Tag Archive

Planned Giving

The gift that took 42 years to arrive

06/29/2018 LightHouse Staff

Sometimes the most impactful act is to set an intention: “I want to support the lives of blind people,” for instance. And even if a gift isn’t given immediately, it can have a powerful effect. Last week, we were touched and honored to find out about an gift that was dedicated to the blindness community more than four decades ago – only to find its way to our doorstep this year.

Jessie Strickland wanted to leave a lasting impact – and so she planned a gift. Upon her passing in 1976, her estate plan outlined support for two causes: the well-being of her daughter, Jessie Marsh, and their family’s local blindness organizations (one in Ohio and the other in California). Strickland’s estate was considerable and the trust sustained her daughter, Jessie Marsh, beyond her lifetime – with some funds remaining to meet a second purpose upon Marsh’s passing in 2016.

A few weeks ago we got a call from a representative at the Bank of the West. They informed us that the original blindness organizations named in the estate plan no longer operated, and in fact had been out of business for years. In these cases, the bank has a fiduciary responsibility to select a replacement organization that carries out the same mission.

The bank had called to notify us that we, along with the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Ohio, were the recipients of Ms. Strickland’s remaining estate. The funds, distributed evenly to the two organizations, amounted to a $412,513 gift for the LightHouse. This is an incredibly generous gift by every measure, and even more remarkable is the path it took to get to us.

This contribution, and others like it, will help the LightHouse and Enchanted Hills support programs that are otherwise hard to fund. Support for white cane travel, learning braille and other vital skills are scarce. The Strickland bequest will enable us to help people who are new to blindness, adapt to their changing vision, gain confidence to re-engage with the world and meet a community of support. We did not know Ms. Strickland, but we thank her and her family with all our hearts and know that this bequest will live up to the original intention of so many years ago.

To learn more about leaving a legacy to the LightHouse or Enchanted Hills through your estate plans, please contact 415-694-7333 or jsachs@lighthouse-sf.org.

LightHouse News

Come Have Dinner on Us and Learn Some Estate Planning Techniques that May Benefit You and the LightHouse

10/27/2016 LightHouse Staff

Portrait of Michael Bland

You are invited to a LightHouse Legacy Society Event at the new LightHouse building, with special guest presenter Michael Bland. Michael is the principal attorney at Guardian Counsel, PC. and is dedicated to assisting his clients design their family’s estate plans to preserve their personal and financial well-being while planning for the future. Michael is an Eagle Scout and was born and raised in Napa, California.

When: Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Where: the LightHouse Building at 1155 Market Street, Floor 10, San Francisco, 94103
Dinner will be served

Please RSVP to Dagny Brown at 415-694-7333 or events@lighthouse-sf.org.

We want to thank our LightHouse Legacy Society Members for including the LightHouse in their estate plans:

Hank Borenko, Margie Donovan, Joan M. Dove, Robert Ray Foster, Gena Harper and Mike May, Dolores Ippolito, Roger Kallen, Justin Kim, Kuhnle Family Endowment, Jerry Kuns and Theresa Postello, Inez E. Martini, Ann Noble and Goran Muhlert, Robert E. O’Donnell, Alicia Jean Rose, Frederic and Kristine Silva, Richard Stevens and Virginia Behm, David and Regula Weill, Martin and Rosan Weissman, Jennifer Westbrook, Greg Wong.

LightHouse News

An Invitation to a November Workshop on Advanced Estate Planning Techniques

09/30/2016 LightHouse Staff

When: Wednesday, November 2nd, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Where: the LightHouse Building at 1155 Market Street, Floor 10, San Francisco, 94103.
Dinner will be served.

Please RSVP by October 25th to Dagny Brown at 451.694.7311 or dbrown@lighthouse-sf.org.

We want to thank our LightHouse Legacy Society Members for including the LightHouse in their estate plans:
Hank Borenko, Margie Donovan, Joan M. Dove, Robert Ray Foster, Gena Harper and Mike May, Dolores Ippolito, Roger Kallen, Justin Kim, Kuhnle Family Endowment, Jerry Kuns and Theresa Postello, Inez E. Martini, Ann Noble and Goran Muhlert, Robert E. O’Donnell, Alicia Jean Rose, Frederic and Kristine Silva, Richard Stevens and Virginia Behm, David and Regula Weill, Martin and Rosan Weissman, Jennifer Westbrook, Greg Wong.

LightHouse News

Donation Spotlight: Other Ways to Give

08/31/2016 LightHouse Staff

Photo: LightHouse student Angela Palmer (left) and LightHouse Deaf-Blind Specialist Sook Hee Choi.

Contributing a gift to the LightHouse helps provide unparalleled training and community for people of all ages who are blind. Your support is vital. To make a donation click here.

