Outright Gift

One of the easiest ways to donate is by giving an outright gift. In addition to accepting checks or cash, secure donations by credit card via the telephone are also accepted. Assets that have appreciated in value and have been held for more than a year, such as stocks or real estate, are an excellent source of outright giving. You can deduct the fair market value of the asset donated to the organization and pay no capital gains tax on the increased value. An outright donation is not only personally fulfilling, but offers potential tax benefits as well. We would be happy to discuss how such a gift might work in your situation.

Bequests

Many donors find that the best way to make a lasting difference is to remember the Center for the Arts in their wills. When you are creating—or revising—your estate plans, it is simple to include favorite charitable organizations. Your bequest can be an outright gift of a specific amount, or you may prefer to give a percentage of your residuary estate. You can make a bequest to support a favorite project, or you can make a gift for the Center for the Arts’ general purposes. You can make a gift in memory of a loved one or a bequest to endow your annual gift. The choice is yours. Whatever you decide to do, when you name the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs in your will you will be making a significant difference—and can leave a legacy that will benefit generations to come.

Charitable Trusts

If you are considering a major gift, a "life income gift" can significantly increase your income! A life income gift allows you to transfer assets now, and yet continue to receive income from the item contributed. A life income gift can allow you to: 1) increase your income for life; 2) receive a generous charitable contribution deduction; and 3) if you contribute stock, avoid any capital gains tax on the appreciation!

A life income gift is often made through a trust arrangement called a "unitrust" or an "annuity trust." With a unitrust, you and/or your spouse (or another beneficiary) receive annually a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the assets in the trust. The income received will vary from year to year, based upon how the trust’s investments perform. With an annuity trust, you and/or your spouse (or another beneficiary) receive a fixed amount from the trust each year. This amount is agreed upon when you create the trust; it stays constant, no matter what happens with the stock market or interest rates.

Endowment

Creating an endowment fund is a wonderful way to honor the Center for the Arts; provide financial support to a worthy project or recipient, receive tax benefits, and continue a project in your name or the name of a loved one long into the future.

Once the endowment gift is established, we will set up the fund and pay a fixed percentage of its annual value to the designated recipient or project each year, reinvesting additional earnings and building up the fund over time. Because use of the fund is restricted to a small portion each year, the fund can last in perpetuity—forever.

Endowment funds are often named after the donor, but they can be named in honor or memory of any individual. If you decide to set up an endowment fund with the Center for the Arts, we will work with you to create a fund that will serve your needs and ours. Together, we will determine the purpose of the fund, develop a personalized fund description, describe the ideal recipient or project to benefit from the annual payments from the fund. We will also devise a backup plan to be used in the event that the fund’s original purpose becomes impractical or obsolete.

Memorials

Making a memorial gift to a charitable organization is a wonderful way to honor and remember an individual who was admired, loved and respected. Your gift is a lasting tribute to the important part that he or she played in your life and/or in our organization. It can establish a permanent link with the past and encourages others to participate in a vision for the future. Your memorial gift can be made to establish an endowment, to support a scholarship fund or to support another project at the Center for the Arts that is of special interest to you.

There are many different ways we can recognize your memorial gift. Your honoree might be named in a report or program, or the name might be inscribed on a plaque. Scholarships to deserving individuals could be awarded in memory of your loved one.

For a larger gift, your honoree’s name might be placed in a room, a gallery, studio, or even a building. The form of recognition will depend on the nature of your gift, your personal wishes and circumstances.

Scholarships

Few gifts offer greater satisfaction than a gift to establish a scholarship. You can experience the pleasure of enabling students to receive quality arts education and also follow their progress as they learn and grow. It is a contribution that gives back to the community and one that serves as an example for others to follow—it is a gift you will remember for the rest of your life.

We are dedicated to ensuring that opportunities are available for today’s students to achieve their dreams of growing, learning and making a difference. Providing scholarship awards, based on both financial need and outstanding artistic performance is an integral part of this goal. Providing scholarships based on excellence attracts both top students and top faculty and rewards students for their hard work and dedication. Providing scholarships for students with financial need allows students with diverse backgrounds and experiences to come together in the common pursuit of artistic education.

In order to make a difference we must continue to develop a variety of scholarship programs that guarantee an education to all deserving students. More than half of our students receive some sort of financial aid. For many of these students, a scholarship isn’t a luxury; it is a necessity. As local schools continue to reduce their art departments, the need for quality arts experiences provided by the Center for the Arts rises. Without our help, the expense of quality arts education is off-limits to more and more qualified students.

There are many ways you can establish a scholarship. You can give to existing scholarship funds in any amount you wish. If your gift is large enough, you can set up a new scholarship fund in your name—or in memory of a deceased loved one—or as an endowed scholarship named for a special individual. And you can help set the guidelines for selecting these scholarship recipients. In this way, your values, goals and interests are perpetuated through your gift.