The Children's Legacy Annuity Scholarship Fund
Project Future: Securing the Lifelong Financial Stability for Children that are Disadvantaged, Underprivileged, and those of of Fallen Military and First Responders
Project Future is a charitable initiative designed to help children that are disadvantaged, underprivileged and those of fallen military and first responders build long-term financial stability through carefully structured annuity-based scholarships. Rather than relying only on traditional one-time cash awards, the project proposes single-premium annuity scholarship awards of $2,000 to $5,000 that are designed to grow overtime while being coordinated with benefit-preservation strategies.
Project Overview
Project Future addresses a major gap in traditional scholarship and charity models. Many children and families who need help most also depend on means-tested public benefits, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, and housing support. A standard lump-sum award can unintentionally create a financial problem by being treated as a countable resource or income, which may place a family over SSI limits or affect other assistance.
The Problem
The resource cliff
SSI remains subject to very low countable resource limits: $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. SSA also explains that parent resources can be deemed to a child, which can make eligibility especially fragile for families with disabled children. This means a traditional scholarship or cash grant may unintentionally push a child or household above program limits.
SSA also states that grants, scholarships, fellowships, or gifts set aside to pay educational expenses are excluded as resources for nine months after receipt, but that protection is limited and does not solve the broader long-term asset-building problem. For many families, even a well-intended lump-sum payment can create instability instead of opportunity.
The benefit gap
Public benefits often preserve a basic floor of support, but they do not reliably build wealth or long-term security. Project Future is designed to complement, not replace, those programs by creating a separate long-horizon asset for the child.
Housing and income treatment
HUD guidance explains that some student financial assistance must be excluded from income calculations in public housing contexts, depending on the type of assistance and applicable rules. That makes benefit-aware scholarship design essential when serving low-income and disabled youth.
The Solution
One-time annuity scholarships
Project Future proposes single-premium annuity scholarships of $2,000 to $5,000. Instead of paying the child or family a recurring annual check, the award is used to purchase a financial contract intended to grow over time on a tax-deferred basis until needed later in life.
This structure is intended to shift charitable support from short-term consumption to long-term accumulation. The goal is to give each child a financial asset that can mature into a more meaningful future support resource.
Tax Treatment
A one-time annuity contract generally grows tax-deferred until funds are withdrawn. When distributions occur, the earnings portion of a nonqualified annuity distribution is generally treated as ordinary income, which means families need advance planning and clear guidance before funds are accessed.
By contrast, SSA explains that earnings on an ABLE account and distributions for qualified disability expenses are not counted as taxable income. For that reason, Project Future should frame all tax discussions carefully and include a formal disclaimer that beneficiaries must obtain advice from a qualified tax professional or attorney before relying on any specific tax result.
Funding Structure
Project Future can accept tax-deductible gifts from individuals and businesses of any size.
Current expenditure funds
Smaller gifts, including recurring donations, can be pooled into current expenditure funds to finance immediate $2,000 to $5,000 scholarship-annuity awards for eligible children.
Perpetual endowments
Larger gifts of $50,000 or more can be used to establish a named endowment intended to fund scholarship awards on an ongoing basis. This gives donors a permanent legacy vehicle tied to long-term child financial security.
Charitable gift annuities
Individual donors may also support the mission through charitable gift annuity planning. Under this approach, a donor supports Project Future's annuity scholarship mission.
Program Safeguards
To keep the project credible and legally sound, Project Future should include the following safeguards:
- Written benefit-preservation review before any award is issued.
- Coordination with ABLE accounts, trusts, or direct qualified-expense payment structures where appropriate.
- Clear tax disclosure stating that annuity earnings may be taxable when withdrawn.
- Family education materials explaining SSI resource rules, ABLE treatment, and timing issues around distributions.
- Legal and compliance review before public launch.
Give What You Can
Support Project Future with a gift that fits your budget and helps build long-term financial stability for disabled, disadvantaged, and underprivileged youth. Every contribution helps fund benefit-aware scholarship support designed to create lasting impact.
Donation Levels
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$5 Starter Gift
A simple entry point for anyone who wants to help right away. -
$10 Monthly Partner
A small recurring gift that adds up over time and helps create predictable support. -
$25 Monthly Builder
A practical monthly commitment that helps fund ongoing scholarship support. -
$50 Monthly Champion
A strong recurring gift for donors who want to make a visible difference. -
$100 Monthly Sponsor
A major monthly gift that helps strengthen Project Future’s long-term scholarship pipeline. -
$250 One-Time Gift
A flexible gift that can be directed into current expenditure support. -
$500 One-Time Gift
A meaningful contribution that helps expand immediate scholarship capacity. -
$1,000 One-Time Gift
A major gift that can help seed future scholarship support. -
$2,500 Scholarship Support Gift
A donation level that can be framed as helping underwrite a single award. -
$5,000 Legacy Gift
A high-impact gift for donors who want to leave a lasting mark on a child’s future.
Project Future turns charitable giving into long-term financial protection for children who are too often left vulnerable by both poverty and the rules of public assistance. By pairing modest one-time annuity scholarships with careful planning, the project seeks to replace financial fragility with structured, lasting opportunity.
Help build a child’s future today.
Start with a $5 gift or choose a monthly amount that fits your budget and helps Project Future deliver secure, long-term support for children that are disadvantaged, underprivileged and those of fallen military and first responders.
Donations will be accepted and managed via DonorBox.org
