Not all gifts need to be cash. You can provide generous, even dramatic, support of Human Support Services (HSS) through remembering HSS as you complete either your retirement planning or your estate planning. Among the ideas you may want to consider are:

Gifts of Stock or Appreciated Property: Your tax adviser may show you that making a gift of long-held stock or appreciated property may help you provide generous support to those in our community and avoid losing a significant portion of the value to taxes.

Giving a Specific Asset: You may find that a gift of real estate, personal property, artwork or collectibles, or other valuable assets may provide substantial benefit to HSS without the need to sell the item or property first. Your tax advisor can help show you how this may even offset taxes in your current filings.

Remembering HSS in Your Estate: There are several ways to include the work of HSS in your will or living trust. Some suggestions with sample language would be:

• Giving a percentage of your estate: I give to the Human Support Services Foundation, a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois __percentage (__ %) of my estate to be used for the support of Human Support Services.
• Giving a specific dollar amount: I give to the Human Support Services Foundation, a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois, the Sum of ___ dollars ($___) to be used for the support of Human Support Services.
• Residuary or remainder: I give to the Human Support Services Foundation, a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois, all the rest, residuary or remainder of my estate to be used for the support of Human Support Services.
• A bequest to honor a loved one: I give to the Human Support Services Foundation, a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois, (describe your bequest as %, $ or remainder), to create and establish the (fund may be named for a loved one) for the support of Human Support Services.
• Giving a specific asset: (e.g. real estate, painting a collection, or appreciated securities) I give to the Human Support Services Foundation, a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois, (describe the property), to be used for the support of Human Support Services.

Whichever way you elect to show your support of HSS, please know that your gift is greatly appreciated and will be used carefully to help make Monroe County a better place for our neighbors with needs.