Ways to Contribute to the Foundation
• Advocate: Bringing increased awareness to the importance the work of the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station relating to fruit production in NW Michigan. Contact your local and state legislators and request their support to fund research projects.
• Annual Pledge: Allows you to contribute with a check on a scheduled basis.
• Bequest: is a gift made to the Foundation through a will or beneficiary designation on a life insurance or retirement account policy. Through careful planning, more of your lifetime accumulated assets can benefit institutions that have been important to you. By considering the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Foundation in your will, you leave a legacy for those who follow you to allow the Foundation to continue its mission.
• Corporate Gifts: some companies give an established yearly budgeted amount or establish a corporate foundation whose sole purpose is to donate funds to charitable organizations. The benefit to the company is that they receive recognition in their community for their charitable involvement and build a positive public image. It also builds a sense of community with the employees and promotes teambuilding and morale. Through the programs offered, the Foundation can benefit from their philanthropic interests.
Contact your human resources department for more information about your company’s philanthropic giving. We can provide you with a proposal to support the donation request or assist you in completing the necessary forms.
• Gifts in-kind: is a contribution of time, goods or services made by a donor to help support the operations or fundraising efforts of the Foundation. In-kind gifts can include supplies and equipment, such as computers, software, as well as services (i.e. printing, consulting, etc.) Most “in-kind donations” are tax deductible and your contribution will be acknowledged in a letter for tax purposes.
• Gifts of Stock: entitles you to a tax deduction for the market value of the donated stock. If the stock you wish to donate has been held for more than one year, you can avoid capital gains tax on any appreciation of the stock by donating the stock. Please notify the Foundation of your stock gift prior to the transaction so that we may alert our broker and ensure that your generosity is acknowledged accurately and promptly.
Individual gifts: there are multiple ways to make an individual gift to the organization. You can make a donation by check or money order to the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Foundation.
• Matching Gifts: many employers offer matching gift programs to encourage philanthropy among their employees. Find out if your employer has a matching gift program. This would increase the value of your gift to the Foundation. Contact your human resources department for the necessary forms to complete.
• Planned Giving: means you plan on giving a gift in the future. Planned giving integrates your gift with your overall financial, tax and estate planning goals to maximize the benefits to both you and the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Foundation. Most importantly, you should always consult with your professional advisor(s) to aid you in any decisions related to planned giving.
• Gifts to our Affordable Farmland Endowment Fund: This new and innovative program will accept farmland gifts and then sell the donated land to another farmer at its agricultural value. The sale proceeds will be added to the endowment fund. The Foundation will place a deed restriction on the property which gives the Foundation the Option to Purchase the farm at its then agricultural value if it is ever offered for future sale. The objective of the Option is to encourage a sale to a farmer at a reasonable price and to discourage the sale of farmland to a nonfarmer
Donations and memorials are greatfully accepted and are tax deductable. The NW Michigan Horticultural Research Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation. For more information contact:
NW Michigan Horticultural Research Foundation
6686 S. Center Hwy
Traverse City, MI 49684
Phone (231) 946-1510
Fax (231) 946-1404
Email: contact@nwmihort.org
Please send any comments or suggestions
regarding this site to:
Bill Klein, contact@nwmihort.org
Last Revised: 11-6-06