Another important aspect of LightHouse’s sustainability is Legacy Giving. We ask you to consider naming LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired as a beneficiary of your will or trust. A gift through your estate ensures that your commitment to LightHouse programs for people of all ages who are blind or have low vision will continue beyond your lifetime, and have a lasting impact on LightHouse’s work. For more information on leaving a legacy, click here.

Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, especially those with long-term capital gains, are popular gift assets because they may generate multiple tax benefits. These benefits include a charitable income tax deduction of the stock, bond, or mutual fund’s market value on the date the asset is received by the LightHouse and no capital gains tax on the appreciation. Most stocks are transferred electronically. Talk to your accountant or financial adviser about the benefits such a gift may provide for you.

Have your stocks, bonds, or mutual funds depreciated? If these types of assets have gone down in value, you may find there is an advantage to selling the stock, bond or mutual fund, recognizing a loss, and then contributing the cash proceeds of the sale to LightHouse for the Blind. An accountant or financial adviser can help you determine the best option for you.

If you have questions or need our account info to transfer assets, you or your broker can contact us at 415.694.7333 or jsachs@lighthouse-sf.org.

LightHouse News

Estate Planning 101: Tips I learned from Betsy

08/03/2016 LightHouse Staff 4 Comments

PHOTO: Betsy Cannon speaks to a crowd of LightHouse supporters.

Last month Estate Attorney Betsy Cannon led a workshop for a group of interested LightHouse supporters and students on the basics of planning your estate.

Betsy Cannon is a partner in the firm of Plageman, Lund & Cannon LLP, where she practices in the areas of estate planning, and trust and estate administration. Her talk was informative and fascinating, and the audience was engaged, asking many pertinent questions. Here are some of the things we gleaned from the workshop:

Planning your estate is important. If you don’t have an estate plan, there are a number of undesirable things that will take place, the most glaringly avoidable, costly and unpleasant is that your estate will be subject to probate if your assets exceed $150,000. This will delay your assets being distributed and will give you no opportunity to make charitable gifts through your estate.
If your assets of real estate, currency, stocks, etc. total more than $150,000, it is generally recommended that your estate plan be in the form of a Revocable Living Trust, not a will. This will enable you to avoid probate and its costs. If you´re not looking to sell yet, you can hire lakeland fl property management companies to help you manage your own property with ease.
Don’t fall into a common estate planning pitfall: Once you set up a trust, you need to take the additional step of making sure all of your assets are transferred into the trust.
The takeaway: Another good reason to plan your estate: Having a written estate plan will make things much easier on your descendants. They won’t have to wonder about your intentions, your desires for your health care, or what assets you want passed down to whom. Why not make things simpler for your loved ones?
Charitable gifts through an estate plan can lower your tax burden and make a lasting difference for LightHouse for the Blind, helping us plan our growth, strategize for the future and make an impact on the community.

To learn more about estate planning or how your planned gift can benefit the LightHouse, please contact 415-694-7333 or jsachs@lighthouse-sf.org.

LightHouse News

Want to Learn the Basics of How People Plan Their Estate?

06/30/2016 LightHouse Staff

Come lunch with an expert, see the new LightHouse Building and what’s happening inside.

Join us for an educational workshop on “Estate Planning 101” and learn about the fundamentals of estate planning in California.

When: Friday, July 15th at 10:30 a.m.
Where: LightHouse for the Blind, 1155 Market Street, 10^th Floor, San Francisco, 94103

Our presenter, Betsy Cannon, is an authority on the subject and will lead the discussion. Betsy Cannon is a partner in the firm of Plageman, Lund & Cannon LLP, where she practices in the areas of estate planning, and trust and estate administration. She received her Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School, and her Bachelor of Arts in Business and Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles. She is currently a member of the San Francisco Estate Planning Council; the State Bar of California (Estate Planning, Probate & Trust sections); and the American Bar Association (Real Property, Trust & Probate section). Betsy lives in San Francisco with her husband and their two children.

Please RSVP to Jennifer Sachs, Director of Development, at jsachs@lighthouse-sf.org or 415.694.7333.

LightHouse News

Calling all LightHouse Supporters, Students and Community Members: Come to a Legacy Giving Workshop at the New LightHouse

06/01/2016 LightHouse Staff

Portrait of Betsy Cannon Join us for an educational workshop on “Estate Planning 101” and learn about the fundamentals of estate planning in California.

When: Friday, July 15th at 10:30 a.m.
Where: LightHouse for the Blind, 1155 Market Street, 10^th Floor, San Francisco, California 94103

Please RSVP by June 10th to Jennifer Sachs, Director of Development, at jsachs@lighthouse-sf.org or 415.694.7333.

