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Did you know that on average, Americans update their will or trust every seven years? Changes to personal and family circumstances may mean that prior plans are no longer current and need to be updated to ensure that everything is in order as you intend.  
 
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. If you have children, a will allows you to name guardians for their care. 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 wishes.  It’s never too soon to set your plans in motion.
 
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. Estate gifts to Way to Grow are deeply appreciated and help ensure that children in the most isolated households are born healthy, stay healthy and are prepared for school, even after your lifetime.      
 
What could be a more meaningful legacy than ensuring brighter futures for all children in our community? 
 
When you include Way to Grow in your estate, you are eligible for membership in Way to Grow’s new Shine Legacy Society. We’d love to hear from you! Please contact us at (612) 767-0425 for more information and a free brochure on planning your estate.

Now is the perfect time to support Way to Grow’s vision to ensure every child has an opportunity to succeed in school and life – and enjoy extra tax benefits for your generosity. 

• Taxpayers who don’t itemize gifts on their tax returns can receive up to a $300 tax deduction for 2020 gifts.
• Taxpayers who do itemize can deduct up to 100% of their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for gifts made in 2020.
• With the stock market surging, you may own shares of stock that have grown significantly in value over the years. Gifting stock directly to Way to Grow allows you to avoid paying capital gains taxes in the shares while allowing Way to Grow to utilize the full proceeds toward its vital mission.
• While those age 70-1/2 and older are not required to take minimum distributions in 2020 from their IRAs due to the CARES Act, you may still make charitable gifts from your IRA. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) use pre-tax dollars to fulfill gifts to charities, tapping funds already tucked away.  Gifts up to $100,000 per person bypass your federal tax return and are not taxed as income nor deducted as gifts. To make a QCD to Way to Grow, please contact your IRA custodian immediately to ensure timely fulfillment.

If you have questions, Kim Bowman is pleased to assist you at 612.874.4740. Thank you for your great support that changes lives, and puts children and families on the pathway to success.

As we approach Thanksgiving, please know that Way to Grow is counting its blessings and is extremely thankful for the great support we have received this year. Despite the challenges that 2020 has presented to all of us, Way to Grow continues to serve children and families because we have the support of individuals, foundations, and companies. Thank you! 

We hope you’ll consider a year-end gift to Way to Grow! A gift of appreciated shares of stock that you have held for one year or longer can provide you with several tax benefits while supporting our vital mission.

First, by donating shares directly to Way to Grow, you avoid paying capital gains taxes on any growth in the shares.  Plus, Way to Grow receives the full value of the stock tax free, so you effectively increase your gift by up to 20% (max capital gains rate). Secondly, you may deduct the full fair market value of the shares as valued on the date of the gift, reducing your tax burden for 2020. Third, if a particular stock has risen sharply in value, donating shares to Way to Grow helps re-balance your holdings.  

Most importantly, your gift will help ensure that children are born healthy, stay healthy, and are prepared for school.   

For all of these reasons, we hope you’ll join others in discovering the power of donating stock to Way to Grow. To put your gift in motion, simply contact Kim Bowman for assistance at (612) 767-0425. We are here to help!  

If you are feeling the call to help others during challenging times, you are not alone.  In times of need, Minnesotans step up!  

Fortunately, Congress is also encouraging our better angels. For 2020, Congress has enacted the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act) to help reduce the financial impact of the pandemic.

Included is a brand new “universal deduction” that allows taxpayers who don’t itemize to deduct up to $300 this year for charitable gifts to charities like Way to Grow. This makes giving even more appealing in 2020 and Way to Grow is thankful to receive donations of all sizes.

For those considering larger gifts, the CARES Act also allows taxpayers who do itemize to deduct their charitable gifts up to 100% of their adjusted gross income (AGI) for 2020 only, reducing and eliminating their tax burden through charitable giving. In a year when charities are working harder than ever to support those in need, a significant gift to Way to Grow is a powerful investment in children and families at a time when they need our support most. Your gift will go to work immediately to ensure that parents are equipped to teach their children, children are prepared for school, and that every child has an opportunity to succeed in school and life.

For more details, please call us at (612) 767-0425 for assistance with your gift.

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.”

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!