Are You Willing To Leave A Legacy of Kindness?

A legacy gift is an opportunity to ensure that the values you hold dear – love and kindness towards animals – continue to live on.  Legacy gifts can be made by naming the SPCA as a beneficiary in wills, insurance policies, IRAs, and more.  Without these types of gifts, we could not fulfill our mission.

Why Consider a Legacy Gift?

1. You’ll have a more significant impact on our work. Your legacy gift can help us to provide care and comfort for a greater number of animals, and people.

2. You’ll inspire others to give. In leading by example, you’ll influence your family, friends and colleagues to do the same.

3. It’s simple to do. Just name the Erie County SPCA in your will, or other planned giving vehicle, and we will reap the rewards of your generosity.

Legacy Gift Options

Legacy gifts can be received either through a bequest in a will, or by signing a beneficiary form.

Specific Bequest
You can designate a specific dollar amount, specific percentage, or specific property to the Erie County SPCA. These funds can be unrestricted for operating purposes or restricted to a particular program.

Residual Bequest
Your estate will pay all debts, taxes, expenses, and specific bequests. The remaining amount – the residue – will be transferred to the Erie County SPCA.

Contingent Bequest
You can ask that the Erie County SPCA receive all or a portion of your estate only under certain circumstances. For example, You can name the Erie County SPCA as a beneficiary of your estate only if there are no surviving close family members. Childless couples sometimes provide for the entire estate to the surviving spouse, or if the spouse does not survive, to the Erie County SPCA.

All types of bequests can benefit your favorite Erie County SPCA program or department. Or you may choose to provide an undesignated gift.  Such gifts will be directed to the Erie County SPCA’s area of greatest need.

Beneficiary Designations

  • Life Insurance Policies
  • Retirement Benefits
  • Traditional IRA
  • Simple IRA and Roth account

Beneficiary designations are simple to do and do not require a will to accomplish.  Ask your plan administrator (bank, insurance company, etc.) for the appropriate form to sign.

To guarantee the SPCA receives your gift or bequest, please be sure to use our legal name and address in all planned gift paperwork:

The Erie County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
300 Harlem Rd.
West Seneca, NY 14224

Tax ID: 16-0425315

Sample Language

“I, [name], of [city, state, ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to the Erie County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

Please direct all planned giving correspondence to:
Kelly Wolfe
Chief Development Officer
716-875-7360 ext. 272
kellyw@yourspca.org

Mary Elizabeth Lord Legacy Club

If you have included the SPCA in your estate plans, you are eligible to be a member of the Mary Elizabeth Lord Legacy Club. To notify us that you’ve made a legacy gift to the SPCA and are eligible to become a member of the Mary Elizabeth Lord Legacy Club, please contact Kelly Wolfe at Kellyw@yourspca.org or at 716-875-7360 ext. 219.

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