Making a difference through a charitable gift annuity
Eugene
As a little boy in a big hospital in the mid-1940s, Eugene remembers that his nurse sang to him whenever he was scared. Eugene, then not quite 10, was a patient at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia, recovering from surgery to fix a stiff arm, shoulder and retracted hand.
Decades later, Eugene proudly supports Shriners Hospitals for Children through his three charitable gift annuities (CGAs). A CGA is a simple philanthropic option in which you make a gift, and in exchange, you receive fixed payments for life.
“I discovered that CGAs accomplish two purposes,” Eugene said. “They help the organization, and I receive income in return. In fact, I make more money now than when I was working!”
Eugene’s support of Shriners Hospitals for Children honors the memories of all that his family and the nurses and doctors did for him when he had medical issues as a child. “To get life, you have to give,” Eugene reminded us. “That’s what I’m doing now for the children at Shriners Children’s.”
Honoring someone through an IRA charitable rollover
Colleen
When Colleen’s father was just 2 years old in the late 1920s, his legs were so bowed he couldn’t walk properly. A neighbor noticed that the toddler wasn’t walking as he should and connected him with Shriners Children’s St. Louis, the closest location to their southern Illinois home.
Colleen has never forgotten that story. “From what I heard, my dad had rickets,” Colleen said. “He wouldn’t have walked if he hadn’t gotten help.”
Colleen started supporting Shriners Hospitals for Children early in her career. Last year, Colleen used an IRA charitable rollover, also known as a qualified charitable distribution, for the first time to make a tax-free legacy gift. She felt overjoyed to be able to make a “big gift,” and she received several helpful benefits because of her generosity.
“My dad said Shriners saved him,” Colleen recalled. “This was an opportunity to give back.”
Sharing hope through a gift that keeps giving
Billy
In 2017, Billy learned that his great-nephew, Drake, was coping with a rare orthopedic condition. The 2-year-old’s collarbone was fused with his shoulder blade, causing him to lean to one side as he grew.
“My niece didn’t have the foggiest idea that I was a Shriner,” said Billy, a dedicated member of the fraternity for 48 years. Not only was he able to tell her all about Shriners Children’s, but he was able to accompany her to Portland for her son’s successful corrective surgery.
“I was so impressed by the care Drake received,” Billy recalled. “Everything from the whimsical Mickey Mouse wallpaper to the attentive nurse who went overboard to make everyone feel comfortable.”
That experience inspired Billy to name Shriners Hospitals for Children as a beneficiary of his estate through the endowment fund. With gifts like this, a percentage of the interest accrued is reinvested into the principal, and as the endowment continues to grow, more funds benefit more children. Today, Billy is an enthusiastic member of the Dream Makers Legacy Society.
“Children are welcomed into this amazing, caring environment where their family and parents don’t have to worry about medical expenses,” Billy observed. “The thought of giving is such a reward in itself, and the best part is that there is no end to this gift – it will go on and on.”
Want to learn more about which choice is right for you? A charitable gift annuity, a gift from your IRA or a gift in your will or trust? Are you ready to join Eugene, Colleen and Billy and start your legacy of love for kids? If so, contact us today to learn how you can help bring hope and healing to children for generations to come. Contact us at 813-367-2241 or plannedgiving@shrinenet.org.
GIFTS OF STOCK
It’s as quick as grabbing your morning latte at the local coffee shop. Shriners Children’s has partnered with DonateStock.com to enable supporters to make stock donations in 10 minutes or less. Through this secure portal, giving stock is fast, safe and easy. By making a gift of stock, you avoid capital gains tax, and Shriners Children’s receives the full value of your contribution. The fair market value of your stock is also tax deductible.
Visit lovetotherescue.org/stock-gifting to learn more or to make your gift.
CHARITABLE GIVING THROUGH REAL ESTATE
Unlock your philanthropy potential – without directly hitting your bank account – by considering a gift of real estate. A donation of real estate can include a personal residence, commercial property, undeveloped land or vacation home. If you have held the appreciated property for longer than one year, you can benefit from an income tax charitable deduction; reduce or eliminate capital gains tax; and reduce your estate administration expenses. Included among the ways you can donate real estate to Shriners Children’s are:
- Make a direct gift
- Donate your home while still living in it through a retained life estate
- Give through your will or living trust
- Use a property to fund a FLIP Charitable Remainder Unitrust to receive lifetime financial benefits
Visit shriners.givingproperty.org to learn more.
