Holidays spur more discussion about giving.
As the holidays approach, the idea of giving moves toward the front of many people’s minds. Some folks seek out groups to help out and make a year-end contribution. Others seek agencies that offer gifts, basic necessities and food to make the holiday season brighter. It’s a way of offering a little light and love. Generous benefactors make donations to non-profits near and dear to their hearts.
For KCPT, pledge drives, underwriters and other funding sources are important. Co-Director of Leadership Giving Nancy Kaiser Caplan says giving is a way to practice leadership. “It’s also a chance to not be forgotten. Of course, we encourage planned gifts and to that end, we offer workshops, do spots on-air and hope that folks call about making legacy gifts. By doing so, they will ensure generations to come that they will have the quality programming they grew up appreciating.”
Gift annuities, life insurance proceeds, charitable trusts, and private foundations are a few ways donors plan their gifts. Planning for gifts may include giving through a will, living trusts, life insurance proceeds, retirement plan remainders or investment account remainders. Charitable trusts come in two forms. The first allows the gift giver to receive income and then at death, to have that gift diverted to the charity. The second is to have income from the trust go to the charity now and the rest goes to a beneficiary, often a family member at the donor’s death.
Caplan says she wants to see families teach their children to be philanthropists. “I would let my kids pick a charity, especially around this time of the year. It’s a good time to teach values during the holidays. We are lucky here in Kansas City because we have a very giving community,” she says.
In a previous interview, William Lowe, senior vice president and senior wealth advisor with UMB’s Investment & Wealth Management division, said “As we help clients evaluate their giving and the issues that are important to them, many times people realize there are other areas they would like to support as well.
This is extremely rewarding as we see people shift from the passive ‘doing what they have always done’ to creating a
very meaningful and purpose-driven gifting plan.”
As these conversations progress, Lowe says they generally discover myriad reasons that motivate individuals and families to be generous with gifts, including the passing down of philanthropic ideologies and responsibilities to younger generations. For some, the rewards of family discussions and family philanthropy are just as significant to the family as they are the charities. “In some cases this is another way for older generations to further tie the family together. The new normal family is mom, dad, stepdad, stepsister, brother and sister. As such, we see families using this process to bring everyone together to discuss personal values. It’s really establishing a family purpose, mission and legacy,” Lowe said.
Leadership Giving Co-Director Jill Tupper says KCPT seeks to cultivate new givers. “When people see the variety offered on public television, education, sustainability, entrepreneurship and the arts, they see that public television and KCPT in particular highlights the same interests and concerns. These are the things that affect our humanity. Sure, legacy giving is important, but we also want to build relationships in our community,” she says. “It all works together.”
