Planned Giving

OUR FUTURE
United Way of Elkhart County is looking to the future as our community needs continue to grow. Our vision is to be the critical link in our community which brings together all community participants to build a stronger, healthier and more sustainable community as cost effectively as possible. We strive to actively lead our community in identifying priority needs and convene the appropriate parties to address them.

STAR ENDOWMENT FUND
United Way of Elkhart County has created an Endowment Fund to ensure services and programs are here for future generations. The interest from the Star Endowment helps fund the operating cost of the United Way of Elkhart County. This allows more dollars to go directly to agencies and programs that provide services in our community. We have partnered with the Elkhart Community Foundation for the management of our Endowment Fund.

BENEFITS OF GIVING
Your gift is a sound investment benefiting you and your family today, and will serve those in need in our community in the future. Although most individuals do not make contributions to United Way for tax related reasons, you may find that you and your family will significantly benefit from laws governing charitable contributions, especially as they relate to estate and qualified retirement plan taxes.

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
In return for your trust in us, we promise to maximize the impact of every dollar you invest in our community, your money will be wisely spent, and we will be a responsible community member and report back to you on our progress.

If you have any questions regarding Planned Giving through United Way, or would like to become part of the Planned Giving program, please contact Jessica Koscher, Vice President of Resource Development & Marketing at 574.295.1650 ext. 211

TYPES OF GIFTS YOU CAN GIVE
Outright Gifts of Cash
Gifts of cash can be made each year in addition to your annual gift. You can also endow your annual gift to make it last forever with a contribution of twenty times your annual contribution.

Bequests by Will
Bequests may be in the form of a state dollar amount, property, a percentage, or the residue of an estate. Our legal name is United Way of Elkhart County, Inc.

Charitable Remainder Trusts
Assets are placed in a trust and an income stream is paid to you and your beneficiaries. CRTs can save estate and income taxes. Upon the death of the last beneficiary, the principal goes to United Way.

Charitable Lead Trusts
Assets are placed in a trust for a specified period of time. Certain specified payments are paid to United Way during the life of the trust. The principal goes to your beneficiaries when the trust terminates. A CLT can also save estate and income taxes.

Real Estate
Gifts of appreciated real estate may provide ideal tax savings for you and sizable gifts to United Way.

Life Insurance
Gifts of life insurance are another way to make a significant gift to United Way. If a policy owner assigns a policy itself to a qualified charity, or to a trustee with a charity as irrevocable beneficiary, the amount deductible as a charitable contribution is either the value of the policy or the policy owner's cost basis, whichever is less.

Memorial and Appreciation Gifts
A gift to United Way in honor of loved ones can be created immediately and added to periodically.

Stocks and Bonds
Securities, such as stocks and bonds, can be a beneficial way to make a charitable gift, especially if you have highly appreciated stock. Your annual gift can be made with gifts of stock as well.

IRA or Retirement Funds
IRAs or retirement funds can be subject to double taxation, i.e. income taxes and, where applicable, estate taxes. A combination of these taxes can consume up to 70% of this type of asset. If, however, you complete a beneficiary designation naming United Way and/or other qualified charities to receive these assets at your death, then no taxes will be paid on these assets and the entire amount will be available for use by United Way and/or other charities.

Gift Annuities
With a gift annuity, you make a charitable gift of cash or other property and you and/or others receive fixed payments for life. You can also defer a gift until some time in the future, creating a deferred gift annuity. There are generous tax benefits to this type of gift.