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Giving From the Heart: Caring for the Children of Our Community

Special legacies are created by special people. Robert Moore and his late wife, Joyce, are two of those special people whose charitable giving comes from the heart- and from the memories they shared.

Robert and Joyce had an adventurous and wonderful life raising their family. Bob worked for an international oil and gas company and as a result, they lived all over the world, including places like Indonesia and Libya.

After more than 30 years of working and traveling, Bob retired and he and Joyce returned to New York to start a Christmas tree farm. For 10 years they enjoyed working in the outdoors, growing those trees that provide the magical centerpiece for families during the Christmas holidays before finally retiring to Florida.

Joyce grew up in a rural town in New York. As with most rural towns, access to health care, particularly pediatric health care, was limited. Joyce's mom, Mary Merrihew, decided to start a well-baby clinic in her home, working alongside a visiting nurse. From then on, Mary frequently opened up her home to mothers and babies to ensure they received proper care. Joyce worked alongside her mom and the visiting nurse.

This special memory of Joyce's led Bob and Joyce to establish a trust that would later benefit The Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida. Upon Joyce's death, a significant gift was delivered to Lee Memorial Health System Foundation to benefit the little ones of Southwest Florida.

Bob says, "I understand that someone once asked Warren Buffett or Bill Gates about their philosophy of giving. The answer was to choose the matter closest to your heart and to concentrate your donations to it-to reduce your contributions to those peripheral things in order to make a difference in those issues where you really care.

"Accordingly, in my own case and together with additional contributions from my wife's trust, I have chosen to direct most of our giving to the creation of the new Children's Hospital. Our passion and now mine alone was, and still is, a result of our family's history of caring for children.

"From my home, I can see the hospital every day, the people-and especially the children who receive loving care there. I am mindful of my wife who died there with that same tender care that I see delivered to everyone who enters the hospital's doors.

"My most recent gift combines a gift annuity and an estate note, a unique charitable giving vehicle which allows me to defer a large portion of my new pledge to the Children's Hospital Capital Campaign. In doing so, I will provide the needed funds to name a room in the hospital as a memorial of our family's support of this very worthy and essential contribution to the children of our community."

HIPAA

A charitable bequest is one or two sentences in your will or living trust that leave to Lee Health Foundation a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.

an individual or organization designated to receive benefits or funds under a will or other contract, such as an insurance policy, trust or retirement plan

"I give to Lee Health Foundation, a nonprofit corporation currently located at 9800 South HealthPark Drive, Suite 405, Fort Myers, FL 33908, or its successor thereto, ______________ [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose."

able to be changed or cancelled

A revocable living trust is set up during your lifetime and can be revoked at any time before death. They allow assets held in the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court proceedings and can also reduce federal estate taxes.

cannot be changed or cancelled

tax on gifts generally paid by the person making the gift rather than the recipient

the original value of an asset, such as stock, before its appreciation or depreciation

the growth in value of an asset like stock or real estate since the original purchase

the price a willing buyer and willing seller can agree on

The person receiving the gift annuity payments.

the part of an estate left after debts, taxes and specific bequests have been paid

a written and properly witnessed legal change to a will

the person named in a will to manage the estate, collect the property, pay any debt, and distribute property according to the will

A donor advised fund is an account that you set up but which is managed by a nonprofit organization. You contribute to the account, which grows tax-free. You can recommend how much (and how often) you want to distribute money from that fund to Lee Health Foundation or other charities. You cannot direct the gifts.

An endowed gift can create a new endowment or add to an existing endowment. The principal of the endowment is invested and a portion of the principal’s earnings are used each year to support our mission.

Tax on the growth in value of an asset—such as real estate or stock—since its original purchase.

Securities, real estate or any other property having a fair market value greater than its original purchase price.

Real estate can be a personal residence, vacation home, timeshare property, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land.

A charitable remainder trust provides you or other named individuals income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create.

You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for a number of years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select. This is an excellent way to transfer property to family members at a minimal cost.

You fund this type of trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. You can also make additional gifts; each one also qualifies for a tax deduction. The trust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to Lee Health Foundation as a lump sum.

You fund this trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. Each year the trust pays you or another named individual the same dollar amount you choose at the start. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to Lee Health Foundation as a lump sum.

A beneficiary designation clearly identifies how specific assets will be distributed after your death.

A charitable gift annuity involves a simple contract between you and Lee Health Foundation where you agree to make a gift to Lee Health Foundation and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life.
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