Planned Giving

Careful estate planning helps you and your loved ones prepare for the future. Let your legacy resonate by helping the New Jersey Symphony thrive for future generations.

The New Jersey Symphony makes it possible to bring extraordinary artistic experiences, innovative programs, and life changing music education to hundreds of thousands across New Jersey.

If you are passionate about the New Jersey Symphony, please consider making a gift for the future by including a statement in your will or making a provision through another type of estate plan. When you give through your assets with a planned gift, you help music remain a vibrant part of our community.

There are many ways to create your legacy. We are pleased to provide you with information you and your advisors need on how best to include the New Jersey Symphony in your estate plans.

If you have already included a gift of any amount to the New Jersey Symphony in your estate plan, we would like to honor you as a member of the Laureate Society.

Deferred Gift Commitment Form

Planned Giving Interest Form

Any questions? Contact the New Jersey Symphony Development Department for more information!

New Jersey Symphony Development Office
60 Park Place, Ste. 900, Newark, NJ 07102
973.735.1730
plannedgiving@njsymphony.org


Laureate Society

The Laureate Society recognizes the visionary patrons who have established a planned gift for the New Jersey Symphony.

Laureate Society Digital Brochure

What are the benefits of becoming a Laureate Society member?

Members receive:

  • Special invite to an annual donor reception
  • Recognition in concert program books
  • Bi-annual updates on the impact of planned gifts to the New Jersey Symphony
  • Behind the-scenes access

Mercy Sy and Kevin Sperry


How to Make a Planned Gift

We’re honored that you are considering making a planned gift to the New Jersey Symphony.

Making a charitable designation in your will allows your assets to be distributed according to your wishes. Just as importantly, it gives you the opportunity to create an enduring legacy towards the future of the New Jersey Symphony.

Make a Gift in Your Will

We suggest a statement similar to this:

Unrestricted Gift

“I, NAME, of CITY, STATE, ZIP, give, devise and bequeath to the New Jersey Symphony (written amount or % of estate or description of property) for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

Gifts to the Endowment

“I, NAME, of CITY, STATE, ZIP, give, devise and bequeath to the New Jersey Symphony (written amount or % of estate or description of property) to be held in its endowment.”

Other Ways to Give

For most people, a will is one of the easiest ways to leave a gift, but there are other types of future gifts that could also provide a benefit to you now, including:

  • Stock: You claim a federal income tax deduction for the full, appreciated value of your securities.
  • Life Insurance: You make a significant gift through income instead of capital, and you avoid an estate tax.
  • Retirement Plan: You can continue to draw from the funds during your lifetime, while avoiding an estate tax for your heirs.
  • Charitable Gift Annuity: You receive lifetime income and an immediate charitable income tax deduction.
  • Charitable Remainder Trust: You receive a lifetime income, or a fixed amount of time, and a charitable income tax deduction for a portion of your gift.
  • Charitable Lead Trust: You can pass assets, such as a family business, onto your heirs with a reduced tax liability by making the New Jersey Symphony a beneficiary.

How to Prepare Your Will

Estate planning really involves thinking about the people and things that are most important to you—family, loved ones, charitable causes, and everything else that gives your life meaning. Preparing a will does not have to be a complicated or expensive procedure, and how well-organized you are can make the process easier. Most wills can be prepared for as little as a few hundred dollars and with two or three visits to an attorney. If you handle these arrangements, your work now will save your heirs far more in time and money in the future. This checklist will help you begin the process.

Five Simple Steps in Making an Effective Will

Step One: Prepare Vital Information

Before you meet with your attorney, you should compile important information:

  • Your legal name and social security number
  • A list of residences, if you live in more than one state during the year
  • A list of your assets, including bank and brokerage accounts, retirement accounts and pension funds, interests in businesses, real estate, items of significant value or sentiment, and life insurance
  • The general value of your estate will help your attorney determine what level of planning is needed, and the list will also help your executor
  • Legal names and addresses of all beneficiaries, both individuals and organizations, as well as information on any “estranged” relationships
  • Copy of your present will and any codicils, if you have a prior will
  • Marriage records, if any, including any prenuptial agreements
  • Locations of pertinent documents

Step Two: Consult With a Professional

While it is possible in some states to prepare your own will, it is highly advisable to use an attorney. The requirements for a valid will vary by state, and properly prepared wills are less likely to become a problem in the future. An estate attorney can also advise you on ways to save money and taxes. If you need assistance finding an attorney, your local branch of the American Bar Association can make a referral. We can also prepare a list of estate lawyers in your community for you.

Step Three: Think About How You Would Like to Distribute Your Assets

You can specify who is to receive tangible personal property, including heirlooms, and specify the individuals and organizations who will share in your estate, either through specific amounts or percentages.

Step Four: Select an Executor

Your executor will be responsible for ensuring that the provisions in your will and any legal requirements are carried out. Your executor must be comfortable with financial matters. If you do not have a trusted individual, you can ask a bank or trust company. If you do not have a will when you die, the state can name a professional executor to complete your affairs.

Step Five: Review Your Will Periodically After it is Written

Changes in your personal life—marital status, new family members, the loss of loved ones—may require you to alter your will. Tax laws may change. You may decide to make additional charitable gifts. If you move, new state tax laws may prevail. Many people find that the easiest and most cost-effective way to modify a will is with an amendment known as a codicil.


Leaving a Gift in Your Will

The future artistic success of the New Jersey Symphony depends on the generosity of committed individuals like you. The Symphony can be included in your will or living trust with a Specific or Residuary Bequest.

A Specific Bequest

You can specify a gift of a particular dollar amount or particular asset for the New Jersey Symphony. Your attorney may wish to incorporate language similar to the following in your will or living trust:

“I give, bequeath, and devise $(dollar amount or description of gift) to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra now or formerly in the City of Newark, 60 Park Place, Ste. 900, in the State of New Jersey, to be used for its general purposes.”

A Residuary Bequest

You can give all or part of the property in your estate after debts, expenses, and specific bequests are paid. Your attorney may wish to include language such as the following in your will or living trust:

“I give, bequeath, and devise (all, or % of) the rest, residue, and remainder of the property, both real and personal, wherever situated, which I may own or be entitled to at my death, to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra now or formerly in the City of Newark, 60 Park Place, Ste. 900, in the State of New Jersey, to be used for its general purposes.”

Your attorney may find the following legal information helpful:

Legal Name: New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Address: 60 Park Place, Ste. 900, Newark, NJ 07102
Tax Status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Tax Id: 22-1559422

Please be sure to use our full legal name to ensure your bequest is not challenged.