The Founders’ Society
Planned giving to secure AAM’s future
The Association of Anglican Musicians Founders’ Society was officially established at the Boston Conference in July 2019 to honor the work and legacy of AAM’s co-founders and first three presidents, Dr. James Litton, Dr. Raymond Glover, and Dr. Gerre Hancock. Its members ensure AAM’s continuation by including the Association in their estate plans. The Founders’ Society is recognized annually in the Conference Program Book and is invited to a special reception at each Annual Conference.
We invite you to consider joining the Founders’ Society.
The co-founders of AAM, James Litton, Raymond Glover, and Gerre Hancock. The AAM Endowment funds programs to honor each of their contributions to Episcopal Church Music.
As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, all gifts to the Association of Anglican Musicians are tax-deductible. Through our Endowment Fund we distribute over $40,000 in grants each year. Apart from our Grants Program that provides financial assistance for projects or programs align with our mission, AAM finances and administers the Gerre Hancock Internship, the James Litton Grant for Choral Training, the Raymond Glover Grant for Episcopal Liturgical Music, and the Brittenback-Meezan Presidential Award.
Planning Your Legacy
There are multiple ways to include AAM in your estate plans. It is important to remember that one doesn’t have to be in the twilight of life to change a beneficiary on a retirement account. The choice of an appropriate planned gift vehicle usually provides significant tax advantages to the donor. There are many ways to give:
Bequest
Bequests are gifts that are made as part of a will or trust. A bequest can be to a person, or it can be a charitable bequest to a nonprofit organization like AAM. Anyone can make a bequest—in any amount or percentage—to an individual or charity.
In 2022, Deborah Litton Purdon spoke at the annual reception of the Founders’ Society, bringing greetings from her father, Jim Litton.
Life Insurance
When taking out a life insurance policy, one can name a nonprofit as one of its beneficiaries. Those who currently have life insurance policies they don’t need anymore can also participate in legacy giving by donating their policy’s accumulated value to the nonprofit.
Retirement Plan Assets
One may name a nonprofit as a beneficiary of the residual funds in your IRA, 403(b) and/or 401(k) retirement plan(s) upon death. Committing to even a small percentage early in your career could add up to a significant gift over time.
Retained Life Assets
Instead of making a monetary donation, donors can give nonprofits a piece of property they own, while still retaining the right to use it during their lifetime. After the donor passes, the nonprofit can choose to keep or sell the property.
If you are considering making a gift to the AAM Endowment, you are advised to consult a professional in the appropriate field for individual advice. AAM cannot render any type of legal or tax advice. Contributions to the AAM Endowment Fund and its designated funds are considered temporarily restricted and will be used for projects that are reviewed by the Grants Committee and given final approval by the Association’s Executive Board in accordance with AAM’s Resource Use Policy. Contributions to the Annual Fund are unrestricted. All donations are acknowledged publicly in the March issue of the Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians. (If you wish your gift to remain anonymous, please email office@anglicanmusicians.org.)