| Remembering Others
The Memorial Gifts Program of Roberts Wesleyan College
(Note: All references to
Roberts Wesleyan College also apply to Northeastern Seminary.)
In each of our lives there are special people whose memory
we would like to honor and perpetuate. Such revered individuals deserve to have
their names and memories associated with worthy enterprises. That is the
wonderful part of Roberts Wesleyan College’s Memorial Gift Program. When you
establish a memorial gift at Roberts, not only will the honored person’s memory
be perpetuated, but also it will be forever linked with assisting deserving
young people to acquire a quality education at a Christian institution.
Endowed Scholarship Memorial Gifts
You may establish an Endowed Memorial Scholarship Fund with
a minimum donation of $20,000 to Roberts Wesleyan College. Your gift will be
invested and a portion of the earnings* will be awarded as an annual
scholarship. As the donor, in concert with the College’s Office of Development,
you will determine the process to be used in identifying and selecting
scholarship recipients prior to establishment of your memorial scholarship fund.
In the future, the Office of Development will monitor the implementation of your
wishes concerning your memorial scholarship and report to you as needed.
Special Project Memorial Gifts
You may choose to provide funding for a special project
that will improve the quality of life on the Roberts Wesleyan campus. The
project may even identify with the special interests of the person(s) being
memorialized (such as science, music, art, nursing, etc.). The actual project
will be determined after you meet with a College representative and the project
is approved by the Office of Development. A minimum gift of $10,000 is suggested
for project sponsorship, and funding can be arranged over a period of two or
three years, if desired. Along with recognition in the College’s Heritage Centre
(see “Recognition” below), the person(s) honored will also be memorialized with
a permanent plaque at the project site.
Annual Fund Memorial Gifts
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Current,
non-endowed memorial gifts of any amount are gratefully received to the Annual Fund.
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You may establish an endowed memorial gift for the Annual
Fund with a minimum gift of $2,000. Your gift will be invested and the earnings*
will be awarded each year to the Annual Fund.
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The following wording is suggested if you wish to include
Roberts Wesleyan College’s Annual Fund in your will or other estate planning
documents:
I give $______ or ___% of my
estate to Roberts Wesleyan College as a designated gift for
the establishment of the John and Mary Doe Memorial Annual Fund Endowment.
*
Earnings will be paid out in accordance with the Total Return Policy, which is
based on a formula
determined periodically by the College’s Investment Committee to prevent erosion
of the
principal.
Recognition
Memorial Gifts
of Any Amount
The name(s) of the person(s)
memorialized will be included in the College’s
Annual Report to alumni
and friends in the fiscal year the gift is made.
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Endowed
Memorial Gifts of $2,000 or More
In addition to the above,
the person memorialized will be honored at the Heritage Centre through a
plaque plate and biographical tribute placed in the Memorial Gift
Book.
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Planned Memorial Gifts
In addition to the above, a
Planned Memorial Gift (such as through an endowed scholarship, will, trust,
gift annuity, life insurance policy, or similar arrangement) entitles the
donor to membership in the Heritage Society. Members of the Heritage Society are
listed in the Annual Report to alumni and friends. They also receive an
attractive pin denoting their membership, and are annually invited to an event
with the President.
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Heritage Centre
The Heritage Centre is a place dedicated to those
special, caring people in whose names memorial gifts (of $2,000 or more) have been established
at Roberts Wesleyan College by a family member or friend. Their names are etched on a
Memorial Plaque and remembered through a written tribute in the Centre’s Memorial Book.
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The Heritage
Society
Through the Heritage Society, Roberts Wesleyan College
recognizes those alumni and friends who make memorial planned gifts (such as bequest
designations, gift annuities, life insurance gifts and trust gifts). Society membership is
extended to any person who informs the College in writing that his/her actions will result in a
planned gift.
Memorial Gift Funding Options
Memorial gifts may be established in a variety of ways and
with various capital assets.
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Cash
A gift of cash is probably your
least complicated and most beneficial option. Not only is cash immediately effective and
simple to give, but this contribution is deductible up to an amount equal to 50% of your
adjusted gross income. Any excess deductions may be distributed over five
additional tax years.
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Securities
Gifts of securities
(publicly traded stocks, many bonds and mutual funds) provide excellent savings.
Generally, when you make a gift of such property that has increased in
value and has been owned long enough to be considered long-term capital gain
property, you will avoid having to pay tax on the increased
value. You will also be able to claim a deduction for the full value of the
security as of the gift date, rather than the smaller amount you originally paid
for.
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Planned Gifts
Few people are in the financial position of being able
to give large financial gifts without regard for the possible impact such giving may have on
their own or their families’ needs. This does not preclude their potential for making
substantial gifts, however. You have several options for making memorial gifts while
protecting your income and security. Options include Gift Annuities, Charitable
Trusts, and similar plans. Contact the Office of Planned Giving for information.
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By Bequest
Consider naming Roberts Wesleyan College to receive a bequest
from your estate, such as a percentage of the residue after loved ones are provided
for.
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Through Life
Insurance
By the time your life insurance matures, it may no
longer be needed for its original purpose because of changes in your family’s needs. This
may provide a good opportunity for using a portion of the insurance to make a gift to
Roberts Wesleyan. For example, you can designate Roberts Wesleyan College to receive all or
a portion of proceeds designated for beneficiaries who are not living to receive it. It
is also possible, of course, to take out a new life insurance policy naming the College as
beneficiary or co-beneficiary. This can result in income tax benefits and assure a larger gift
than might otherwise be possible.
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Through Retirement Plans
As wills and life insurance do, many retirement plans
provide means for giving what remains after your primary beneficiaries have been
provided for. It is generally simple, for example, to name a charitable beneficiary to receive
what remains from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) if you and your dependents do
not use all of its funds. Check with the financial institution handling your account.
Many qualified employee pension and profit-sharing plans also provide for the naming of
charitable beneficiaries. Ask your employer for a “change of beneficiary” form or contact
our Office of Development for assistance.
Remembering...
Remembering an alum or friend of Roberts Wesleyan through a
memorial gift provides a meaningful expression of one’s appreciation for the
individual so honored. Roberts Wesleyan College is deeply grateful for such
gifts.
If you choose to make a cash gift now, you may proceed by
sending your gift along with the name of the individual being memorialized.
Please include your name, address, phone number, and relationship to the person
being honored. Send your gift to:
Office of Planned Giving
Roberts Wesleyan College
2301 Westside Drive
Rochester, New York 14624-1997
1.800.777.4792 or 1.585.594.6505
To inquire further about Memorial Gift Program
opportunities described above, click here: PlannedGiving@roberts.edu |
