Planning to give: Guadalupe Center holds workshop for estate giving

This choir didn’t need preaching to. In a meeting Tuesday morning at Hole in the Wall Golf Club, representatives from the Guadalupe Center didn’t spend time talking about the good works their nonprofit organization does.

The gathering, called Promises for the Future, brought together some of the Guadalupe Center’s major contributors to hear from a panel of experts on how they can maximize their financial donations to the organization, particularly once they’re gone.

Call it planned giving, estate giving or legacy giving, bequests to nonprofits are a major source of support for Guadalupe Center, and other Naples-based nonprofits, allowing the donors’ dollars to continue to help out the causes they believe in after their own deaths. Just how the gifts are structured makes an enormous difference in meeting the needs and desires of the donors and their families, getting the funds where they will do the most good, and not least, keeping the dollars from being scooped up by Uncle Sam in taxes.

“We’re coming up on April 15. How many of you are excited about sending a check to the IRS?” asked attorney Daniel Capes, one of the panelists assembled to help those around the table, and also a member of Guadalupe’s board of trustees. Unsurprisingly, no hands went up.

In all, there were four panelists, with CPA Lisa Merritt and CFPs (certified financial professionals) Heather Borelli and Ellen Vanderburg joining Capes to advise the eight donors meeting in the private room at Hole in the Wall. That meeting, with the well-spoken talking to the well-heeled, will lead to other get-togethers featuring bright-eyed children in less posh surroundings, with funds generated for the many programs with which the Guadalupe Center helps improve the lives of the children of Immokalee.

Discussion centered on financial vehicles such as donor-advised funds, which allow you to get a deduction on the front end, and don’t require annual tax filings, said Vanderburg. Borelli spoke on the pros and cons of charitable annuity trusts, in which the charity gets the income for a specified term while the donor still controls the underlying assets. Merritt pointed out that “real estate is a particularly ugly asset to give to a private foundation,” because you give it away at a basis that can lead to a serious tax bite.

All of these questions on how to structure giving away money that you could never spend and don’t need to live on are concerns that most people don’t have to worry about, but if you are fortunate enough to have the kind of wealth that makes dealing with these issues necessary, you want to do it right.

“You can give $100,000 a year out of your IRA” after age 70 and a half, said Capes, adding he had spoken to one couple who told him, in a discussion about setting up a charitable estate, “we’re not wealthy. We’re comfortable.”

“In Naples, you never know what ‘wealthy’ is,” noted Capes. One important consideration for the donors at the table was dealing with their children, both to help them be on board with their parents’ wishes for supporting their favored causes, and also in helping them become productive citizens.

“Most people are concerned about their children leading a meaningful life, so they want to limit gifts (to the children) somewhat,” said Vanderburg.

“You look for ways to stay connected,” said Capes. “If they feel like they have a voice at the table,” children are more likely to support their parents’ plans.

“Children and grandchildren do what they see their parents do. Teach them your values and emotional commitment, and they keep doing it even after you’re not there,” said Merritt.

Several of the board members, including development committee chair Joe Baughman, shared their own stories of how they had come to become Guadalupe supporters and structure their giving. Board member Bunny Salisbury hosted the gathering.

A few moments did illustrate the work Guadalupe Center does, as when President and CEO Dawn Montecalvo got into a quick conversation with one of the donors about their experience hosting Immokalee kids at Hideaway Beach Club on Marco Island.

“They went kayaking, and they were scared to start out,” she said. “But they came back as experienced paddlers. You look into these kids’ eyes, and you’re hooked.”

Guadalupe Center will have another country club get-together Tuesday evening, for their Tutor Corps seniors, holding a celebration at Grey Oaks Country Club. Twenty five seniors will be celebrated for being the first in their family to graduate and be accepted to college, and a number will be awarded scholarships.

Each day, the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee serves more than 1,100 children through three core educational programs. The Early Childhood Program for children 6 weeks old through 5 years old prepares children for success in kindergarten and beyond. The after-school program provides elementary children at risk of failure with tutoring, and the college-prep Tutor Corps Program prepares Immokalee High School students a pathway to a college education.

The Guadalupe Center has been serving the children and families of Immokalee for more than 25 years. Their mission, said outreach coordinator Kelly Hammer, is to break the cycle of poverty. They provide early childhood education, after-school tutoring, a college preparatory Tutor Corps Program and more, making a real difference in the lives of Immokalee’s children.

To learn more about or contribute to the work of the Guadalupe Center, a 501 (c)(3) organization, call 239-657-7711, or visit www.guadalupecenter.org.