LightHouse News

Contribute to LightHouse’s Campaign for a 21st Century LightHouse

02/29/2016 LightHouse Staff

Program and Naming Opportunities at the New LightHouse

Many of you know that the LightHouse is undergoing a campaign to move our San Francisco headquarters to a new Mid-Market location with a larger footprint for expanded programs and located a few feet from the Civic Center BART/Muni station for the best accessibility.

The new building and its design process is the focus of this month’s San Francisco Magazine, in an in-depth and fascinating discussion of how we’ve designed and built the perfect headquarters for our next century.

Why are we building a new LightHouse? Newly-blind neighbors and experienced blind residents will welcome what will surely be the most advanced blindness center in the West. Under one roof we’ll gather advanced tools, build respectful and private spaces for learning, conversation and mentorship, and crown the effort with the capacity to host students, family members and researchers for overnight stays when an immersive and intensive learning experience is optimal.

Twenty people become blind each week in the Greater Bay Area. Each year, a thousand Bay Area neighbors enter their blindness journey tentative, afraid and with a deep need to learn techniques and gain the self-confidence to live life to the fullest. This is our mission; and with your support, we will build a new headquarters to serve blind kids, teens, adults and seniors for the next century of innovative practices impacting the blind community globally.

Contributions to the Campaign for a 21st Century LightHouse will provide tangible benefits for the blind kids to seniors that benefit from the joy and learning of the LightHouse for the next century. To learn more about the campaign, for naming opportunities or how a deferred gift can be used to leave an enduring legacy in you or a loved one’s honor, contact 415-694-7333 or jsachs@lighthouse-sf.org.

LightHouse News

Planned Giving: Gifts that Give Back

10/28/2015 LightHouse Staff

Rebecca Dupras Please join us for a discussion on how you, as a donor, can leverage your current assets to create an income stream during your lifetime and also leave a gift to support LightHouse – and create a meaningful legacy.

Where: LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters
When: Wednesday, December 9th at 12pm. Complimentary lunch.
Presented by: Rebecca E. Dupras, Esq. of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation
No cost to attend
Please RSVP by December 2nd to Dagny Brown at events@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7333

For the first time ever, the LightHouse is able to offer Charitable Gift Annuities to our community, a chance to receive an income stream and support the LightHouse. Our partners at Silicon Valley Community Foundation are making this possible.

Presenter Rebecca Dupras, Esq. assists individuals and corporate donors, as well as other nonprofits, to craft meaningful philanthropic strategies. She joined Silicon Valley Community Foundation in 2014 as the director of planned giving. She is skilled at working with donors and their professional advisors to craft deferred gifts to meet their philanthropic goals.

What is planned giving?
Any charitable giving other than a simple, immediate gift of money to charity. Often involves tax and legal planning. This workshop will focus on three different types of planned giving. Bequests, which are testamentary gifts left through a donor’s living will/trust. Charitable Gift Annuities are a low-cost way to create a life income stream and benefit LightHouse. And Charitable Remainder Trusts, a customizable way to create a life income stream and benefit LightHouse. This workshop covers the details of each type of giving and help you select your best option.

Perhaps you have experienced LightHouse programs first-hand or are simply a caring and compassionate community member. By making a bequest or other planned gift, you can acknowledge LightHouse for the Blind in a meaningful way and make a lasting difference for the LightHouse and for your own personal legacy.

Want to discuss planned gifts opportunities or notify us of your intentions? Please contact Jennifer Sachs, Director of Development, at 415-694-7333 or jsachs@lighthouse-sf.org.

LightHouse News

Why Create an Estate Plan?

10/01/2015 LightHouse Staff

I bet you don’t wake up in the morning and wish you could spend the day working with an attorney to develop an estate plan. However creating (or updating) a plan is among the most important things you can do. Estate plans help you:

Minimize possible estate taxes and costs.
Ensure the property goes exactly where you want it to go and when. If you don’t have a will or living trust, the state will provide a distribution plan for you which may or may not be in accordance with your wishes.
Give guidance to be followed in case you cannot make decisions for yourself.
Appoint a guardian for any minor children and provide for any special needs your loved ones may have.
Specify the type of funeral arrangements you would like.
Remember and provide for friends, relatives, and organizations you care about.

By planning now, you also make things easier for your family. How wonderful it is if they know exactly what you want to have happen. The planning you do now is a gift to your loved ones. And it can create a lasting legacy for the LightHouse or Enchanted Hills.

Making a plan and have some questions? Would you like information about ways to include the LightHouse or Enchanted Hills in your estate plan? Contact Jennifer Sachs at 415-694-7333 or jsachs@lighthouse-sf.org.

Save the Date: Our next Planned Giving Workshop will be held on Wednesday, December 9th at 10:30 am. The topic will be Charitable Gift Annuities, a new offering to our donors in LightHouse’s estate planning opportunities. Guest speakers from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation will lead the presentation.