The Cornerstone Campaign Naming and Recognition Opportunities

All campaign gifts at all levels are deeply appreciated and will be acknowledged in campaign reports, publications, and at celebrations unless you wish to remain anonymous.

We will be pleased to discuss with you a select number of naming opportunities.

Gifts you wish to make through your estate will help the Monroe County Historical Association sustain its mission.

Tribute Gifts may be made in honor or in memory of a loved one. We will work with you to acknowledge your gift in a way that is meaningful to you.

Ways to Give

Gifts of Cash may be made as a one-time contribution or over a period of time of up to five years. A schedule of pledge payments may be arranged according to your needs.

 Donate Now or Make a Pledge

Gifts of Appreciated Securities or Real Estate may provide additional tax advantages. Generally, an income tax deduction may be taken for the full fair market value of the gifted property and no capital gains tax will be due.

Donating appreciated securities can include Gifts of Stocks and Bonds, an easy and tax-effective way for you to make a gift to the Monroe County Historical Association.

Benefits of Gifts of Stocks and Bonds

• Avoid paying capital gains tax on the sale of appreciated stock
• Receive a charitable income tax deduction
• Further our mission today

How To Make a Gift of Stocks and Bonds: 

By electronic transfer - Please contact us for instructions on how you can transfer stock or bonds from your brokerage or investment account to the Monroe County Historical Association.

By certified mail - If you hold securities in certificate form, you will need to mail two envelopes separately to complete your gift. In the first envelope, place the unsigned stock certificate(s). In the other envelope, include a signed stock power for each certificate. You may obtain this power from your broker or bank. Please remember to use certified mail.

More on Gifts of Stocks and Bonds

There are special rules for valuing a gift of stock. The value of a charitable gift of stock is determined by taking the mean between the high and low stock price on the date of the gift. Mutual fund shares are valued using the closing price for the fund on the date of the gift.

The IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) allows you, once you have reached the age of 70½, to donate up to $100,000 within each tax year directly from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) without treating the distribution as taxable income. The contribution can be counted toward satisfying your required minimum distributions for the year.

Benefits of an IRA Charitable Rollover

• Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions
• Make a gift that is not subject to the deduction limits on charitable gifts
• Help further the work and mission of the ESU Foundation

How an IRA Charitable Rollover Gift Works

1. Contact your IRA plan administrator to make a gift from your IRA to us.
2. Your IRA funds will be directly transferred to the ESU Foundation to help continue our important work.
3. Please note that IRA charitable rollover gifts do not qualify for a charitable deduction.
4. Please contact us if you wish for your gift to be used for a specific purpose.

Gifts From Your IRA

If you are 70½ or older, you can use your IRA to fulfill your charitable goals. We will acknowledge your generous gifts as a qualified charitable distribution, which may satisfy your RMD, if applicable.

Estate Gifts are another way to make a gift to the Campaign. Pledging a bequest through your will or designating the Monroe County Historical Association as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, retirement fund, charitable gift annuity or other life income gift are simple ways to establish an estate gift.

Donor Advised Funds are another option. You fund a DAF and make charitable gift recommendations during your lifetime. When you pass away, your children can carry on your legacy of giving.

You enjoy several benefits with your donor advised fund

• Establish a flexible vehicle for annual charitable giving
• Benefit from a more tax and cost efficient alternative to a private foundation
• Obtain a charitable income tax deduction in the year of your gift

How a Donor Advised Fund Works

You make an initial, irrevocable gift of cash or stock to fund a DAF at a sponsoring organization.

1. The assets in your DAF grow tax-free.
2. You make annual recommendations on gifts to be made from your DAF.