Retained Life Estate

This diagram represents how to make a gift of a retained life estate - a gift that protects your assets.

How It Works

  • You transfer the title to your residence, farm, or vacation home to DonorsTrust and live there for the rest of your life.
  • Continue to live in the property or use it for life or a specified term of years, and continue to be responsible for all taxes and upkeep.
  • The property passes to DonorsTrust when your life estate ends.

Benefits

  • You can give us a significant asset but retain the security of using your property for the rest of your life.
  • You receive an immediate income tax deduction for a portion of the appraised value of your property.
  • You can terminate your life estate at any time and may receive an additional income tax deduction OR you and DonorsTrust may jointly decide to sell the property and prorate the sale proceeds.