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The Ailey Legacy Circle recognizes and honors the generous donors who have made a bequest or other planned gift to AILEY. Members support inspiring performances, world-class training programs, and innovative arts-in-education initiatives and community programs through gifts that offer financial flexibility in their lifetimes and mark their permanent legacy as supporters of the arts.
Legacy Circle members enjoy special year-round benefits, including recognition in AILEY’s printed materials, invitations to donor events and rehearsals, and passes to the VIP Lounge during Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s New York City Center seasons.
Ways to Give
Bequests allow you to leave money to AILEY in your will but maintain the flexibility to change it as life circumstances change. You can leave a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of your total estate or property.
You can create a will for free using our FreeWill resource. This tool makes it easy to complete your plans or start a draft to finalize with your attorney.
You can designate AILEY to receive all or part of the proceeds of your IRA or other retirement plan after your lifetime. As a non-profit, AILEY will be able to receive the remaining full amount, exempt from income and estate taxes that would otherwise fall to an heir/child if listed as the designated beneficiary.
To list AILEY as a beneficiary of your retirement account, please contact your bank for a Change-of-Beneficiary form, or simply download one from your provider’s website.
Learn more about giving retirement gifts in your lifetime and after.
Retirement accounts are not the only accounts that need beneficiaries. You can list AILEY as the beneficiary of any asset, such as a savings account or donor advised fund. This will allow you to reserve these assets for use in your lifetime as you need them, and AILEY will inherit only what you don’t need. Contact your provider to designate AILEY or start planning beneficiaries through FreeWill today.
Just like the last two beneficiaries, AILEY can be named as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy. You could name us as the primary beneficiary, co-beneficiary (we would share the proceeds with others you have named), or the contingent beneficiary (AILEY would receive the proceeds only if your primary beneficiary predeceases you).
If you own a fully paid-up life insurance policy with cash value, you can donate that policy to AILEY during your lifetime, making Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. the owner and irrevocable beneficiary of the policy. By making this gift you may be entitled to an income tax deduction in the year of the gift.
If you are over 70.5 years old, you can give any amount (up to a maximum of $100,000) per year from your IRA directly to a qualified charity such as AILEY without having to pay income taxes on the money. You might see this popular tax-free donation referred to as a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD.
To make a qualified charitable distribution, contact our development office at 212-405-9067.
*These gifts are tax-free, regardless of whether you itemize deductions on your tax return. If you are 73 or older, these gifts can even count towards fulfilling your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) for the calendar year.
Many donors prefer to make gifts of appreciated stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or exchange traded funds because it can have a large impact on our mission and maximize potential tax benefits.
To make a gift of stock, contact our development office at 212-405-9067.
Designate Your Gift
When you support our General Operations, you are funding all activities of the organization and creating a stable base from which AILEY can thrive financially, expand artistically, and fulfill our mission—to provide dance performances, training, and community programs for everyone.
You can provide support for AILEY’s commissioning of new works, furthering our commitment to building a diverse repertory and nurturing the growth of talented dancers and choreographers.
You can help AILEY provide vital financial assistance through scholarships for The Ailey School’s most talented and deserving young dancers.
You can support AILEY’s unique educational initiatives across the country, allowing Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs to reach nearly 100,000 people each year.
You can help maintain and expand AileyCamp, innovative summer camps that use dance as a vehicle for developing self-esteem, creativity, and critical thinking skills.
Make a lasting impact on any of the above programs by designating your gift to AILEY’s endowment. A growing endowment will further unleash AILEY’s potential and allow the organization to continue to transcend boundaries in all of its programs, inspiring generations for years to come.
If restricted to a specific purpose, please speak with AILEY’s Development Office first to ensure that your gift is structured to accomplish your wishes and objectives.
Bequest Language
Contact Us
Please contact the Ailey Development Office at patronengagment@ailey.org or 212-405-9033 if you need assistance with your planning.
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