Supporting Programs for Youth and Families
It doesn’t take much to make a real difference:
• $52 will provide 3 days of care by a licensed infant care provider to a newborn about to be adopted.
• $104 will provide gifts for 2 children whose mother will be in prison over the holidays.
• $260 will provide 1 month of counseling for a family under stress of disruption due to a child’s behavioral issues.
• $520 will allow an adopted child to attend 1 week of Camp For Me, a day camp for adopted children.
A recipient of the Better Business Bureau’s Charity Seal (a program that recognizes agencies with fund raising practices that adhere to 20 stringent standards), VCAS is a wise investment. There are a number of ways to lend your financial support to provide critical programs for children and families. Whether you are hoping to make an impact today, to plan for the future, or even create a lifetime of income for you or a family member, you can make a real difference in VCAS programs with your generosity. Gifts may be made to support today’s essential programming, or else be directed towards the Endowment Fund that exists to ensure that these services will be available as long as they’re needed.
Donate cash today. A gift by cash, check or credit card could help you reduce this year’s taxes while also making an immediate impact on our ability to provide the services that make such a difference for young people and families.
Volunteer. We have upcoming opportunities including helping the Colchester-Milton Rotary Club and St. Michael’s MOVE program paint the interior of our Winooski office on October 20, 2007, and helping collect presents during November or December for the Holiday Spirit Program which gets holiday presents to children with an incarcerated parent and other families in need. Contact Cheryl for more information on ways to get you, your family, or your workplace involved.
Have your gift matched by your company’s Matching Gift Program. Many companies will match employee contributions to an organization. You may be able to double or triple your gift by getting information about your company’s matching gift program and filling out a short form. Ask your Human Resources representative for more details.
Donate appreciated stock. By giving appreciated stock directly to VCAS you may avoid hefty capital gains taxes and also receive a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the stock at the time of the gift. Gifts of appreciated stock generally offer a greater tax benefit than cash. It is important to check with your attorney or financial advisor in any gift planning to make sure that you are choosing the best way to you’re your financial objectives and your charitable goals.
Donate a life insurance policy. If you hold a life insurance policy that your family no longer needs, it may be a terrific way to make a significant gift to VCAS. To receive a charitable deduction from such a gift, name VCAS as both owner and beneficiary of the policy. You may take a charitable deduction approximately equal to the policy’s cash value (if any) at the time you make the gift. If annual premiums must still be paid, and you continue to pay them, those premiums will also be tax-deductible. Your insurance agent can help you with this simple process.
Make a life income gift. A life income gift allows you to transfer assets now, while you can enjoy the impact of making a significant contribution, while continuing to receive income from those assets. By establishing a “unitrust,” you and/or your spouse or other beneficiary will receive a fixed percentage of the trust’s fair market value each year. An annuity trust arrangement will pay you (or your spouse or other beneficiary) an annual fixed amount that is agreed upon when the trust is created. (This amount stays constant and does not change with rises and falls in the stock market or interest rates.)
Include Vermont Children’s Aid Society in your will. By including Vermont Children’s Aid Society in your will, you will support programs for youth and families in perpetuity. Whether you choose to designate a specific amount, a percentage or your estate, or the balance of your estate after specific amounts are left for your heirs, a bequest can be the simplest way to both support your heirs and address your philanthropic goals.
Before making any significant financial decisions, please be sure to contact your financial advisor in order to make sure it’s best for your individual situation.
