Plan Your Legacy
About Planned Giving
Planned giving allows you to include AFSA in your long-term financial plans through a will, retirement account, or other assets. These gifts are typically arranged now and realized later, making it possible to support the future of the Foreign Service in a meaningful way without affecting your current financial situation. Many options also offer tax advantages.
Why Planned Giving?
Ready to Get Started?
If you already have an estate plan, adding AFSA can be straightforward. Or if you are starting from scratch, we can help you understand your options and connect you with the right resources.
Contact: Asgeir Sigfusson, Executive Director, sigfusson@afsa.org
There are several ways to include AFSA in your long-term financial plans. These gifts can be substantial and transformative, strengthening the Foreign Service at a moment when it faces real and sustained pressure.
Each option allows you to support that mission while potentially receiving meaningful financial and tax benefits.
Planned gifts help ensure that AFSA can:
- advocate for a strong, professional Foreign Service on Capitol Hill
- provide legal defense and institutional support when it matters most
- preserve the integrity and continuity of America’s nonpartisan diplomatic corps
Planned giving is about legacy—what you choose to sustain after you are gone.
Where Your Money Goes
Planned gifts to AFSA support the long-term strength of the Foreign Service through two key funds:
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The Fund for American Diplomacy (FAD)
Gifts to the FAD are tax-deductible and help ensure that the work of the Foreign Service is understood, supported, and sustained over time.
Through the FAD, AFSA works to:
- raise public awareness of what diplomats do and why it matters
- elevate the value of a professional, nonpartisan Foreign Service
- support outreach, education, and storytelling efforts that connect the American public to the work of diplomacy.
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The Legal Defense Fund (LDF)
The LDF supports AFSA’s efforts to protect the rights and integrity of the Foreign Service through legal action and representation. In recent years, this work has become especially critical as the Foreign Service has faced significant structural and legal challenges.
Through the LDF, AFSA:
- pursues litigation to challenge actions that undermine the Foreign Service
- provides legal support in cases affecting members’ rights and protections
- works to uphold the institutional framework that enables the Foreign Service to operate effectively.
If you are unsure which option is right for you, we are happy to talk through your preferences.
How to Give
There are several ways to include AFSA in your long-term financial plans. Each option allows you to support the future of the Foreign Service while potentially receiving meaningful financial and tax benefits.
Not sure which option is right for you? We can help you think it through. Contact AFSA’s Executive Director, Asgeir Sigfusson, sigfusson@afsa.org.
Bequests
Gifts made by will are one of AFSA's most common and important sources of individual support. Bequests can be made in the form of a specific gift of cash or property, or a percentage of the remainder of an estate. The latter allows more flexibility in planning.
The following language has been approved by AFSA's counsel as an effective bequest.
“I give to the AFSA Legal Defense Fund/AFSA Fund for American Diplomacy/AFSA Scholarship Fund, the sum of $_______ (or _______%) of my estate; or the property described herein for its general purposes.”
Any bequest intended to support an award, scholarship, or program in perpetuity must be at least $100,000.
Securities
If you own appreciated assets, you can obtain substantial tax benefits by transferring those stocks and bonds directly to AFSA. First, you will receive an income tax deduction equal to the fair market value of the asset on the date of your gift. In addition, you avoid paying capital gains tax on the transfer.
Example: Five years ago, you purchased 100 shares of Universal International Co. at $50 per share. The current fair market value of the shares is $100 per share. You decide to dispose of the stock and make a gift of the proceeds to the AFSA Fund for American Diplomacy.
If you sell the stock directly, you will pay capital gains tax on the difference between the purchase price and the current market value. If you transfer the stock directly to the AFSA Fund for American Diplomacy, no capital gains tax will be due on the transfer, and you will receive an income tax charitable deduction equal to the full fair market value of the stock—regardless of what you originally paid for it.
Real Estate
You can make a gift of real property to AFSA.
Your gift may include undeveloped land, a personal residence or farm, rental property, or commercial property. As the owner, you are entitled to an income tax deduction based on the appraised value of the property. To establish fair market value, you will need to obtain an independent appraisal and a title report, as required by the IRS.
AFSA carefully reviews each property before accepting it to evaluate its condition and marketability.
IRA Required Minimum Distributions and Qualified Charitable Distributions
When you are old enough for the IRS to require annual distributions from your IRA, those distributions are taxable, unless you donate them directly to a 501(c)(3) charity such as the Fund for American Diplomacy.
The Secure 2.0 Act altered the age limits for Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).
- Born 1950 or earlier: You are taking RMDs at age 72 or older.
- Born 1951–1959: You must start taking RMDs at age 73.
- Born 1960 or later: You must start taking RMDs at age 75.
For all individuals, the first RMD is required by April 1 of the year following the year you reach your RMD age, and during the calendar years thereafter.
Life Insurance Gifts
A life insurance policy can be an attractive planned gift, offering significant value relative to a relatively small premium.
You can donate a fully paid policy by naming the AFSA Fund for American Diplomacy as the irrevocable owner and beneficiary. You will receive gift credit and an immediate income tax deduction equal to the policy’s cash surrender value.
Charitable Gift Annuity
This is the simplest gift arrangement: a contract between you and the AFSA Fund for American Diplomacy that provides you with fixed payments for life. You receive an immediate income tax deduction for a portion of your gift.
The annuity also offers favorable tax treatment. Your annuity payments may be treated as part ordinary income, part capital gains income (typically at 15%), and part tax-free income, depending on the assets used to fund the annuity.
You can contribute cash or securities to establish a gift annuity. The annuity may have no more than two income beneficiaries.
The minimum contribution for a gift annuity is $50,000.
Testimonials
For many in our community, giving to AFSA is a continuation of a lifetime of service to the American people.
Donald Camp,
Retired Foreign Service Officer
Retired Foreign Service Officer
“AFSA is a cause that deserves my support. I have donated to the AFSA Fund for American Diplomacy through the annual required minimum distribution I get from my IRA (if you're over 70, you get one too). That amount from my IRA distribution is not part of my taxable income - a welcome tax break.
When I redo my will, I intend to add the AFSA Legal Defense Fund as one of my beneficiaries. The LDF is facing so many demands in this new era, and I'd like to help today's Foreign Service Officers when they face legal challenges for doing their job.”
Make Your Commitment Known
If you’ve already included AFSA in your plans, we would be grateful to know. This allows us to thank you and plan for the future. Email us at member@afsa.org.