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Lutheran Foundation
In 1996, the Lutheran Foundation of Upstate New York, Inc., was established to support the programs and services of Lutheran and G.A. Family Services. Through our generous donors, the Foundation provides approximately $500,000 yearly to meet the needs in our community. Our success depends on our partnership with the community. Lutheran is most grateful to our generous financial donors. Your donations help us support thousands of people in our community every year. There are a few ways you can donate to Lutheran.
G.A. Family Services supports families and children across 13 counties in Western New York. Each holiday season, our agency collects gifts for over 300 foster and adoptive youth, and we’d love your help making it happen.
Our staff gather wish lists from every child and teen in our programs, then build wish trees throughout the community and connect donors directly with lists. Each wish costs around $25, and we aim to give every child at least $50 in gifts.
To close out the season, we host two celebration parties, one at our Cheektowaga office and one in Jamestown, where families come together for food, friendship, and sometimes a visit from Santa himself.
If you’d like to be part of the giving this year, reach out to G.A. Family Services today.
Every year at the end of summer, G.A. Family Services collects requests from families across all of our programs to help provide school supplies to the children we serve. This support makes a real difference, especially for larger families where the cost of supplies adds up quickly.
Donors typically reach out in July and August to contribute backpacks, hygiene items, or monetary donations, which our staff use to get supplies directly to the families who need them.
Every May, G.A. Family Services recognizes Foster Care Awareness Month by honoring the dedication, patience, and commitment of our foster parents. Throughout the month, we host a variety of events, including a heart-shaped cookie sale with Ecklof’s Bakery, a Foster Care Coffee collaboration with Crown Street, and foster parent appreciation gatherings that celebrate the families who make our work possible.
The Juliet Anderson Rosch Society was created in 2005 to recognize our generous donors who have established a planned gift to benefit those we serve at Lutheran. Planned gifts include bequests in wills and trusts, life insurance, and charitable gift annuities.
Planned Giving is a service that is offered to potential donors to assist in their estate planning needs focusing on donor intent rather than income or tax benefits.
The Lutheran Foundation’s planned giving program focuses on four types of planned gifts:
- Charitable Gift Annuities
- Bequests
- Life Insurance
Donate by Mail
Jamestown, NY 14701
Types of Planned Giving
Types of Planned giving
Charitable Gift Annuities A Charitable Gift Annuity is a life-income contract between a donor(s) and the Lutheran Foundation. The donor(s) irrevocably transfers cash or negotiable securities to the Lutheran Foundation. In return, the Lutheran Foundation guarantees to pay the donor(s) fixed payments for life based on the age of the donor at the time of the gift. Under the terms of a charitable gift annuity agreement, your gift provides you with regular payments that never decrease in size or frequency, regardless of changes in the economy. Payments are backed by the assets of the Lutheran Foundation.
The ELCA Foundation (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) administers our charitable gift annuity program, and all annuity payments are backed by the assets of the ELCA Foundation.
The Lutheran Charitable Gift Annuity can be established with a gift of $10,000, which will go to Lutheran upon the death of the donor(s) and make a lasting contribution in accordance with the donors’ philanthropic goals.
The donor(s) receive an immediate charitable contribution deduction for a portion of the gift principal based on IRS tables.
The donor receives a portion of the annuity payments tax-free based on IRS tables.
The Charitable Gift Annuity may have one beneficiary (single life) for the payments or two beneficiaries for the payments (husband and wife). The payments continue until the death of both beneficiaries.
The annuity payment often exceeds other common forms of investment, e.g. Certificates of Deposit and the payment rate is based upon an industry standard for annuities, which is a factor of the chronological age of the donor at the time of the gift.
If you do not currently need more income but are concerned that you may possibly need additional income in the future, consider a Deferred Charitable Gift Annuity. This plan allows you to receive tax benefits today, but directs that payments not begin until a future time. Your interest rate will lock in at the time you elect to begin receiving payments, resulting in a higher payout rate because rates increase with age.
Bequests
Bequests are the most commonly used means of giving a major planned gift to perpetuate the donor’s charitable interests beyond his/her lifetime. A Bequest can be in any form – cash, securities, real estate, etc. The additional benefit to the donor is a sizable estate tax deduction upon the death of the donor.
Life Insurance
Life Insurance is an especially easy way for less affluent donors to give to their favorite charity, often exceeding their means otherwise.
G.A Family Services is Here to Help!
