Donor Stories

Gifts made from your estate by will, trust or beneficiary designation

Bequest

Joe and Anna have been faithful supporters of Luther College. They believe it is important to help further the college's mission.

Using a Beneficiary Designation to Make a Gift

Joanne and her late husband Hal had been longtime supporters. Recently, Joanne's children encouraged her to update her estate plan.

Gift of a Bank Account When No Longer Needed (POD)

Keith has been a faithful supporter of Luther College, making regular gifts to support the college's mission. Recently, Keith talked with our staff and expressed his interest in naming Luther as a beneficiary of his estate, but he wanted to keep the process as simple and inexpensive as possible.

Transferable on Death (TOD) Gifts

Harold and Jeanne met at Luther College. They wanted to leave a legacy gift that would support the college's mission and ensure that Luther remains financially strong well into the future.

A Bequest to Further Good Work

Nancy and David were dedicated volunteers who had seen firsthand the impact of a Luther College education. Wanting to create a lasting legacy, they chose to provide future resources to help continue the college's mission.

Bequest of Insurance

Marla and Wayne purchased a life insurance policy many years ago to create security for their children's future. As the children grew up, married, found good jobs and accumulated significant assets, the insurance was no longer needed for its original purpose.

A Bequest to Save Taxes

Thomas was a widower who had a great love for Luther College. As an individual who had directly benefited from a Luther education, Thomas wanted to thank us with a gift from his estate.

Using a Blended Gift to Reach Your Charitable Giving Goals

Jay and his wife Amy wanted to support Luther College with a significant gift of $100,000. They wanted to spread this gift out over several years but also wanted to make a gift of $25,000 this year.

Tax-Free Sale

Howard and Lynn were both age 55 when they purchased some vacant land a few miles outside of town. They thought real estate would be a good investment that could be sold later for a profit.

Gifts that provide you and your loved ones with income and tax benefits

Fixed Income for Retirement

Patricia spoke with a friend who recently set up a charitable gift annuity with Luther College. Patricia called the college and learned that she would receive a good payout based on her age and that she would receive a charitable income tax deduction and part of the payment from the annuity would be tax free.

Capital Gains Tax Bypassed

Peter: "For many years we had supported the mission of Luther College. They sent us an e-mail that explained how we could make a gift of appreciated stock to them while bypassing potential capital gains taxes. I was thrilled to learn that after we transferred our portfolio to a charitable remainder trust, the trust would sell the stock tax-free."

Peace of Mind Gift Annuity

Clara called Luther College and discovered that with a charitable gift annuity, she could receive a return of almost 6.4%, based on her age. This fixed payment was in addition to a large income tax deduction. Clara decided to transfer $10,000 of appreciated stock to the college.

Sale and Unitrust

Gene and Carol purchased stock in a small medical service company several years ago. The company has done well. A larger company is now discussing the possibility of buying the smaller company. This sale would require that Gene and Carol sell their stock, subjecting them to capital gains. Gene and Carol are looking for a way to save taxes.

The Retirement Unitrust

Mary grew up on a farm. When her parents passed away, she and her husband Bill inherited the farm. When Mary was a child, the farm was out in the country. Now that the city has grown, the farm is within the city limits. Several developers would like to build homes on the farmland.

Property Turns Into Income

Miranda's grandson came often to visit and help with chores around the house. On one such visit, he helped Miranda "surf" the internet. She enjoyed reading the weekly finance updates and donor stories on Luther's planned giving website. On one such visit, Miranda learned that she could make a gift of her home to Luther College and receive income for life.

Flexible Deferred Gift Annuity

Luis is a 54-year-old executive at a large healthcare company. He purchased company stock during years when the stock price was low, and now the stock has grown substantially in value.

Deferred Gift Annuity

Several years ago, Larry and Allison invested $30,000 in what they believed to be an attractive stock. It turned out to be a very wise decision, as the stock increased in value to $100,000 within three years. Though they were not in need of additional income at the time, the couple decided to cash in on this growth.

Give It Twice Trust

While visiting her favorite nonprofit's website, June learned about a give it twice trust and contacted the organization for more information. A gift planner explained that this type of trust would allow her to provide income to her children first, with the remaining trust assets later transferred to charity.

Testamentary Charitable Remainder Unitrust: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

We've all heard the saying, "You can't have your cake and eat it too." It describes wanting two good things at the same time, even when it seems impossible. Karen and Stephen faced this challenge while creating their estate plan. They wanted to provide for their family, but they also held a deep commitment to Luther College's mission.

Reduce Your Taxes with an IRA Charitable Rollover Gift

Margaret, a retired librarian, stayed closely connected to Luther College in her retirement. She volunteered regularly, supported campus initiatives each year, and took great pride in helping Luther students thrive. As her taxes began to rise, she wondered how she could continue giving in a way that fit her fixed income.

Gifts that support our cause and save you taxes

Endowment Gift

Pat and Shelly were recently married and had each been dedicated volunteers at Luther College for many years. They wanted to ensure the programs they cared about at Luther would continue well into the future.

An Easy Way to Help Our Work with Your IRA

Daniel, a retired businessman and longtime volunteer, was deeply connected to Luther. When the college launched a new program, he was excited to support Luther in a meaningful way.

Part Gift and Part Sale

Susan and Kevin bought a vacant lot along Lake Michigan many years ago. They had planned to build a second home so that their family could spend their summers along the lake. However, as time went on, Kevin's job kept him in town and the children grew up before Susan and Kevin had the financial resources to build on the land.

Current Gifts

As is the case with many families, there are times each year when Jim and Sharon focus their attention on gift giving. For years, they have created a gift list that includes family members, friends and loved ones. Last year, Jim and Sharon made an addition to their list and began including Luther College.

What Will You Do With Your Unspent Retirement Savings?

Michael and Kelly were retired engineers with two adult children. They owned a home, some stocks and IRAs. They met with their financial advisor to discuss a plan to provide for their family and for Luther College.

Leading for the Future

Luke and Cynthia spent many years volunteering and supporting Luther College. They wanted to give back in a way that would help fulfill its mission. At the same time, they were looking for a way to care for their family in the future.

Providing for Our Children's Future

Ron and Kathy worked for many years building their nest egg for retirement. While they felt their savings and investments would cover their needs, they wanted to make sure that their three children were provided for in the future.

IRA Rollover: A Gift with Substantial Benefits

Mark was a retired attorney with a significant IRA and substantial income from investments. He had made IRA rollover gifts to Luther College several times in recent years.

Avoiding Tax on a Business Sale

One of Albert's advisors recommended that he consider making a gift of some of his stock to Luther College. If Albert made the gift prior to the sale of his business, he would avoid capital gains tax on that stock and receive a charitable income tax deduction to further reduce his taxes on the cash he received from the sale.

Maximizing Mineral Income

Walter and May recently retired and moved south to a new retirement community. They still own their 250-acre ranch. Because the ranch has very valuable subsurface mineral rights, Walter and May have been approached several times about entering into a mineral lease that would allow for the production of oil and gas.

Gift for a Loved One with Special Needs

Richard and his attorney discussed a charitable remainder unitrust and special needs trust as a way to achieve Richard's goals. The unitrust would pay income to the special needs trust to support and care for Robert during his lifetime. Any remaining value in the unitrust would go to support Luther College.