Whether it’s Ben Franklin establishing £1,000 trusts for the benefit of Boston and Philadelphia, George Washington’s will that dissolved his family’s practice of enslavement (although Martha Washington did not grant the same emancipation), or John Adams’s bequest creating a “Temple and School Fund,” the framers of the Constitution viewed philanthropy as critical to the future of the American experiment.
Laying the foundation for the coming generations is a shared priority for Cato’s Sponsors. And the fight for liberty must be continually won, or else special interests will inevitably erode America’s grounding in the principles of individual rights, limited government, free markets, and peace.
For many Cato Sponsors a planned gift represents a unique opportunity to create a significant contribution supporting our ideas, and Cato’s Legacy Society is the Institute’s way of recognizing this community. Legacy Society benefits are the same as those for individuals contributing at least $5,000 annually, which include special event invitations and complimentary access to Cato books, research, and commentary like our monthly audio magazine. Of course, by creating a planned gift and joining the Legacy Society, you will enjoy the final benefit of denying the government even more of your hard-earned money by investing in the future of liberty!
If you’re interested in joining this Sponsor community, there is a wide range of charitable-giving opportunities, many providing you with significant tax advantages or costing you nothing today:
- A bequest in your will
- Naming Cato as a beneficiary of an investment account like IRA and 401(K) plans
- Creating a charitable trust or donor-advised fund (gifts of appreciated securities you’ve owned more than one year are as good as ever for avoiding capital gains taxes)
- Making a donation to fund a charitable gift annuity that pays you predictable income for life
Over the coming years, Cato will continue to confront threats to our values—like the rise of populism, hostility to free speech, and the big-government leviathan that would entangle commerce in red tape and halt the progress transforming the developing world. Our community is animated by promoting liberty, and Cato’s central role in developing the public policies, communications, and outreach activities that present the best chances for our success.
