CREATE A POSITIVE LEGACY WITH THE Y
Supporting the Y’s future through planned giving. Join the Heritage Club, access legacy giving resources, and ensure lasting community impact.
Secure the Y’s future for generations to come
Have you considered how including the Y in your estate or retirement plans could extend your impact beyond today? A planned gift is one of the most powerful ways you can ensure the Y continues to build a stronger, connected community for generations to come.
Interested in learning more? Download our planned giving brochure.
The Power of a Legacy
The YMCA is more than a gym; it’s an anchor in our community. For nearly 175 years, the Y has provided safe spaces, life-changing programs, and a sense of belonging for countless individuals and families. This lasting impact is made possible by the heartfelt commitment of donors like you. A planned gift is a powerful, heartfelt way to ensure the Y’s life-changing programs—from youth mentorship to senior wellness—can thrive far into the future.
Leave a Legacy: Ways to Give
Gifts of Appreciated Assets
This option allows you to donate stocks or property that have increased in value.
Wills and Trusts
Leave a legacy by designating a specific amount or a percentage of your estate to the Y in your will or living trust.
Charitable Remainder of Trusts & Charitable Gift Annuities
These gifts can provide you with a reliable income stream for a set period, while securing the Y’s future.
Naming the YMCA of Greater San Francisco as a beneficiary of retirement or insurance accounts
Naming the Y as a beneficiary on your retirement or life insurance accounts is a simple way to leave a legacy.
Qualifies Charitable Disbursements (QCDs) from an IRA
This option allows you to make a gift directly from your IRA that can count toward your required minimum distribution.
This information is for illustrative purposes only. We encourage you to talk with a financial planner about methods of giving that are best suited for your situation and philanthropic goals. Planned giving can often be a tax-advantageous way to support the organization you love.
The Heritage Club: Your Legacy, Our Future
We recognize that a planned gift is an incredibly meaningful gesture that demonstrates your generosity and dedication to the Y and the individuals, youth, and families that we serve. Your decision to honor the Y with your legacy is worth celebrating!
Planned gift commitments of any amount qualify you for membership in the YMCA of Greater San Francisco Heritage Club, a league of extraordinary supporters dedicated to their communities.
Heritage Club members enjoy acknowledgement in publications and at events, connection opportunities, and an invitation for you and a guest to our annual Heritage Club Celebration.
Meet Heritage Club Members
I’ve been a member of the Heritage Club since 2007, mostly because I knew that making a planned gift was a way for people of modest means to give significantly. As our net worth has grown, the small percentage of our estate allocated to the Y has grown as well.
While I hope our gift doesn’t mature for many decades, I know that when it does, it will be used wisely, my family will be treated with the utmost respect, and the impact of the gift will echo out to a time I will never see.
Being a member of this Club is something I’m proud of and something I share with friends, family, and most importantly, my kids. It’s my way of carrying the message forward and teaching them that to whom much is given, much is expected.
Rachel Del Monte
Selecting the YMCA as one of the organizations to which my husband and I have chosen to include as a beneficiary in our wills was an easy choice. The importance of Y services and programming is nearly incalculable, and the Heritage Club allows us to supplement our current support with a planned gift to the Y as a commitment to the future. The YMCA is always going to be needed by our community. My husband and I feel wonderful about sharing our resources through the Heritage Club’s planned giving program for the future of the Y’s services and programming and our community’s long-term strength.
Teresa Fitzgerald
I have made the Y a part of my legacy plan because I truly feel that the Y has become my ‘chosen’ family. Though I had been a member for many years, it was during COVID that I developed a major appreciation for the Y. I was one of the few members who kept coming every day, working out in the cold parking lot with masks, gloves, and hats. The dedicated staff who hauled all that heavy equipment out each day saved my life in many ways.
I was then invited to join the Advisory Board, and that is when I learned of the endless programs, outreach, and services that are provided to ALL community members. The Y supports our community by building systems that include everyone in need. I am so happy to be a part of the process.
Cande Cuvillier
Don’t Have a Will?
If you haven’t created a will or updated your estate plan, you’re not alone! Having a valid will is the first step toward securing your legacy and ensuring your wishes are honored. It’s also the easiest way to make a planned gift to the Y.
We’ve partnered with FreeWill, a trusted online tool, to offer you a free and easy way to create your legally valid will today. Over one million people have already used this service, and it takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please consider including a gift to the YMCA to support the future of our community.
FAQs
Planned giving is a way to leave a legacy by including the YMCA of Greater San Francisco in your estate plans. It can take many forms—such as a bequest in your will, designating the Y as a beneficiary of a retirement or life insurance account, or creating a charitable trust. These gifts often allow you to make a larger impact than might be possible during your lifetime.
You can make a planned gift in several ways:
- Include the YMCA of Greater San Francisco in your will or trust.
- Name the Y as a beneficiary of a retirement plan, life insurance policy, or bank account.
- Establish a charitable trust or annuity.
- Contribute appreciated assets such as stock or property.
We encourage you to consult with your financial or legal advisor to determine the best option for you.
You are not required to notify us, but letting us know allows us to honor your generosity during your lifetime and invite you to join the Heritage Club, our community of planned giving donors.
Yes. We respect the wishes of donors who prefer to remain anonymous. You can also be recognized as a Heritage Club member privately without any public acknowledgment.
Yes. Planned gifts can be designated to support specific programs, services, or branches of the YMCA of Greater San Francisco. Undesignated gifts are applied where they are needed most to ensure long-term sustainability and community impact.
Yes, donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The YGSF is a 501(c)(3) organization, and our tax EIN is 94-0997140. You will receive a donation receipt via email or mail. If you need further assistance, contact our donor relations team at [email protected].
Please reach out to Louise Pierce, Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving at [email protected] or 415-242-7145.
You can donate online through our secure giving page, by mail to 169 Steuart St., SF, CA 94105, or in person at any of our branches.
Please reach out to Louise Pierce, Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving at [email protected] or 415-242-7145.
Many planned gifts offer tax advantages for donors and their heirs. Depending on the method of giving, you may reduce income taxes, capital gains taxes, or estate taxes. Please consult your financial advisor to understand how a planned gift can benefit your unique situation.
No. Every planned gift, regardless of size, is meaningful. All commitments qualify you for recognition in the Heritage Club.
Your legacy gift will ensure that the Y continues to provide safe spaces, youth development, family support, health and wellness programs, and vital social services for generations to come. Planned gifts allow the Y to plan for the future, invest in facilities and programs, and expand our reach to those who need us most.