Planned Giving: Leave a Lasting Legacy
Including CEC in your estate planning is a powerful way to create a lasting impact on special education. Your legacy gift not only supports the future of the field but also helps you achieve your own philanthropic goals.
Why Consider a Legacy Gift?
By making CEC a part of your estate planning, you can:
- Ensure CEC’s long-term impact on special education.
- Support programs and endowments that matter most to you.
- Contribute to existing programs or help establish new ones.
Ways to Make a Legacy Gift
- Bequest – Designate CEC as a beneficiary in your will or estate plan.
- Retirement Plan – Name CEC as a beneficiary of your retirement account.
- Life Insurance – Designate CEC as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy. These gifts are exempt from federal and estate taxes, maximizing your impact.
- Qualified Charitable Contribution – If you are 70½ or older, you can support CEC through a tax-free distribution from your traditional IRA.
- Charitable Remainder Trust – Receive income during your lifetime while ensuring that remaining trust assets benefit both CEC and your heirs.
Sample Bequest Language
To include CEC in your will, please use the following information:
Legal Name: Council for Exceptional Children
Federal Tax ID Number: 52-0886495
Suggested Bequest Language:
“I bequeath to the Council for Exceptional Children, a nonprofit organization located in Arlington, VA (Tax ID: 52-0886495):
- The sum of __________________ dollars, or
- An amount equal to ________________ % of the net value of my estate, or
- All the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate.”
Let’s Discuss your Legacy
We’re happy to help you explore planned giving options that align with your goals. Contact Development Director Claire Jagla at [email protected] or (703) 264-9434.
Give from Your IRA
A Tax-Smart Way to Support CEC
If you are age 70½ or older, you can support the Council for Exceptional Children through a Qualified Charitable Distribution, often called a QCD. This option allows you to give directly from your IRA while reducing your taxable income. For many long-time CEC members and retired educators, this is a meaningful way to invest in the future of the profession while fulfilling required minimum distributions.
How It Works
A Qualified Charitable Distribution is a direct transfer from your traditional IRA to CEC. To qualify:
- You must be at least age 70½ at the time of the transfer.
- The gift must be made directly from your IRA custodian to CEC.
- The distribution may count toward your required minimum distribution.
- The amount transferred is excluded from your taxable income.
For 2026, individuals may give up to $111,000 through a QCD. Couples may each make a QCD from their own IRA.
How to Make a Gift from Your IRA
1. Contact your IRA administrator or financial advisor and request a direct Qualified Charitable Distribution payable to Council for Exceptional Children.
2. Provide the following information:
Council for Exceptional Children
c/o Development
3100 Clarendon Boulevard, #600
Arlington, VA 22201
EIN: 52-0886495
You may designate your gift to a specific fund or initiative, such as advocacy, professional learning, or one of CEC’s endowment funds.
3. Please notify us at [email protected] once the transfer has been initiated so we can properly acknowledge your generosity.
Your IRA custodian will typically issue a Form 1099-R reflecting the distribution. We encourage you to consult your tax advisor regarding how to report your QCD.
Strengthen the Future of Special Education
Your IRA gift helps CEC advance high-quality, inclusive education for children and youth with disabilities. Whether you choose to support advocacy, research, scholarships, or long-term endowment growth, your investment ensures that educators and students have the resources they need to thrive.
If you would like to discuss how your IRA gift can align with your philanthropic goals, please contact our Development team at [email protected]. We would be honored to work with you.