BY NANCY BEARD
It is the time of year when we reflect on the reasons why we are thankful. We think about our family, friends, faith, career, community and so much more. During this time, we often share our heartfelt thoughts with others and the reasons for our thankfulness.
I am bursting with thankfulness that we live in the United States, a country with a three-sector system that includes corporate, government and nonprofit. My career has been in the nonprofit sector, so I am incredibly thankful to work with staff and volunteers who roll up their sleeves and dive headfirst into societal problems to produce solutions and work together for the greater good.
During this season when you are reflecting on all that you are thankful for, ponder how nonprofit organizations play a role in your life.
Have you ever received services from a non-profit organization? Before you answer no, remember that most hospitals, educational organizations, churches, religious organizations, museums, libraries, and charities, all fall into the nonprofit sector. Start from childhood and make a list. Put a star beside the one that made the biggest difference and reflect on how you feel when you think about the mission, outreach, and accomplishments of that organization.
Was your life improved by the work of a nonprofit? I personally fell in love with reading due to the nonprofit library in my hometown. At age five, in the 1960s, each week, I walked ten blocks with my six-year-old brother to the library and filled two bags with books and walked home. (That could be dangerous today.) The nonprofit library provided tools needed to equip me for life-long learning.
Have you ever volunteered and felt the mission of an organization through firsthand work? You may have volunteered to serve on the board of directors, served soup to feed the hungry, packed backpacks for school-age children or collected basic supplies for people in need. When you do meaningful work to give a “hand-up” and not a “handout,” you feel the spirit of the work.
Hopefully, you have connected closely to the work of several nonprofit organizations and are enthusiastic about being part of making a difference. Consider what your life might be like if our founding fathers did not create the three-sector system that includes charitable organizations.
If you are bursting with thankfulness, an effortless way to share your appreciation and love is by leaving a legacy gift — a gift that is dispersed upon death — to one or more of the organizations that touched your life and your heart. Do not stop reading now. You are thinking that only wealthy people leave legacy gifts. That is not true, most people can leave a legacy gift from their assets.
It is easy to leave a gift by adding a nonprofit as a beneficiary to a life insurance policy at work or a retirement account. When you create or update a will, you could consider adding an organization as a beneficiary of a percentage of your estate. There are so many ways to leave a legacy and be remembered forever.
If you are ready to leave a legacy gift, share with the organization the reasons you are thankful for their work and how they influenced your life.
Are you bursting with thankfulness? If you are unsure about your next steps on how to leave a legacy gift for favorite organizations in Iredell County, send me an email and I will be happy to help.
Nancy Beard is the director of endowment giving at the United Way of Iredell County. Contact her at nbeard@uwiredell.org.