For more information about
Tax-Free Donations from your IRA,
click here.

To help meet the needs of an ever growing senior population, donations of any size are always welcome.  Donations may be general or designated to a specific program or purpose.  All donations, regardless of size, are greatly appreciated.  There are many ways you can contribute: 

• Memorials may be made to honor a friend or loved one.
• Make a donation to mark a special occasion, like a birthday or anniversary.
• Join with others at work, in a club, church group or organization to make a contribution.
• Make a pledge to give regularly (annual, semiannual, quarterly or monthly).
• Make a gift to specifically fund a service or purchase needed equipment or supplies.

Gifts may come in a variety of forms, including:

• Cash Gifts
• Bequests through your will, trust or estate.
• Financial instruments like stocks, bonds, mutual funds and annuities.
• Gifts of real estate.
• Gifts-in-Kind (donate a needed product, service or equipment).

There are several routes by which you may support the mission of The Hancock County Agency on Aging:

• Donations directly to the Agency on Aging (Click Here for a Donation Form).  If you wish to discuss specific needs for which you’d like to make a donation, contact us at 419-423-8496 and ask for Executive Director John Urbanski or Program Development Coordinator Leni Mueller.  Or, Click Here to e-mail.
• The Hancock County Agency on Aging Fund at The Community Foundation: This fund was established in 2004 to provide an ongoing source of funding for the services we provide to seniors, like Chore Services, Outreach, Mobile Meals and Activities.  For more information on this fund or for assistance in arranging a gift, contact The Community Foundation at 419-425-1100 or contact John or Leni at 419-423-8496 or Click Here to e-mail.
• The Senior Center Facility Fund: This fund was created to accept contributions towards expanding/upgrading and/or relocating our facilities.  For more information on this fund or for assistance in arranging a gift, contact John or Leni at 419-423-8496 or Click Here to e-mail.
• Click Here to download a Donation Form.

If you have a passion for helping seniors and would like to help us promote or fund our programs in the community, call John or Leni at 419-423-8496 or Click Here.

ACT NOW…
     Limited Time Offer from Uncle Sam
     for Savvy Senior Donors
We’d like to present a generous, limited time offer from the IRS to help savvy seniors support the good works of the Hancock County Agency on Aging/The Senior Center, as well as any of the other worthwhile charities and non-profit organizations that make our community the caring place that it is.

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 is a massive, 900+ pages of legislation signed into law in August. While the Act’s main purpose is to shore up under-funded company pension plans, there is one provision that opens up a whole new source of funds for donations, while providing an unexpected tax break for the donor.

We all know that if the government gives a tax deduction or deferral, that somewhere down the line we will need to pay the tax; Uncle Same doesn’t let you keep deferring the taxes forever. This is especially true with IRA’s where the government requires taxable distributions beginning at age 70 ½. These mandatory distributions can be problematic for those with adequate income from other sources, increasing their overall tax bill.

Under the old tax law, even if a retiree wanted to give some or all of their IRA to charity, they would still have to pay the taxes on the funds before donating it. This is where the charitable IRA donation provision can be a boon to older retirees with philanthropic intentions.

For tax years 2006 and 2007 ONLY, and if you are age 70 ½ or better, you can have money from an IRA sent directly to a charitable organization. The main benefit is that the amount of the gift is kept out of the donor’s taxable income, lowering the filer’s tax bill. This can be especially beneficial for older taxpayers who may not get a tax deduction beyond the standard deduction (non-itemizers). However, if you do itemize, you cannot claim this tax-free distribution as a charitable deduction on Schedule A (sorry, no "double dipping" allowed).

IRA donations may also be good for individuals whose donations are limited to an amount that does not exceed 50% of their adjusted gross income. Because the money goes directly from the IRA to the charity, it isn’t included in gross income and therefore doesn’t count against that limit.

If you would like to know more about how you can support Hancock County Agency on Aging through a charitable gift of any size or from any source, contact John Urbanski or Leni Mueller at 419-423-8496. We’d be happy to discuss the many ways you can help, including our endowment fund at The Community Foundation. And of course, be sure to consult your tax advisor to see just how this new charitable provision might affect your personal tax situation.