Ways to Give

As our partner in mission you can make a gift in many ways.

  • Gifts of Cash
  • Matching Gifts
  • Gifts of Appreciated Assets (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate)
  • Planned Gifts
  •        A Legacy
  •        A Bequest
  •        Charitable Gift Annuity
  •        Charitable Remainder Trusts
  •        Qualified Retirement Plans (IRA, Keogh, 401k, 403b)
  •        Life Insurance
  • Tribute and Memorial Gifts
  • United Way
  • Thrivent Financial Choice Dollars

Gifts of Cash (by credit card or check)

Charitable gifts are frequently made in the form of cash by credit card or check. With gifts of cash, you may be able to reduce or eliminate your federal tax liability up to half of your adjusted gross income (AGI) if you itemize your tax deductions (consult with your tax advisor.)

Donate online  today – a fast, easy, secure way to support the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation. American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover cards are accepted.

 

Send a gift by mail - Make your check payable to Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation and mail to:

Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation

401 S. Main St.

Zelienople, PA 16063

 

Click here for the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation donation form.

 

Matching Gifts

Many businesses will match charitable gifts made by current employees (and in some cases retirees) to non-profit organizations such as the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation. Procedures vary with each company. Typically, individuals must complete their employer’s matching gift form or online matching gift process. Please contact your employer’s Human Resource Department for details and guidelines.

 

Appreciated Assets (stocks, bonds, mutual funds)

The Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation accepts gifts of appreciated securities (those that you have owned for more than one year) such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds and personal property. In addition to supporting services and health care for seniors, this type of gift offers you tax-saving benefits such as:

  • A qualified charitable deduction
  • Avoidance of capital gain tax that you would otherwise pay if you sold the securities or property
  • Transfers assets that would otherwise remain in your estate, which might be subject to federal estate tax

Please consult with your tax professional regarding how these benefits apply to your particular tax situation.

To make a gift of appreciated securities or other assets, please contact Daniel Meyer or Renee Pekor at the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation. When you notify us we will provide options for transferring such gifts, such as electronic DTC transfer, and make certain that your gift is properly acknowledged and used according to your wishes.

Gifts of real estate or other personal property require special provisions and careful planning with your financial and legal advisors as well as with the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation. We are available to discuss such gifts with you, your family and your advisors.

 

Planned Gifts

A Legacy Gift to the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation via your will, a charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, or other planned gift is an act of Christian charity that can make a significant contribution toward helping seniors live a more Abundant LifeSM, regardless of their physical or financial circumstances.

A planned (deferred) gift can provide essential future support for seniors, reduce gift and estate taxes on assets passing to your heirs, and in some cases provide a financially secure income for yourself and/or a loved one.

When considering a bequest or other planned gift, please consult with your financial and legal advisors regarding financial considerations and income and estate tax benefits that you might receive. We welcome the opportunity to work with you, your family and advisors to help you develop a charitable gift plan that benefits you and Lutheran SeniorLife.

Please contact Renee Pekor or Daniel Meyer at the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation if you are considering a planned gift or have included Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation in your estate plans.

In appreciation of your support, Legacy Gift donors are recognized as members of the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation Legacy Society. Requests to remain anonymous are honored.

 

Bequest

By making a bequest in your will you can ensure a future in which seniors experience a more Abundant LifeSMand compassionate, state-of-the-art care.

A bequest can be a specific dollar amount, a specific asset, or a percentage of your estate. You may designate your gift for Lutheran SeniorLife’s greatest need or for a specific program or facility such as benevolent care, Passavant Retirement Community, St. John Specialty Care Center or RoseCrest.

            Sample Bequest Language:

                        Unrestricted Bequest:

“I give, devise and bequeath to the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation, a nonprofit Pennsylvania corporation, ______ percent of my estate, or the sum of $ ______ to be used for Lutheran SeniorLife without restriction for general purposes.”

                       Restricted Bequest:

“I give, devise and bequeath to the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation, a nonprofit Pennsylvania corporation, ______ percent of my estate, or the sum of $______ to be used for (name a specific facility, program and/or purpose).”

The information above is for illustrative and educational purposes only and should not be considered tax or legal advice. Please consult with your tax or legal advisor before proceeding with your gift plan.

 

Life Income Gifts

Life income gift agreements, such as Charitable Gift Annuity and Charitable Remainder Trusts are available for our friends who wish to support our social ministry while retaining an income for life. In fact, Congress has provided income and estate tax benefits for life income gifts. Through such an agreement, you give an irrevocable gift now that will benefit Lutheran SeniorLife in the future after your death, and in return, you (and another income beneficiary, if you wish) receive income for life or a term of years.

With a life income gift you can:

  • Enjoy knowing the good your gift can do
  • Receive an immediate charitable tax deduction
  • Receive income for life or a term of years for yourself, your children or other loved one
  • Bypass all or a portion of capital gain taxes
  • Reduce or eliminate probate costs and estate taxes

Charitable Gift Annuity

Charitable Gift Annuities are easy to establish and may be the best way for you to ensure future charitable support for Lutheran SeniorLife and also receive income for the rest of your life. Learn more from one of our donors.

You can donate an irrevocable gift of cash or marketable securities to establish a gift annuity and in return you receive a fixed amount of income for your lifetime, or if you choose, a term of years. The frequency (e.g. quarterly, monthly, annually) and the amount of the payments are established at the time the gift annuity is created. A Charitable Gift Annuity may be written for one or two lives.

