Writing on behalf of the American Council on Gift Annuities, Lindsay Lapole and Frank Minton have announced the State of New York has issued new reserve requirements for charities that issue charitable gift annuities in New York.  MORE »

At its April 2, 2008 meeting, the ACGA Rates Committee has recommended and the ACGA board approved a new, lower schedule of gift annuity rates for immediate gift annuities, effective on July 1, 2008. In addition, the deferred gift annuity rates which became effective on July 1, 2006 will also be lower.  MORE »

A charitable gift annuity is described generally as a transaction in which an individual transfers cash or property to a charitable organization in exchange for the charity's promise to make fixed annuity payments to one or two life annuitants. This comprehensive report discusses the origin of gift annuities, how they are designed and regulated, how charitable contribution deductions are determined, taxation of distributions to annuitants, taxation of gift annuities to issuing organizations, and creative planning opportunities for donors.  MORE »

What exactly is charitable gift annuity reinsurance? Who better to answer this question than charitable gift annuity risk management specialist and PGDC Editorial Board member Bryan K. Clontz? In this article, Bryan answers this and nine other follow-up questions that will help readers understand the applications, benefits and nuances of this valuable management tool.  MORE »

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed legislation to amend the provision in the California Insurance Code which restricts the asset classes in which California gift annuity reserves may be invested. In this article, Los Angeles attorney David Wheeler Newman describes the new law and its effect on gift annuities for California residents.  MORE »

One of the most significant differences between a charitable gift annuity and a charitable remainder trust is the obligation to make gift annuity payments is a general obligation of the issuing charity whereas the obligation to make payments from a CRT is limited to the trust itself. For this reason, organizations issuing charitable gift annuities set aside, either voluntarily or subject to state law, a portion of the amount transferred in exchange for the gift annuity in a reserve fund for the purpose of satisfying the annuity payments. The problem is that in recent years, the low interest rate environment has caused some reserves to decline to worrisome levels. In this paper, nationally recognized planned giving authority Frank Minton analyzes the various kinds of risks associated with gift annuities, shows how charities can minimize risk and maximize the benefits of their gift annuity programs, and shares some less traditional ideas for attracting more dollars for gift annuities.  MORE »

At its meeting on May 5, 2004 in Orlando, immediately prior to the ACGA conference, the ACGA board approved the recommendation of the Gift Annuity Rates Committee to continue the current gift annuity rates for another year. Unless unforeseen circumstances should necessitate an interim adjustment, the rates that became effective on July 1, 2003 will remain in effect at least through June 30, 2005.  MORE »

The American Council on Gift Annuities has published its suggested charitable gift annuity rates that will be effective July 1, 2003, along with an explanation of the changes.  MORE »

Frank Minton, Chair of the Gift Annuity Rates Committee of the American Council on Gift Annuities has announced that at its regular spring meeting on May 12, 2003, the Board of the American Council on Gift Annuities approved a reduction in the recommended maximum gift annuity rates, effective July 1, 2003.  MORE »

At a special meeting on October 16, 2002, the Board of the American Council on Gift Annuities approved a reduction in suggested gift annuity rates, effective January 1, 2003.   MORE »