Reflections Magazine Issue #55 - Summer 2001 | Page 22

How can I help? The Campaign for Siena Heights University: Education With a Mission. The Annual Fund is an easy way for every graduate, parent, and friend of the University to support Siena Heights and contribute to the success of the campaign. Annual gifts provide Siena Heights with a vital foundation of renewable support for University operations. In each year of the campaign, we seek $625,000 in Annual Fund gifts for scholarships and general operations. If you are not yet a regular donor to Siena Heights, we invite you to establish your tradition of annual support. If you already support the Annual Fund, consider increasing your gift—from $50 to $100, for example, or from $250 to $500. Perhaps this is the perfect time for you to move up to the President’s Cabinet with an annual gift of $1,000 or more. EXAMPLE: ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS Endowed scholarships provide direct support for students attending Siena Heights. Gifts to the endowment provide permanent stability for the University by generating interest income in perpetuity. An endowment fund of $50,000 will provide $2,500 in student scholarships every year. Funds may be established with a single gift or a collection of gifts received over time from many donors. Endowed scholarships may be named for a beloved professor or friend, and may be designated to support students with specific needs, talents or academic interests—or students at a particular Siena Heights location. EXAMPLE: CMS RENOVATION Siena Heights has long been known for excellence in mathematics and the sciences, a tradition established by past professors such as Miriam Stimson, OP and Helen Duggan, OP (formerly Sister Ann Charles) and maintained by today’s dedicated faculty. By renovating the CMS (Computing, Mathematics and the Sciences) Division facilities, the campaign will bring the quality of classrooms, laboratories and equipment up to the quality of the teaching we already offer. The University still needs about $600,000 toward the $1.9 million renovation. The Alden Trust has approved $50,000 for the project— if Siena Heights can match that amount 3-to-1 with $150,000 in gifts from alumni and friends. EXAMPLE: FIELDHOUSE ADDITION Fitness is a key factor in student and faculty wellness; and intercollegiate athletics are an important part of community life on the main campus. A modest addition to the Siena Heights Fieldhouse will provide needed space for a contemporary fitness center as well as team lockers and athletic offices. Former Saints, current fans, and all health-oriented alumni will find the Fieldhouse an attractive focus for campaign giving. Groundbreaking for the expansion will take place once the University has received an appropriate lead gift toward the $1 million project. These are just some of the ways you can join SHU in achieving the goals of The Campaign for Siena Heights University: Education With a Mission. Review the campaign goals or contact the Advancement Office for additional opportunities. For further information, contact any member of the Siena Heights Advancement Office at 1-517-264-7140. Whenever possible, donors are encouraged to consider a “two-part” pledge, supplementing an annual gift with a special campaign gift. Campaign commitments may be fulfilled over three years. WILL YOU PLAN YOUR GIVING OR LET IT GO TO THE IRS? Kathlene Costello, director of planned giving at Siena Heights, surprises people sometimes when she says, “You will be a philanthropist. Your only choice is whether to do it voluntarily or involuntarily.” A will is very important. If you prefer to support an organization you care about, say so in your will. And any time you experience a major life change-such as marriage, move to a new state, birth of a child or death of a spouse-renew your wishes with your legal adviser. “More than half of all Americans die without a will,” Costello explains. When that happens, a large percentage of the estate value may be lost to taxes. When charitable donations are designated in a will, however, far less is taken in estate taxes. The late Jessica Savitch, a former NBC News Anchor, died unexpectedly and without a will, Costello notes; Savitch became an “involuntary philanthropist,” giving 51 percent of her $2.17 million estate to the government in estate taxes. By contrast, Purina Pet Food’s William Danforth, a “voluntary philanthropist” who planned his charitable giving before his death, lost only 2 percent of his $5.8 million estate to taxes. Everyone should have a will, Costello reminds alumni; without a will, it can take as much as three-and-a-half years for your estate to get through probate. With a will, and with careful estate planning, your heirs-including the causes or charitable organizations dear to you-will benefit more, and faster, from your estate. The Heritage Society was created to honor the extraordinary support of exceptional people who have made planned giving commitments to Siena Heights University through their estate plans, or have designated Siena in a life income plan. These members believe in the strength and value of a Siena Heights University education and understand how a benevolent spirit and thoughtful planning can provide a gift for its future. If you have already made arrangements for an estate gift to Siena Heights University, or have started that process, we invite you to become a member of the Heritage Society. Your gift helps to strengthen the connection between the legacy of our past and the prospect for a prominent future. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Kathleen Costello, Director of Planned Giving Siena Heights University 1247 E. Siena Heights Dr., Adrian, MI 49221 1-800-693-0506 • e-mail: [email protected]