and helped my son to become a more caring and compassionate individual as he was growing up. So it’s natural to want to give back. I’m not in a position to make a really big gift to CVHS from my current income, but I’ve learned that I can accomplish that through my estate.

I’m embarrassed to say that, like 63% of Americans, I do not have a will. It’s been on my to-do list for years – with all the usual excuses for procrastinating.  It took the sudden and unexpected death of a dear friend to make me realize, ‘that could be me.’ And I have not yet made any provisions for giving part of my estate to charity.  So I decided the quickest and easiest way to begin to rectify that was to make one of my retirement accounts my ‘pot of money’ to give away to charity. I will provide for my son through real estate and other accounts. The very next day I updated my beneficiary form designating CVHS as one of three non-profits that I care most deeply about to equally share any money remaining in this account when I pass.  Done!  In less than 24 hours!  It feels so good knowing that I will continue to make a difference and carry on my values of charitable giving after my lifetime!  Now to draw up that will…   — CVHS Donor

Important: The material presented in this website is intended only as general educational information and should not be interpreted as legal, financial or tax advice. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical purposes only and are subject to change. We encourage you to consult your financial, tax, and/or legal advisors to obtain guidance specific to your individual situation and philanthropic goals.