Giving

  • Kim Bowman
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Living Generously: Estate Planning
Living Generously: Estate Planning 4000 2786 Kim Bowman

As snowy days of March give way to the promise of spring, it may be a good time to review your estate plans to ensure everything is in order as you intend. Changes to our personal and family circumstances may mean that prior plans are no longer current and need to be updated. On average, Americans review their will, trust or other estate documents every 7 years as loved ones pass away, new additions join the family, and as we experience life changes.
 
Why have a will? A will helps you provide gifts for loved ones after your life.  It helps ensure that your wishes will be honored and family and friends will receive the money or property you intend for them. Whether you have a lot or a little to share, every person has the right to direct how their nest egg is used after their life. (Without a will, your property is distributed according to a “one size fits all” state formula that may not reflect your circumstances.)
 
You can also leave a gift in your will for charities you hold dear to support their work in the future, like Way to Grow. Simply state a percentage of the estate or a dollar amount for Way to Grow to receive as your legacy gift. We hope you’ll keep us in mind! Estate gifts help ensure that children are born healthy, stay healthy and are prepared for school. What could be a more meaningful legacy than brighter futures for all children in our community? Donors of estate gifts are eligible for membership in Way to Grow’s new Shine Legacy Society.
 
Your call is encouraged at (612) 767-0425 for more information and a free brochure, “Planning for the Future.”

  • Melissa Meyer
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Make Your Target Run Count
Make Your Target Run Count 1024 512 Melissa Meyer

We are honored and excited to announce that we have been chosen to participate in a special charitable giving campaign, sponsored and funded by Target. And you have the chance to help direct a portion of Target’s donation to us!

Now through March 31, vote for us through the Target Circle program to help determine how Target’s donation will be divvied up. Find out more about Target Circle here: www.target.com/circle

We’re asking our supporters to help us make the most of this incredible opportunity. Every vote counts to help us receive a portion of the available Target funds as we continue our mission to ensure that children within the most isolated families are born healthy stay, healthy, and are prepared for school.

Don’t forget, as you earn more votes, you can keep voting multiple times during the campaign!

Thank you for your support, and we encourage you to share your support for us (and your thanks to Target) on social media throughout the duration of the voting!

  • Kim Bowman
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Living Generously: Joyful Giving
Living Generously: Joyful Giving 2560 1977 Kim Bowman

We all feel it. With school back in session, calendars are filling with autumn activities, sports events, social gatherings as well as charity galas. The pace of life is speeding up and it seems impossible to fit everything in!

In all the hustle and bustle, we hope you’ll take advantage of those opportunities and moments that speak deeply to your values. If you are reading this, Way to Grow’s mission to serve children and families and to ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to succeed in school and life, is important to you. Why not make your gift today, while it is top of mind, to help these families thrive? Way to Grow will put your gift to work immediately for the benefit of families and our whole community.

Or if you’d like to stretch out your gift over 12 months, you can sign up for automatic monthly giving here. That way, you can “set it and forget it” and know that your support for those in need will continue uninterrupted, even as life picks up speed. Monthly gifts also help Way to Grow by providing steady income to support our vital programs. You have our heartfelt thanks for helping to ensure that children in the most isolated families in Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park are born healthy, stay healthy and are ready for school. 

It is said that those who give joyfully and regularly enjoy more happiness and health. Well, here’s to your health!

  • Kim Bowman
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Living Generously
Living Generously 600 400 Kim Bowman

April brings longer days, more sunshine, and the promise that shirt-sleeve weather is near!  We yearn for blue skies, fresh spring air and recreation in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

April also brings tax season, when we pull together financial records, review earnings and expenses, get a better sense of how we are doing financially, and plan accordingly. Did you know that spring is also when many people create their first will or update an existing will? 

A will helps you provide gifts for loved ones after your lifetime. It ensures that your wishes are honored and that family and friends receive the money or property you intend for them.  Whether you have a lot or a little to share, every person has the right to direct how their nest egg is used after their life. (Those without a will have their property distributed according to a “one size fits all” state formula that doesn’t reflect personal circumstances.)

You can also leave gifts in your will for charities you hold dear and whose work you want to support in the future through a percentage of your estate or dollar amount. Here at Way to Grow, we hope you’ll keep us in mind! A gift in your will for Way to Grow helps ensure that children are born healthy, stay healthy and are prepared for school. What could be a more meaningful legacy than brighter futures for all children in our community?

For more information, or if you wish to receive a helpful brochure on Planning for the Future, please call us at (612) 767-0425. Thank you!

  • Ken Story
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Adopt-A-Family: A Great End to 2018
Adopt-A-Family: A Great End to 2018 2560 1920 Ken Story

Every December, Way to Grow is able to reach even more families and provide basic needs, special treats, and a great start to the new year through our Adopt-A-Family program.

Started through a partnership with Allina Health, Adopt-A-Family allows churches, companies, and individuals to sponsor a Way to Grow family during what many of us celebrate as the holiday season. Families are selected by our Family Educators, and together they compile a wishlist for each family member, as well as the household. From there, our staff works with groups from all over the Twin Cities to purchase, wrap, and deliver the gifts. By the end of December, our office was bursting with deliveries for so many families, all graciously donated by our neighbors.

