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Donor Stories
Learn how others have made an impact through their acts of giving to our organization and others.
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Sterling College Recognizes Betty (Bott) '59 Calderwood with Distinguished Service AwardSterling College has named Betty (Bott) Calderwood '59 as the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Service Award for her...
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BequestJoe and Anna have been faithful supporters of our organization. They believe it is important to help further our mission.
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Using a Beneficiary Designation to Make a GiftJoanne and her late husband Hal had been longtime supporters of our organization. Recently, Joanne's children encouraged her to update her estate plan.
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Gift of a Bank Account When No Longer Needed (POD)Keith has been a faithful supporter of Sterling College and makes regular gifts to support our work. Recently, Keith talked to our staff and expressed his interest in naming Sterling College as a beneficiary of his estate, but he wanted to keep the process as simple and inexpensive as possible.
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Transferable on Death (TOD) GiftsHarold and Jeanne married after meeting at an event Sterling College held for our donors. They wanted to leave a legacy gift that would support our mission and ensure that we remain financially strong well into the future.
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A Bequest to Further Good WorkNancy and David were dedicated volunteers. Over the years, they had seen many individuals helped by the good work of their favorite nonprofit organization. They wanted to create a legacy to provide future resources to continue its mission.
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Bequest of InsuranceMarla and Wayne purchased a life insurance policy many years ago to create security for their children's future. As the children grew up, married, found good jobs and accumulated significant assets, the insurance was no longer needed for its original purpose.
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A Bequest to Save TaxesThomas was a widower who had a great love for our organization. As an individual who had directly benefited from our work, Thomas wanted to thank us with a gift from his estate.
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Using a Blended Gift to Reach Your Charitable Giving GoalsJay and his wife Amy wanted to support our organization with a significant gift of $100,000. They wanted to spread this gift out over several years but also wanted to make a gift of $25,000 this year.
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Tax-Free SaleHoward and Lynn were both age 55 when they purchased some vacant land a few miles outside of town. They thought real estate would be a good investment that could be sold later for a profit.
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Fixed Income for RetirementAfter working for decades as a pediatrician in a small town, Patricia is ready to retire. Patricia has enough saved for retirement, but she is concerned about the impact a drop in the stock market would have on her retirement savings.
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Capital Gains Tax BypassedPeter and Gail were nearing retirement. Over the years, with the help of their financial advisor, they made solid investments in securities and built a sizable portfolio. While their investments increased substantially in value, their potential capital gains tax bill was rising.
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Peace of Mind Gift AnnuityMany years ago, Clara bought a home. Since she was very pleased with her home, she bought stock in the company that built the home. Over the years, Clara's stock has increased in value.
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Sale and UnitrustGene and Carol purchased stock in a small medical service company several years ago. The company has done well. A larger company is now discussing the possibility of buying the smaller company. This sale would require that Gene and Carol sell their stock, subjecting them to capital gains. Gene and Carol are looking for a way to save taxes.
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The Retirement UnitrustMary grew up on a farm. When her parents passed away, she and her husband Bill inherited the farm. When Mary was a child, the farm was out in the country. Now that the city has grown, the farm is within the city limits. Several developers would like to build homes on the farmland.
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Property Turns Into IncomeMiranda lived in the family home where she and her spouse had raised their three children. After her spouse passed away, Miranda found it increasingly difficult to care for her property.
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Flexible Deferred Gift AnnuityLuis is a 54-year-old executive at a large healthcare company. He purchased company stock during years when the stock price was low, and now the stock has grown substantially in value.
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Deferred Gift AnnuitySeveral years ago, Larry and Allison invested $30,000 in what they believed to be an attractive stock. It turned out to be a very wise decision, as the stock increased in value to $100,000 within three years. Though they were not in need of additional income at the time, the couple decided to cash in on this growth.
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Gift Annuity for Real EstateJonathan purchased his home many years ago for $80,000. The home is now worth $420,000. Jonathan wants to sell his home and buy a condo for $130,000. If Jonathan were to sell the home and use his one-time $250,000 home exclusion, he could offset part of the gain but would still have to pay capital gains.
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Give It Twice TrustWhile visiting her favorite nonprofit's website, June came across the idea of a give it twice trust. She contacted the organization for more information. The nonprofit's gift planner explained that a give it twice trust would allow her to first give income to children through the trust, and then the trust would later transfer the trust balance to charity.
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Testamentary Charitable Remainder Unitrust: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!We have all heard the saying, "You can't have your cake and eat it too." This phrase describes a situation where we want two good things at the same time when that isn't possible. Karen and Stephen felt this way when they were establishing their estate plan. They wanted to pass their estate to family, but they also had a place in their hearts for our charitable mission.
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Reduce Your Taxes with an IRA Charitable Rollover GiftMargaret was a retired librarian. She volunteered at her favorite nonprofit several times a week and also made several donations each year. Margaret saw that her taxes were increasing and wondered how she could continue to do extra things like make charitable gifts with lower income.
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Endowment GiftPat and Shelly were recently married. They both had been dedicated volunteers at their favorite nonprofit for many years. They wanted to make certain the organization's programs continued even after they were gone.
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An Easy Way to Help Our Work with Your IRADaniel was a retired businessman who volunteered for our organization. When we decided to add a new program, he was excited to help in a significant way.
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Part Gift and Part SaleSusan and Kevin bought a vacant lot along Lake Michigan many years ago. They had planned to build a second home so that their family could spend their summers along the lake. However, as time went on, Kevin's job kept him in town and the children grew up before Susan and Kevin had the financial resources to build on the land.
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Current GiftsAs is the case with many families, there are times each year when Jim and Sharon focus their attention on gift giving. For years, they have created a gift list that includes family members, friends and loved ones. Last year, Jim and Sharon made an addition to their list and began including their favorite charity.
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What Will You Do With Your Unspent Retirement Savings?Michael and Kelly were retired engineers with two adult children. They owned a home, some stocks and IRAs. They met with their financial advisor to discuss a plan to provide for their family and for some of their favorite nonprofit organizations.
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Leading for the FutureLuke and Cynthia spent many years volunteering and supporting their favorite nonprofit organization. They wanted to give back in a way that would help fulfill its mission. At the same time, they were looking for a way to care for their family in the future.
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Providing for Our Children's FutureRon and Kathy worked for many years building their nest egg for retirement. While they felt their savings and investments would cover their needs, they wanted to make sure that their three children were provided for in the future.
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IRA Rollover: A Gift with Substantial BenefitsMark was a retired attorney with a significant IRA and substantial income from investments. He had made IRA rollover gifts to his favorite nonprofit organization several times in recent years.
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Avoiding Tax on a Business SaleAlbert was the founder and sole shareholder of a small technology company that he started 30 years ago. At 65 years of age, he began thinking about selling the business.
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Maximizing Mineral IncomeWalter and May recently retired and moved south to a new retirement community. They still own their 250-acre ranch. Because the ranch has very valuable subsurface mineral rights, Walter and May have been approached several times about entering into a mineral lease that would allow for the production of oil and gas.
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Gift for a Loved One with Special NeedsRichard is a successful business owner. His younger brother, Robert, was born with special needs. For the past 10 years, Richard has supported Robert, including paying the costs for Robert's adult care facility.
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