Create a Legacy of Life though a planned gift.

St. Peter’s Health was founded almost 140 years ago, and today is moving to become the gold standard in health care FOR Montana by 2025 and the decades to come.  The Foundation facilitates private donations and public grant funds to support patients and employees with financial need, fund new and improved health care facilities our patients and loved ones deserve, and acquisition of state of the art technologies to provide the highest quality of care possible for our patients and the communities we serve. 

For more information, contact Stephen Mason at 406-441-2102 or smason@sphealth.org. 

How do I become a Legacy of Life member?

Joining Legacy for Life is easy! Simply inform us in writing that you’ve included St. Peter’s Health in your estate plans. We will work with you to gather all the required documentation.

Where do I begin?

St. Peter’s Health Foundation has a variety of planned giving options that will help you become engaged at a level you are comfortable with. The following information will give you the tools to ensure that your planned gift helps to save lives now and in the future.

Do not let the following “Planned Gift” information intimidate you. A planned gift is simple. Reach out to Stephen to begin the discussion. By answering a few simple questions, together we can quickly determine which form of planned gift will accomplish your goal to help provide high quality health access, care and services for you, your loved ones, neighbors and the community. There are many wonderful estate planning professionals in our community who stand ready to guide you with expert advice and services as needed.

Thank you for your interest! We look forward to visiting with you and helping you think through the impact you want your planned gift to have for the benefit of patients and their loved ones.  

Why a Planned Gift?

Planned gifts provide creative and flexible strategies as you pursue your charitable and financial goals. Among the financial benefits you may receive are life income for yourself or others and substantial tax savings. However, the greatest benefit of a planned gift to St. Peter’s  Health Foundation is knowing you are supporting healthcare initiatives that are important to you, your community, and future generations.

“We’ve thought long and hard about our gifts to St. Peter’s. We like knowing that sometime down the road some sick person, through no fault of their own, will be taken care of because of what we did today. “

~Dolly and Bud McMaster 

Gifts That Pay You Income

With careful planning, you can receive an immediate income tax deduction and provide yourself or another with an annual income while supporting St. Peter’s Health in a way that is meaningful to you.

Charitable Gift Annuity

A charitable gift annuity provides you or anyone you designate with a fixed annual income for life in exchange for your contribution of cash, stocks, or bonds.

Charitable Remainder Trust

A charitable remainder trust is an agreement between you and a trustee—St. Peter’s Health Foundation. You receive annual payments from the trust, and at the end of the trust’s term, St. Peter’s Health Foundation uses the assets remaining in the trust to support the purpose you designate.

Gifts St. Peter’s Health Can Use Today

There are many planned gift options that can be put into action immediately. These gifts offer you tax benefits while providing you the opportunity to support current programs, establish or add to an endowment, or provide funding for capital improvements.

Outright

An outright gift may include a gift of real estate, closely held stock, life insurance, commercial annuity, and other valuable, useful, or historically significant property.

Tangible Personal Property

St. Peter’s Health Foundation can receive gifts of personal property—from artwork, books, and coin collections, to scientific and medical instruments and equipment.

Bargain Sale

When you sell a valuable asset to St. Peter’s Health Foundation for less than its current value, you make a “bargain sale” gift.

Charitable Lead Trust

A charitable lead trust pays St. Peter’s Health Foundation an income for a designated period of time. After that time, the trust principal reverts to you or other beneficiaries. With a lead trust, your gift makes a difference now while potentially reducing the cost of transferring assets to your family or another beneficiary.

Gifts That Take Effect at Death

These deferred gifts establish your legacy today and ensure that future generations will benefit from your generosity.

Bequests

Bequests to St. Peter’s Health Foundation can be made by including St. Peter's Health Foundation in your will or trust.

Retained Life Estate

You can contribute your residence, vacation home, or farm to St. Peter’s Health Foundation and continue to occupy and use the donated property for life.

Beneficiary Designation for Life Insurance or Retirement Assets

You can name St. Peter’s Health Foundation as the beneficiary of a portion or all of a life insurance policy, retirement plan, or IRA and designate your gift to support the area of your choice.

“We find it very rewarding to give to the St. Peter’s Health Endowment Fund knowing that at some time the hospital will touch the life of every person who lives in this community. For our community to be strong, our hospital needs to be strong and vital. It is important to have some of the most modern equipment and technology available not only so up-to-date care can be provided, but also to attract highly qualified physicians

~Dr. John and Luanne Smith

Gifts with Tax Incentives

St. Peter’s Health Foundation has established several endowment funds to provide for the future of St. Peter’s Health and the community's healthcare needs. With an endowment, the principle of your gift is held, through investments, in perpetuity. Only endowment income earnings can be used to fund projects for future needs. Help grow St. Peter’s Health Foundation’s Endowment.

The Montana Endowment Tax Credit

Montana's Endowment Tax Credit allows credits against individual and corporation income tax for qualifying gifts to Montana permanent endowments. Briefly, the current Montana Qualified Endowment Credit law provides for:

  • Planned Gifts: Credit against state income tax liability in the amount of 40% of the present value of any planned gift to a permanent endowment of a Montana charity up to a maximum amount of $10,000 per year per taxpayer. (Applies to individual or business entity taxpayers.)
  • Outright Gifts: Credit against state income tax liability in the amount of 20% of the present value of any outright gift by a business entity to a permanent endowment of a Montana charity up to a maximum of $10,000 per year per taxpayer. (Applies to corporations, small business corporations, partnership or limited liability company taxpayers.)