• Personal Philanthropy
  Sharing your time with KIS: The KIS Volunteer program
• Professional Philanthropy
  Sharing your professional skills and expertise with KIS: 'Pro bono' consultancy contributions in much needed Alumni Development project areas
• Project Philanthropy
  Supporting major KIS development projects approved by KIS Council of Directors and contributing to KIS Fundraising initiatives (see below)

Planned Giving
More and more alumni and friends of Kodaikanal International School (KIS) and Kodai Friends International (KFI) are taking advantage of the many gift-planning options available today. They may be incorporated into one's will or estate plan, or made during one's lifetime. They offer the donors the opportunity to minimize taxes while achieving personal and philanthropic goals. By making a planned gift to KIS or KFI, you can gain some or all of these additional benefits:

• Avoid or reduce capital gains tax on appreciated securities or other property
• Provide a life income for yourself, a spouse, or other beneficiary
• Increase your spendable income
• Claim a current income tax deduction
• Remove assets from your estate, reducing estate and gift taxes, and
• Secure professional financial management free of charge.

We urge you to seek the advice of an attorney in developing your personal estate plan and will, which may appropriately include planned gifts for KIS or KFI and other charitable organizations. If you would like more information concerning charitable giving as one component of estate planning, please contact Peter Jenks, Executive Director, KFI, PO Box 6121, IN 47407 6121, USA.

Wills and Bequests
An estate plan provides the legal groundwork to ensure that your property will be distributed according to your wishes after your death. Your property include all assets, whatever their value, such as real estate, cash, personal property, insurance policies, and retirement and pension plans. A well-drafted estate plan takes into account all of your needs, assets, and liabilities, and the form in which you hold titles to each piece of property. It should also make clear who will ultimately receive what, when, and under what circumstances.

For many, keeping taxes and administrative costs as low as possible is the main objective of their estate planning efforts. Some are concerned about providing a secure income or nest egg for one of more loved ones. And still others want their philanthropic efforts to continue and grow after their lifetimes. Most hope to accomplish a combination of all three of these goals.

Even if you have a living trust, or some other substitute for a will, it is still advisable to have a will, in the event that some property is inadvertently left out of the trust. When people die without a will, their state's laws of intestacy would usually govern. Because they are impersonal and inflexible, they may provide for distribution of your estate that is contrary to your wishes.

Remember to include Kodaikanal International School (KIS) or Kodai Friends International (KFI) as beneficiaries in your will and in your estate plan. They offer you the opportunity to minimize taxes while achieving personal and philanthropic goals. The future of KIS and KFI will be assured by your action.

For additional assistance and advice you should contact your attorney.

The Shola Society
The Shola Society is a new organization that includes alumni, current and former staff, parents, and friends who have made a decision to leave a financial legacy that will help to ensure the future of Kodaikanal International School.

• Members of The Shola Society share a love for KIS and the belief that its future is important to our world. Their legacies are the source of permanent endowments that will support future generations of KIS students and teachers.
• Most members of The Shola Society are people of modest means who have planned for KIS along with the needs of their children and grandchildren.
• Bequests to KIS, whether large or small, may be used to honor beloved family members, as well as special teachers and friends
• Most legacies for KIS are bequests of designated amounts or a percentage of the donor's estate. If a legacy is made in remembrance of an individual, the name of that person will be permanently recorded at the school.
• A bequest for KIS can be added to your present will with a simple codicil (an addendum to your will). Bequests normally will be invested in KIS endowments that will provide scholarships as well as opportunities for staff members, thereby enabling the school to attract outstanding students and teachers.
• A large bequest may be designated as a separately named endowment fund for restricted or unrestricted use if it meets the requirements established by the Board of Directors.
• For general information about planned giving, wills and bequests, please contact the Principal at contact@kis.in or KFI President at kodaifriends@yahoo.com.