In the spirit of giving and thanks, we are proud to share with you that at the end of 2018, over 50 families were brought joy and cheer. We could not have done this without the generosity of the hundreds of individuals who simply wanted to bring joy to families during the holiday season. Witnessing this selfless giving was a truly great way to end 2018—we are so inspired by and grateful for this support.

If you want more information or are interested in participating in future Adopt-A-Family campaigns, please contact our Adopt-A-Family Coordinator, Liz Woods, at lwoods@mplswaytogrow.org.

  • Ken Story
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Thank you, Shine Supporters!
Thank you, Shine Supporters! 1251 834 Ken Story

This past Saturday night, something magical happened.

Our supporters, sponsors, table hosts, staff, and board of directors all helped make our 2018 Shine Celebration such a memorable experience.  Whether it was singing, testimonies, or our new Way to Grow videos we debuted – it all came together in the name of early education and the power of change it has in our community.

Thanks to our generous sponsors and supporters, we were able to raise over $425,000 at this year’s Shine Celebration!

We are inspired and so grateful for all the love and support for our mission that ensures that the most vulnerable populations in our community will see no barrier to early education.

As we look to the future where so many will be touched by this level of support, we want to take another second in this moment and say thank you again to all that got us here:   We could not have done it without you.

October 26, 2019

Save the date for our 2019 Shine Celebration and join us to mark our 30-year history of ensuring all children are born healthy, stay healthy, and are prepared for school . . . and life!

Shine Celebration recap
Shine Celebration recap 1800 1200 Lisa Bryant

Thank you!  Our 2017 Shine Celebration: Blessings in Disguise, held on Friday, October 27 was an extraordinary evening of community and generosity!  Over 400 guests came out to The Depot in Minneapolis to celebrate the work of Way to Grow and empowering parents to be their children’s primary educator.  Together with sponsors, table hosts and board members, our guests gave $490,000 to support the mission of Way to Grow – an all-time high!  Words can hardly express our gratitude for this tremendous show of support.

Highlights of the evening included a rousing keynote presentation by Dr. Arthur Rolnick on the power of early childhood education, a moving personal story of triumph from a Way to Grow parent, and a heartfelt reflection on generosity from event co-chairs Julie and Doug Baker, Jr.  Remarks from Way to Grow alumni, an exceptional collection of silent and live auction items and experiences, the soulful song-stylings of master of ceremonies T. Mychael Rambo, and festive music by Salsa del Soul helped bring the Shine Celebration to its soaring conclusion.

Your commitment makes it possible for us to empower parents and ensure every child has a chance to succeed. Because of you, we are able to provide more families with our home visiting services, high-quality early childhood and health education, elementary programming and connections to family resources.  Thank you for sharing your blessings so generously!

  • Ivy Marsnik
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Paying it Forward
Paying it Forward 150 150 Ivy Marsnik

Way to Grow is deeply thankful for the financial support we receive. In fact, gifts allow us to work with the most isolated families in Minneapolis, and ensure that children are born healthy, stay healthy, and are prepared for school. Last year, we served 2,432 children and parents through 11,563 home visits. With your continued support, we can reach even more families whose futures will be brighter because of your generosity.

Want to join our family of supporters? It’s easy! You can choose from several ways to give that will fuel our mission.

Go online: One of the quickest ways to give in a digital world is to use our website. With a few keystrokes, you can choose to make a one-time gift, or set in motion a recurring gift that happens automatically each month on the day you choose. Either way, we are grateful for your support which helps us serve families and children.

Mail us a check: This classic method works for many! Simply send your gift to Way to Grow, 125 West Broadway, Suite 110, Minneapolis, MN 55411. You’ll put a smile on our faces when the mail arrives.

Shares of stock: If you own shares of stock that have grown in value – and that you’ve held for one year or longer – it may be tax-wise to donate them directly to Way to Grow, rather than sending a check. Here’s why. First, you’ll avoid paying capital gains tax on the shares’ growth, and so will Way to Grow, which receives 100% of the proceeds tax-free as a charitable organization. Second, you’ll enjoy a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the shares, even if they cost you a lot less. Third, you can make a meaningful gift without tapping out your checkbook. For details, call us at (612) 874-4740.

IRA Charitable Rollover: This way of giving arose in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, allowing Americans to tap their retirement savings to help others. If you are age 70-1/2 or older (an age when Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from IRAs must begin), you can re-direct your RMD to Way to Grow directly from your IRA. This bypasses your federal tax return, so it is not counted as income, nor deducted as a gift. Even better, you are not limited to sharing just your RMD; instead, individuals are allowed to give up to $100,000 each year out of their IRA to qualified charities. Way to Grow would be delighted to receive your IRA Rollover Gift! Check with your tax advisor or call us at (612) 874-4740.

Whichever form your gift takes, you have our heartfelt thanks for generously supporting our vision to ensure that every child has an opportunity to succeed in school and in life.

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