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Leave a Legacy
Supporters like you have been leveling the playing field for Brookline students from low-income families since 2001. A legacy gift to Steps to Success, such as in your will or trust, carries that support forward for generations of Steps students to come. These gifts are simple to arrange, cost nothing during your lifetime, and can be changed at any time. No gift is too small to make a difference.
A Gift in Your Will or Trust
A bequest is the most common legacy gift. A single sentence in your will or trust, added when you create it or through a simple amendment, is all it takes. You might share this language with your attorney:
For a specific amount:
"I give and bequeath to Steps to Success, Inc., a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation located in Brookline, Massachusetts (Tax ID 47-1641692), the sum of $__________ to be used for its general purposes."
For a percentage of what remains after other wishes are met:
"I give and bequeath to Steps to Success, Inc., a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation located in Brookline, Massachusetts (Tax ID 47-1641692), ____ percent of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for its general purposes."
For all or part of your remaining estate:
"I give, devise and bequeath to Steps to Success, Inc., a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation located in Brookline, Massachusetts (Tax ID 47-1641692), all [or ____ percent] of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for its general purposes."
Name Steps as a Beneficiary
You do not need to change your will to make a legacy gift. You can name Steps to Success as a full or partial beneficiary of a retirement account, a life insurance policy, or a donor-advised fund by completing a beneficiary form from your plan administrator. It usually takes just a few minutes.
Retirement accounts are often the most tax-wise asset to give. When left to family members, IRA and 401(k) assets may be reduced by income taxes. When left to Steps to Success, they pass tax-free, so every dollar goes to students.
For any beneficiary form, use this information:
Legal name: Steps to Success, Inc.
Address: PO Box 470421, Brookline, MA 02447
Federal Tax ID (EIN): 47-1641692
Steps to Success is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Give From Your IRA Today
If you are 70½ or older, you can make a gift directly from your IRA to Steps to Success through a qualified charitable distribution. The transfer is excluded from your taxable income, and if you are 73 or older, it counts toward your required minimum distribution. You may give up to $111,000 this way in 2026.
To make an IRA gift, contact your IRA administrator and request a qualified charitable distribution to Steps to Success, Inc., EIN 47-1641692. Please ask your administrator to include your name with the check, and let us know the gift is coming so we can thank you.
Please Let Us Know
If you have included Steps to Success in your plans, or are thinking about it, we hope you will tell us. It allows us to thank you, make sure we can honor your wishes, and acknowledge the supporters whose gifts will support Steps students for generations to come. Your plans remain confidential and are not binding.
Please fill out our Legacy Giving Intent Form, or contact Colin Yap, Development and Communications Manager, cyap@stepstosuccessbrookline.org.
Steps to Success, Inc. does not provide legal, tax, or financial advice. Please consult your attorney or financial advisor when planning your estate.