Donors must be 65 years of age or older. A minimum gift of $10,000 is required to establish a gift annuity to benefit Lutheran SeniorLife programs and services. (Deferred Gift Annuities are also available for donors 55 years of age, with first payment at 65 years or older.)

The Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation uses the charitable gift annuity rates recommended by the American Council on Gift Annuities.

 

Charitable Remainder Trusts

Charitable Remainder Trusts can take more than one form, such as a charitable remainder annuity trust or a charitable remainder unitrust.

How such a gift works: You irrevocably gift assets to a trust, name a trustee, such as a bank or trusted advisor, to manage the trust’s investment, and you receive an annual payment for life or a term or years. Because of this type of gift investment, a minimum gift of $100,000 is required and the trust must have a minimum payout of five percent.

You may designate yourself and your spouse as income beneficiaries or you may wish to name your children. At the end of the trust, the trust assets are distributed to the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation for a purpose that you designate.

When considering such a gift, consult with your financial and legal advisors and contact us at the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation.

 

Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust

The annuity trust makes fixed payments of a percent (minimum five percent) of the trust’s initial fair market value. The trust’s change in market value will not impact the amount paid. The annual annuity trust payment is paid first from trust income the, if necessary, from trust principal. IRS rules prohibit additional contributions to an annuity trust.

Charitable Remainder Unitrust

The unitrust can make straight payments of a fixed percent (minimum five percent) of the trust’s annual net fair market value. Other options may be chosen. For example, a payment may be the lesser of the net income of the trust and the stated percent of the annual fair market value. The straight unitrust payment fluctuates according to the annual net fair market value of the trust. Unitrusts may receive additional contributions in subsequent years or upon death.

Other Charitable Gift Trust vehicles which may have substantial benefit to your and your philanthropic goals are available. Consult with your financial and legal advisors to explore other options that might be right for you.

The above information is for illustrative and educational purposes only and should not be considered tax or legal advice. Please consult with your financial and legal advisors before proceeding with your gift plan.

To learn more about Charitable Gift Annuities and Charitable Remainder Trusts, please contact Renee Pekor or Daniel Meyer at the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation.

 

Qualified Retirement Plans (IRA, Keogh, 401k, 403b)

Many Americans have qualified retirement plans such as traditional IEA, 401(k), 403(b), or Keogh plan. Once you begin to take payments from these plans, the money is subject to income tax. Because these plans are also included in your taxable estate, the assets will be subject to income tax and possibly federal (and perhaps state) estate taxes when left to a spouse, child or other loved one. (You may also name Lutheran SeniorLife as a beneficiary of your Roth IRA.) A gift of a retirement plan (or portion of) might be the best way for you to make a charitable gift to the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation.

To make a retirement gift plan, simply name Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation as a beneficiary. Ask the administrator of your plan for a beneficiary change form and indicate the amount or percentage of your plan assets that you wish to be given to the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation. Your beneficiary designation is not permanent and can be changed by you at any time. Contact Renee Pekor or Daniel Meyer at the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation to discuss how you can designate your gift for a specific purpose.

 

Life Insurance

You may wish to remember Lutheran SeniorLife through a gift of life insurance. You will make a gift to fulfill your charitable plans and avoid possible estate tax on the life insurance proceeds.

To make a gift of life insurance, you must change the beneficiary on an existing policy naming Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation. Simply call your life insurance  representative or the insurance company and ask for a change of beneficiary form.

Transfer ownership of a cash value of life insurance policy that is no longer fulfilling its purpose (such as a policy established when you were a child.) With an irrevocable transfer, you will receive a charitable income tax deduction for making the gift. Depending upon the cash value in the policy, you may need to make gifts to support the policy premiums. Such gifts would qualify as charitable contributions.

If you are considering a gift of life insurance, please contact Renee Pekor or Daniel Meyer at the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation to discuss options and to ensure that your wishes are followed.

 

Tribute and Memorial Gifts

A gift in honor or memory of a loved one or dear friend is a way to acknowledge your relationship and support what is of special significance. Just include a note with your gift naming who you wish to honor and who should be notified. The Foundation will inform the honoree or inform the family of the person to be memorialized.

 

United Way

Directing your United Way campaign contributions to the Lutheran SeniorLife foundation is simple. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and a United Way donor designated organization.

To designate a gift to Lutheran SeniorLife, write the following on your United Way campaign form and include one of the following Lutheran SeniorLife Agency Numbers:

Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation

401 South Main Street

Zelienople, PA 16063

724-452-6014

 

Agency Numbers:

Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation – 4250

Passavant Retirement Community – 573

St. John Specialty Care Center – 333

LIFE Beaver County – 145221

LIFE Butler County – 1452211

Please be certain to check the box that instructs the United Way to release your name and address to Lutheran SeniorLife so that we may appropriately recognize and thank you for your gift.

 

Thrivent Financial Choice Dollars

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans supports congregations, communities and individuals in need, including Lutheran SeniorLife, through its Thrivent Choice program available to Thrivent Financial members.

If you are a Thrivent product owner and would like to direct Choice Dollars and charitable donations to Lutheran SeniorLife, please visit www.thrivent.com, choose Thrivent Choice from the Thrivent Community menu, then click on Search Organizations. Type our name, Lutheran SeniorLife (exactly as it appears here), to be directed to the Lutheran SeniorLife page of the directory.

 

Thank you for supporting the Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation.