Building The Future - Legacy Society Newsletter, Fall 2014

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HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GREATER SAN FRANCISCO INC 500 WASHINGTON ST STE 250 SAN FRANCISCO CA 94111-2947

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Stars Align for Legacy Gift

bfeinberg@habitatgsf.org to talk about the impact your gift can make at Habitat Greater San Francisco.

CONTACT Bonnie Feinberg at (415) 625-1017 or

Wilma Martens, who passed away in November 2013, included bequests to many of the organizations she admired in her estate plan, including Habitat Greater San Francisco.

Wilma worked for a Lutheran Children’s Agency before deciding to join the army. She joined during the Korean War and was sent to Yokohama, Japan.

There, she helped soldiers and their families deal with dislocation and separation.

After three years in the army, she worked for 27 years as a guidance counselor at the VA Hospital in San Francisco. She retired at age 61.

Wilma tirelessly continued her volunteering work during her retirement, before passing in November 2013 at the age of 93.

Wilma once shared, “I’ve had an unbelievably fortunate life. My stars are in alignment even though my back isn’t!”

Given her unwavering passion, it is no surprise that Wilma was determined to provide help beyond her lifetime. With no spouse or children of her own, she ultimately decided to help future generations through her estate.

Wilma structured a generous bequest to support many organizations that she admired including Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco.

We are honored that Wilma allocated a percentage of her estate to Habitat Greater San Francisco. Through this generous legacy gift, countless families will be given the opportunity to build secure and stable futures.

Learn how you can build a legacy for families in need by contacting Bonnie Feinberg at (415) 625-1017 or bfeinberg@habitatgsf.org.

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about the good work we do and how you can make a difference.

VISIT www.habitatgsf.org to uncover more

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the FREE organizer tool Your Guide: Locating Important Documents.

Wilma Martens was an extraordinary woman. Born in 1920 in Illinois, Wilma was a “wild and wiggly” only child. She graduated high school in 1938 and went on to attend the University of Chicago, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. She had found her perfect career.

RETURN the survey attached inside to request

Habitat Greater San Francisco has built affordable housing for hard-working families for the past 25 years. As more families find themselves priced out of this region, our mission is more critical than ever. We have always been bent on finding inventive solutions to our area’s real estate challenges.

To celebrate this anniversary, we invite you to visit www.habitatgsf.org/25years to learn more about our history and to make a donation to help provide homeownership opportunities for years to come. Together, we will celebrate the 200-plus homes we’ve built, the homes we’re currently building, the communities we work to strengthen and the people who make it happen.

Fall 2014

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In 1989, Peninsula Habitat for Humanity was incorporated, the first step in providing homeownership opportunities to working families in this region. Habitat for Humanity San Francisco was founded a few years later. These two organizations merged to become Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco in 2008.

Happy Holidays From Habitat for Humanity

Celebrating 25 Years of Building Forward

It seems like just yesterday we were ringing in the new year, but it’s already time to start preparing for this year’s end. To help you get started, this issue of Building the Future contains information you need to get your giving plans—which often involve tax benefits for you—in order. Once you are done looking over this issue, take these steps to learn more:

500 Washington Street, Suite 250 San Francisco, CA 94111

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What’s Inside:

• 5 Ways to Help Before Dec. 31 • Why Timing Matters

Please Return This Quick Survey Today

5 Ways to Help Before Dec. 31

Your feedback is important to us. Thank you!

Make a Difference With These Smart Donation Options The end of the year will be here before we know it. It is important to start planning now for how you want to make an impact this year. There are many gift options from which to choose, several of which offer attractive benefits for you while supporting our important work.

Here are five popular ways to help before the year comes to a close:

Why Timing Matters

2. Give appreciated stock. When you give stock to Habitat Greater San Francisco, we’ll sell it and you will eliminate all the capital gains tax you would have paid had you sold it. Your gift will be deductible at its full fair market value on its date of delivery if you have held it for more than one year.

When you make a donation to Habitat Greater San Francisco this year, we both benefit.

Your generosity enables us to meet urgent needs and carry out our mission daily. You’re able to choose how your gift is used and receive a charitable deduction on your income taxes when you itemize. To receive these benefits, however, you must time your gift appropriately.

3. Donate an insurance policy. A gift of a life insurance policy you no longer need makes a perfect year-end gift. To qualify as a deductible gift, Habitat Greater San Francisco must become the policy owner. For most types of insurance policies, your tax deduction is usually the cost basis or the fair market value of the policy—whichever is less.

A Very Important Date All gifts must be completed on or before Dec. 31 to qualify for an income tax deduction this year.

• Cash contributions sent through the mail are usually deductible if they are mailed by midnight on Dec. 31.

• Stock is generally deductible on the date it is fully transferred (if done electronically) to our books—not the date you ask your broker to make the transfer.

• Life income gifts are considered in place once you return the signed contract to us along with your donation.

• Real estate gifts, in most states, are considered complete on the date a properly executed deed is delivered to us.* • Tangible personal property gifts are complete once the property is delivered to us.* • Life insurance gifts are considered complete on the date you sign the paperwork transferring ownership to Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, assuming you properly forward the form on to the insurance company.

4. Give real estate, artwork or other tangible personal property. Give property that would have resulted in the greatest capital gain if you would have sold the asset instead.* 5. A gift of your retirement plan assets. By naming us as the primary beneficiary on the beneficiary designation form for a percentage (1-100) of your acount’s final value, you can make a tax-wise gift to support our work after your lifetime.

Contact Bonnie Feinberg at (415) 625-1017 or bfeinberg@habitatgsf.org for helpful tips about getting the most from your gift this year.

* Subject to our Gift Acceptance Policy. © The Stelter Company. The information in this publication is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical purposes only and are subject to change. References to estate and income taxes include federal taxes only. State income/estate taxes or state law may impact your results.

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Thank you for your support! It is because of you that we are able to build a secure, stable future for local families.

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1. Give cash. Cash is an easy way to give each year and can be used to prepay a pledge. To document a cash gift of any amount, you must have a dated receipt from us. Make certain you receive one. A cancelled check provides sufficient documentation only for gifts by check if they are less than $250.

□ I would like a FREE copy of Your Guide: Locating Important Documents.

Which of the following describe you? (Check all that apply.)

I would like to provide a hand-up… □ Today. Please contact me so I can arrange a gift of cash. □ This year. Please contact me to discuss the different ways to give besides cash. □ After my lifetime. Please send me sample language to share with my attorney to include in my will or trust.

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