You don’t have to be a great opera singer or composer to leave an indelible mark on history.   You can create a permanent, meaningful artistic legacy that is just as powerful.  
Portland Opera’s Encore Society honors those individuals and families who have made a gift to the Opera through their will or estate plans, assuring the Opera’s promise of world-class Opera and outstanding Broadway theater for our community for many years to come.  Membership in the Encore Society provides you with a unique opportunity to create a lasting legacy that will provide exceptional opera and education and outreach programs for our community.

Include Portland Opera in Your Will

You can create a lasting legacy simply by including a bequest to Portland Opera in your will in one of three ways:

• A specific dollar amount.
• A percentage of your estate.  
• The residual (or a percentage of the residual) of your estate, what is left over after you have provided for your other obligations and your family/friends.

Here are some instructions for including Portland Opera in your will.

You can also add a bequest to Portland Opera to your existing will by adding a codicil—a simple, one-page amendment—which does not require changing anything in your existing will.  Here’s a sample of what a codicil may say.

We prefer that you take care of your family, friends and other loved ones first, and name Portland Opera as your residual beneficiary.

Make a Planned Gift

A planned gift can help you create an artistic legacy and provide you excellent benefits, as well.  Many planned gifts not only provide you with a charitable gift tax deduction, but can also help you avoid capital gains and estate taxes.  In addition to tax savings, some planned gifts can actually provide you and those you love with an increased, stable income now or in the future.  Some options include:

•    A gift of assets such as stocks, bonds or mutual fund shares.
•    A Charitable Gift Annuity.
•    Naming the Opera as a beneficiary of your IRA or retirement plan.
•    Naming the Opera in a Charitable Remainder Trust or Lead Trust.
•    A gift of a life insurance policy.
•    A gift of your residence, real estate or other personal property.

Note: Always consult with your attorney or financial planner before making changes to your estate plan. And, be sure to consult with your attorney to write your actual will or codicil. Please let us know of any plans you have made.

Create an Endowment

Operatic immortality is not just the purview of great composers and singers.  We all have within our means the capacity to create an equally lasting artistic legacy – one that will create great opera for generations to come.  By designating your bequest or planned gift for Portland Opera’s endowment fund, you make a permanent investment in Portland Opera’s mission of creating and presenting the full breadth and beauty of opera to our community
Click here to learn about creating an endowment fund that will support Portland Opera permanently.

Learn More
For more information on the Encore Society and how you can make create a lasting artistic legacy, email Director of Development Peter Bilotta or call 503-241-1407.