Making a Difference in the Lives of Others

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1 Our Mission: To enrich the life of each senior we serve. January, 2017 Making a Difference in the Lives of Others Giving & Receiving Having a reliable stream of income is a good thing in retirement. And that s just what The Village at Gainesville residents Terry and Pat Morrow are receiving after setting up a charitable gift annuity with the Foundation. The Morrow s (shown at right) transferred assets to the annuity which now pays them a guaranteed fixed income for the rest of their lives. After they both pass away, the remainder value becomes a gift to The Village at Gainesville Foundation to help enrich the lives of their friends and neighbors at The Village. The charitable gift annuity is about both giving and receiving! You can create your own legacy, just like the Morrow s, simply by asking for a free proposal to see what rate of return you could receive from your own charitable gift annuity. The minimum amount required to establish a charitable gift annuity is $10,000. The annuity can be for one life or two. Payments to you can start right away or be delayed until a future date. Your rate could be between 4% and 9%! Call Foundation Director David Kremer today ( ) with your name(s), birthdate(s), and the amount of money you wish to use to create the annuity. He ll then promptly get you a free proposal for you to review with your own advisors and family. It s a quick and easy way to help and beats the daylights out of earning just 1%. Inside: Attorney tips on keeping your will up to date!

2 Keeping your Will or Trust Up to Date By McCabe G. Harrison It s important to keep your estate planning documents up to date, but, unfortunately, many people either forget or avoid updating their wills or trusts on a regular basis. Periodically reviewing your will and/or trust every three to five years and after major life events is vital to ensuring that your estate is properly managed when you pass away or in the event of lifetime incapacity. Whenever you have a change in your family, such as the birth of a new grandchild, or the marriage, divorce, or death of a family member, it may be necessary to update your will or trust to reflect these changes and make sure that your assets will be properly given to your loved ones. Additionally, it may be necessary to have your estate plan updated when your assets change or when you move, in order to ensure that your estate plan fits your needs and is up to date with the law in your current jurisdiction. Another reason to look at updating your estate plan is that estate tax laws have changed drastically in the last decade, and more changes may be in the works. These changes in the law can greatly affect the way your estate plan should be drafted, and updates to reflect the changes may be needed. Older plans often contain complex tax planning that, for most people, has become unnecessary. Reviewing your estate plan at regular intervals and at major life events will help ensure that your legacy is passed on according to your wishes. Editor s Note: McCabe G. Harrison is a volunteer member of The Village at Gainesville Foundation s planned giving committee. He is an attorney and a partner with the Ossi, Withers & Harrison, P.A. law firm. You can reach him at 4731 NW 53rd Ave, Ste 1, Gainesville, FL 32653, The Village at Gainesville Foundation is actively seeking donors willing to include a gift to The Village in their will, trust or estate plan to enrich the lives of their friends and neighbors at The Village.

3 Tired of Earning 1%? Consider a Charitable Gift Annuity A charitable gift annuity with The Village at Gainesville Foundation is a legal contract between the Foundation and you, in which you agree to provide a gift and, in exchange, we guarantee you income for life! So, How Much Can You Earn? The annuity will pay you a fixed amount for the rest of your life. To get the exact amount you can earn, contact us with your name(s), birthdate(s) and the amount of money you plan to fund the annuity with. We ll get you a FREE proposal showing the payments and tax benefits. Your charitable gift annuity may pay you as much as 4-to-9%! You can set up the charitable gift annuity to make payments to either one or two individuals (beneficiaries or annuitants), for their lifetime. Payments can start right away or later. You can use cash, securities, and other real property to fund the annuity. Tax deductions for this type of life-income gift vary with the number of recipients and the age of the donor at the time of the gift. It may be beneficial to you to use appreciated assets to fund the annuity. Free Proposal Contact David Kremer at dkremer@nfrv.org or (mobile) Legacy Society Growing! We just added another name to the plaque listing members of The Village at Gainesville Foundation Legacy Society! Stop by the Lake House lobby (The Commons) and take a look. We d love to add your name as well. The Legacy Society is for those who want to enrich the lives of seniors at The Village by including a gift to The Village in their will, trust, or some other type of estate plan. See our brochure online: Endowments Normally a donor makes a gift for a certain purpose, The Village thanks them and the money is spent on that purpose. With endowments, the donor makes a gift for a certain purpose, The Village thanks them and then the money is invested. Only the earnings are used each year for the purpose the donor chose. A minimum of $10,000 is required to establish an endowment fund. Contact us for more information.

4 2016 Memorial & Honor Giving Gifts listed below were received in 2016 as a tribute to someone special. Memorial gifts are frequently made to remember a loved one who has passed away. Others make gifts to honor those still living. The Village at Gainesville Foundation wishes to thank these generous stewards for helping to enrich the life of each senior we serve. In Honor of Azalea Trace Residents Ajsha Mims In Memory of Claudia and Frank Bailey Bob & Barbara Hudson ~Thank you! In Memory of Gill Boissoneault Jeannie Layton Cathy & Robert Costello Ruth Breier Col. Keith Stedman Mrs. Peggy Breier Stedman Ann Souder Patricia Breier Dorothy Banks Carol Rogers In Memory of Carolyn Brannon Hill Brannon In Memory of Dr. William Brown Dr. & Mrs. William Collett In Honor of Virginia Egensteiner Eva Egensteiner In Memory of Freda Green Vivian Reidling In Memory of William Huston Helen Glover Vivian Reidling In Memory of Richard Keiber Anonymous In Honor of Joanne Kremer David Kremer In Honor of William L. Peach Cheryl Huntington In Memory of Dr. Gordon Prine Mary Prine In Honor of Margaret Rodgers Kenneth & Sharon Linthicum In Memory of Margaret Rosenberger Betty Samara Vivian Reidling Hazel Walter David & Joanne Kremer Anonymous Lilla Moye Frances Head In Memory of Robert A. Smith Alberta E. Smith In Memory of Nancy Spikes Dr. & Mrs. William Collett In Memory of Rita Zimmermann Bob & Barbara Hudson NOTE: Our annual listing of donors and financial report will be featured in our April newsletter.

