Leave Your Legacy

Many Carmel Bach Festival supporters have included us in their wills or with another type of legacy gift. Their foresight, and yours should you choose to join them, strengthens and helps ensure the future of the Festival.

We are especially grateful to you for a bequest, setting up a life income gift, or some other type of legacy gift. We’ll recognize your commitment by inviting you to join our Continuo Society. We recognize Continuo Society members in our publications, and with invitations to special events. Anonymity is always an option.

"Becoming part of an incredible musical heritage was addictive"

I became a fan of the Carmel Bach Festival in the late 1970s when an aunt shared extra recital tickets with me. I was visiting relatives in Monterey and Carmel (my birth place) with thoughts of moving back to the Peninsula. Once I made the move, I was able to become a regular patron of the Festival.

It wasn’t until the Festival made the transition back to the renovated Sunset Center that I stepped up my involvement. My partner Sandie and I became Sunset Center volunteers. Then Festival volunteers. Then donors. The pleasure of becoming a part of such an incredible musical heritage was quite addictive.

The idea of being a Legacy donor didn’t occur to me until I was doing a periodic review of some legal documents. My estate lawyer suggested setting aside funds for my favorite charities. It was simple. There are many ways to become a Legacy donor and this was the easiest.

It isn’t about the amount of money one can give. It’s about wanting to make the commitment to a treasured institution and putting it in writing. Think about it. As I said, it’s addictive.

— Gloria Souza

Your legacy gift to the Festival will help us provide fresh musical contexts that spark the imagination, stimulate the mind, and enrich people's lives in multi-faceted ways. The vast majority of legacy gifts are made by bequest through a will or trust.

There are also life income gifts that provide you a steady stream of revenue, offer significant tax advantage, and ultimately benefit us.

Many types of assets, in addition to cash, can be used to make a legacy gift. We encourage you to work with your professional advisors and our staff experts to help you determine which type of legacy gift is best for you.

In addition, there are many types of legacy gifts you can easily make without incurring the services of your professional advisor.

All you need to do is fill out your provider’s paperwork for the following gifts:

• IRA or pension plan
• Life insurance
• Stocks and bonds
• Savings / checking accounts
• Donor advised fund
• or commercial annuity

If you would like information about remembering Carmel Bach Festival with your legacy gift please contact Suzanne Mudge, Director of Development & Community Engagement at [email protected] or (831) 624-1521.

The Continuo Society acknowledges supporters who have made a legacy gift commitment to the Festival. Gifts of all sizes are welcome and ensure that we will sustain and celebrate the works, inspiration, and ongoing influence of J.S. Bach for future generations.

We honor Continuo Society members through:

• Acknowledgment in Festival publications (unless you prefer to be anonymous)
• Invitations to special events

If you have already made your legacy gift or are considering making a legacy gift, please let us know.

Contact Suzanne Mudge, Director of Development & Community Engagement at [email protected] or (831) 624-1521.