When a virtuous person
to a virtuous person gives
with a trusting heart
a gift righteously obtained,
placing faith that the
fruit of action is great,
that gift, I say, will
come to full fruition.
- Shakyamuni Buddha -
Since the time of the Buddha, a relationship
of mutual aid and trust has endured
between the lay and monastic members
of the Buddhist Sangha. This depth of
commitment to help each other is what
enables Buddhism to survive and grow.
It is the place in which dana, generosity
of spirit, giving and receiving from
heart to heart is rooted.
As monks, we try to practice the Dharma
as purely as possible and we offer
to share the Dharma through teaching,
encouragement, and example. We live
in and maintain our monastery where
the Dharma is practiced. Traditionally,
in order to help the monks continue
to deepen their training and offer
the Dharma, the laity offer alms and
receive instruction on how to put
the Dharma into practice to benefit
themselves and the world.
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Shasta Abbey is a Dharma
refuge for the lay Sangha
and for monastics. It is
a training monastery as well
as a place of teaching and
practice for the laity. We
offer retreats, spiritual
counseling, resident training,
as well as memorials, funerals,
weddings, naming ceremonies,
and house and office blessings.
Most importantly, Shasta
Abbey is a place for people
to just be still and quiet.
Planned giving is a form
of dana that will help ensure
that we are here in the future.
Planned giving usually provides
deferred income and future
support. But it is something
to be thinking about now.
You can help Shasta Abbey with a planned
gift. At the same time you may benefit
financially through lower taxes and
increased income.
Please be aware
that the information
presented here is
general. Tax and inheritance
laws vary by state
and country. When
you wish to make definite
plans, please be sureto
contact the Bursar
at Shasta Abbey, as
well as your legal,
financial, and tax
advisors.
A planned gift, involving deferred
giving and long-term financial
planning that supports
the well-being of your
household, is a type of
support we do not spend
much time thinking about.
Yet it could be the most
sizeable donation a person
makes in a lifetime.
Even one such gift can have a huge
impact on the Abbey. It was through
the generous bequest of Doug Everett,
for example, that we were able to
build the Samantabhadra Hall, our
maintenance building.

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Bequests, or gifts
by will, permit a donor to
retain full use and control
of an estate during his or
her lifetime, while affording
the knowledge that assets will
be put to good use after one's
death. They involve no immediate
loss of capital or income,
and tax benefits minimize the
ultimate cost to one's heirs.
Large bequests help in many
important ways, but smaller
bequests also add valuable
support. There are several
types of bequests:
Specific Bequests are
those where a donor
offers a gift of a certain
amount of cash, a fixed
percentage of one's
estate, or a specific
asset.
Residuary Bequests are
those balances of
an estate committed
to Shasta Abbey
once a donor has
provided for all
other beneficiaries.
Contingent Bequests name
Shasta Abbey as
an alternate beneficiary
in the event that
the primary beneficiaries
do not survive the
donor.
Trusts permit
a donor to make
a gift during his
or her lifetime,
while still receiving
income from capital,
securities, or other
property involved.
In most cases, income
is available to
the donor for his
or her lifetime.
At the same time
they receive a charitable
contribution deduction
on their income
tax; and capital
gain, if any, is
exempt from tax.
May people establish
trusts not because
they have great
wealth, but because
they have relatively
little and must
conserve all of
the funds available.
Testamentary
Trusts give
lifetime benefits
to a designated
beneficiary and
on his or her death,
those benefits then
come to Shasta Abbey.
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We appreciate your including Shasta
Abbey in your financial planning
in a way that is based on wise discernment,
both for yourself and for the Abbey.
It may be good for you to:
-Name Shasta Abbey as
a beneficiary in your
will or trust;
-Designate Shasta Abbey as a full
or partial beneficiary of your retirement
plan;
-Create a special endowment grant
from a foundation, charitable trust,
or donor-advised fund to Shasta
Abbey;
-Donate appreciated properties,
securities, or real estate;
-Make a one-time, outright cash
gift designated for an endowment;
-Donate a paid-up life insurance
policy to Shasta Abbey;
-Purchase a new life insurance policy
in the name of Shasta Abbey;
-Name Shasta Abbey as the beneficiary
of an existing life insurance policy;
-Donate vehicles, heavy machinery,
or works of art with good present
day value.
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Gifts of
personal property, land and
other real estate, securities,
life insurance, retirement
plans, or outright gifts
of cash may allow a donor
to qualify for charitable
deductions.
Personal Property includes
religious items, works of art,
household equipment and supplies,
and vehicles (cars, trucks,
vans) with good present day
value.
Real Estate includes
land, homes, buildings
other than homes, and
partnership rights.
A donor is not required
to pay a capital gains
tax on the appreciation
of the property.
Securities includes negotiable
securities, stocks, and bonds.
If the securities would bring
a long-term capital gain if
sold, their outright gift to
Shasta Abbey would mean significant
tax savings as a donor is not
required to pay a capital gains
tax on the appreciation. Direct
transfers can be made.
Life Insurance includes
fully paid up policies, policies
on which premiums are still
to be paid, or new policies
naming Shasta Abbey as the
beneficiary.
Retirement Plans include
designating Shasta Abbey
as either a full or partial
beneficiary of your retirement
plan/IRA.
Cash gifts include
one-time, outright cash
gift designated for an
endowment, or the creation
of a special endowment
grant from a foundation,
charitable trust, or donor-
advised fund.
We are grateful for
your on-going support
and compassion
in whatever
form it takes.
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