5 A Special Thank You Donors to The Village at Gainesville Foundation s Helping Hands benevolent care fund are touching real people s hearts. Here s a recent note from a recipient: My deepest appreciation for your helping hands at this most difficult time in my life. I have spent a good share of my time and life helping others and am finding it difficult to be on the receiving end. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and God Bless all who had a part - Helping Hands Recipient Spreading the word Know someone else who you think would like receiving our newsletter? We d be happy to include them. Your referral means a great deal. Let us know with a quick note or an to: dkremer@nfrv.org. Thank you! Sign up for E-News! Like to join our list? Simply send an to let us know: dkremer@nfrv.org Thank you! New Van An anonymous supporter donated her vehicle to The Village at Gainesville Foundation. We sold it and used the proceeds to help us buy a new van used to transport seniors to various appointments. She was able to claim a tax deduction for the value of the car while knowing that her gift helped her friends at The Village! You ve Got Mail! Another donor recently made an anonymous gift to help the Foundation purchase a needed new mailbox for residents at Azalea Trace. This family member of a resident saw the need for an improvement and worked with the Foundation to make it happen! Easy Monthly Giving A friend of The Village recently filled out an easy form to set up automatic monthly gifting to the Foundation. She chose the amount and what account the money should come from and we set it up. This might be a quick and easy way for you to help as well.

6 Preventing Elder Abuse As part of our mission to enrich the life of each senior we serve, we want to share helpful information with you about preventing elder abuse. One common form of elder abuse is financial exploitation. The Florida Department of Elder Affairs has this advice on how to prevent it: Stay Socially Active isolation increases your risk of becoming a victim Get to Know Advisers establish relationships with the professionals who handle your money, they can help detect changes in your activity that may signal a problem. Understand What You Are Signing before you assign a power of attorney, understand the scope of the agreement and the authority you are giving your agent. Be Cautious of Joint Accounts both parties are equal owners of the account and both have equal access to the funds. Document Financial Arrangements by putting these in writing, you not only protect yourself but you also reduce the likelihood of legal proceedings. Ask for Help Financial matters can be confusing. Ask your own trusted advisers and family for help. Use direct deposit for checks. Don t sign blank checks allowing someone else to fill in the amount. Don t leave valuables in plain view. Don t sign anything you don t understand. Be aware of scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don t give anyone your ATM PIN number and cancel your card immediately if it is stolen. Check your bank statements carefully for unauthorized withdrawals. To report elder abuse, neglect or exploitation, call the Adult Protective Services Abuse Hotline at For m ore inform ation:

7 What does Advancing Exceptional Associates Mean? Along with caring for seniors in need, providing vital services and programs and ensuring state of the art homes and technology, The Village at Gainesville Foundation accepts gifts for advancing exceptional associates. Associates is the word we use to describe our employees. The Foundation has two ways it helps our exceptional associates to advance. 1. ASSOCIATE ASSISTANCE FUND A recent family situation left one of our associates suddenly trying to support her kids and make ends meet on her own. Before she could get her feet on the ground, she received an eviction notice. Thanks to donors to the Foundation s associate assistance fund, we were able to quickly get $500 to her to help with the difficult journey. Your gifts make a difference. 2. ASSOCIATE SCHOLARSHIP FUND Three associates were given generous educational scholarships of $5,000 each this year to help them pursue their dreams. A committee made up of residents and management met to review the applications and make award decisions. Generous donors throughout the year who specify a gift for this associate scholarship fund helped make these dreams come true! Donors, of course, may choose how they want their gifts used. Contributions of any size, large or small, to either of these funds are welcome year-round. A Night in - Your Invitation! Several years ago, we had special fundraising events called A Night in Paris or A Night in the Orient. Last year, our event actually was a night in! Instead of buying dinner tickets, having your hair done and buying new clothes, we invited people to stay home, spend time with friends or family, and donate the money they saved by not attending an event to the associate scholarship fund. The support was wonderful! So in 2017, please spend another night at home. W e again invite you to this non-event which raises money to provide educational scholarships to our associates. Donate online or mail your donation in today! By the way, we may have another actual event someday. But, if we do, it will be run by volunteers and held at another location.

8 Our Vision: To Be The Trusted Choice for Seniors The Foundation amplifies the gifts of compassionate donors to enrich the lives of seniors in our community by caring for seniors in need, providing vital services and programs, ensuring state of the art homes and technology and advancing exceptional associates. A copy of the official Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services solicitation of contributions registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling toll free within the state: HELP-FLA ( ) or visiting Check out our gold star status at Guidestar: If you no longer wish to receive fundraising communications from us, simply call or dkremer@nfrv.org to let us know. Please include the spelling of your name & your address. Contact: David A. Kremer, Director 8000 NW 27th Blvd Gainesville, FL Office: dkremer@nfrv.org Online: thevillageonline.com/ foundation/ SantaFe Senior Living Foundation, Inc. is doing business in the Gainesville area as The Village at Gainesville Foundation. The Village at Gainesville Foundation 8000 NW 27th Blvd Gainesville, FL 32606