Beneficiary Designations
Make a Gift in 3 Easy Steps
Not everyone wants to commit to making a gift in their wills or estates. Some prefer the increased flexibility that a beneficiary designation provides by using:
- IRAs and retirement plans
- Life insurance policies
- Commercial annuities
It only takes three simple steps to make this type of gift. Here's how to name Harvard-Westlake School as a beneficiary:
- Contact your retirement plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution for a change-of-beneficiary form.
- Decide what percentage (1 to 100) you would like us to receive and name us, along with the percentage you chose, on the beneficiary form.
- Return the completed form to your plan administrator, insurance company, bank, or financial institution.
"For us, the solution was simple."
We feel incredibly fortunate that our children have had the opportunity to attend Harvard-Westlake. They have not only received a solid education; they have been inspired by superb teachers, they have discovered their creative passions, and they have learned to think "outside the box." At a time when many organizations are cutting back on human resources and services, Harvard-Westlake continues to move ahead and expand and enhance its programming. We believe that we have an obligation to give something back to the community that has given so much to us. For us, the solution was simple. We have named Harvard-Westlake as a beneficiary of our retirement plan assets. Our children will be well provided for, not only from us, but because they will have the skills to support themselves. The combined estate and income tax on our retirement plan assets passing to our children could be as much as 75 percent. By comparison, Harvard-Westlake will receive its bequest with no tax cost—essentially costing the family only 25 percent. That is a very small price to pay to ensure that the next generation will have the same opportunities as our children had at Harvard-Westlake.
—Leah Bishop and Gary Yale P'04'06
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