The holiday season is known as the most wonderful time of the year, but for children in foster care, that sentiment doesn’t always ring true. During this season of giving, give the gift that will positively impact generations to come by making a year-end donation to help youth in foster care at One Family Illinois.
Want to make your donation really count? Here are a few, key ways your giving can make a huge impact:
1. Give Online to Get Your Gift Moving into Action
Every gift has the amazing capacity to transform life for children in foster care and at-risk families. Online gifts cut down on processing time (and expenses for you). All gifts made through the sosillinois.org website are protected through our processing platform, ensuring that your personal information is kept confidential and safe. Make your donation online, and help us put your gift to work sooner.
2. Opt to Give on a Monthly Basis
When you invest monthly in the mission at One Family Illinois, you are helping to provide the sustained resources needed to help the youth in our care thrive in three very important areas: educational development, health and wellness, and cultural enrichment.
Our monthly givers are lovingly known as our Dream Makers, and your monthly contribution is the easiest and most efficient way to support One Family Illinois. For many, monthly contributions are more accessible than larger, one-time gifts, and allow our donors the chance to support our programs and services all through the year.
To learn more about our Dream Makers program, click here.
3. Check to See if Your Company Offers Matching Gifts
Companies of all industries and sizes match donations their employees make to nonprofits because it’s a simple, morale-boosting way for them to support the important work in their communities, and the causes their employees care about most. As a result, corporate matching gifts are an incredible way to make your end-of-year donation go that much farther. Find out if your company offers a corporate matching gift program, and if so, let them know you want to support the efforts and mission at One Family Illinois.
Many companies with matching gift programs offer a 1:1 matching ratio, but some will match at a 2:1, 3:1, or even 4:1 ratio. This allows you to make an even larger impact in the lives of children in foster care this holiday season.
Do you work in your company’s community engagement or human resources department? If your company does not match charity contributions, consider making it an item of discussion during your next strategy review meet.
4. Consider Alternative Ways of Giving
Your year-end donation doesn’t need to be in the form of credit card payment or mailed-in check. In fact, there are multiple alternatives to this form of giving that will allow you to make an incredible impact on the youth in our care. Some alternative ways you can give include:
Stocks
A gift of appreciated securities is an attractive alternative to cash because of the potential for a double tax benefit.
Savings Bonds
Savings bonds represent major assets that may have stopped growing and are now collecting dust, just waiting to be put to use. A tax-wise use for your appreciated savings bonds is to support a cause you care about, like the mission at SOS Illinois.
Real Estate or Personal Property
Using real estate, such as your house, farm, or commercial property, to fund a gift allows you to preserve your cash assets and receive significant tax advantages. Tangible personal property such as computer equipment, works of art, rare books, or other collections may be also be donated and used as raffle or auction items.
IRAs
In accordance with the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (H.R. 5771) signed into law by President Obama on December 19, 2014, you may be able to give a gift through your IRA as part of your annual distribution. You can learn more about the benefits of this type of here here.
Deferred or Planned Gifts
Another alternative way to make a year-end donation is to include SOS Children’s Villages Illinois in your estate plans as:
- Named beneficiary in your will or living trust
- Named beneficiary of your retirement assets or life insurance policy
- Successor beneficiary of your donor-advised fund
- Charitable beneficiary of a charitable remainder trust
- Income beneficiary of a charitable lead trust
For more info on these alternative ways of giving, or how to make your alternative end-of-year donation to help children in foster care, check out our giving page.
Making Seasons (and Futures) Bright at One Family Illinois
In whichever ways you decide to support One Family Illinois this holiday season, you can have peace of mind knowing that your donation will be used wisely by an organization that has received numerous accreditations, humanitarian awards, and honors. As a result of gifts like yours, we are able to continue providing comprehensive care and services to children in foster care and at-risk families, ensuring ongoing success. Thank you for helping us to make seasons (and futures) bright!