Regina is in need of the prayers and generous contributions of time, talent, and treasure offered by parents, grandparents, alumni, parishioners, administrators, faculty, businesses, and friends. Your financial gift can ensure that Catholic education remains viable in our community.
Selecting the best gift plan depends on your personal financial situation and goals. There are many ways for individuals and businesses to support Regina, with the Regina Foundation serving as the steward of these gifts. Since the Regina Foundation is a non-profit organization gifts are often tax deductible.
Please contact Foundation Executive Director Kecia Boysen 319-354-5866 for further details or with any questions.
15 Ways to Support Regina
1. Outright Support
The simplest and most frequently used method of providing outright support is a cash gift. The Foundation gratefully accepts:
- Online donations can be made securely here.
- Personal checks payable to “Regina Foundation” and mailed to:
Regina Foundation
PO Box 1581
Iowa City, IA 52244-1581 - Credit cards (gifts of $5,000 or less)
- Automatic withdrawal from your checking or savings account (please contact the Foundation office to set this up). You may designate the gift amount you want withdrawn each month/quarter and the use of your gift, and you may discontinue automatic withdrawal at any time by written notice.
2. Annual Appeal
A gift to the Foundation’s Annual Appeal is an investment in Catholic education. Annual funds play essential roles to financially support both Regina’s immediate needs (such as teacher salaries, tuition relief, curriculum development, classroom technology) and its long-term needs (such as endowments and facilities improvements).
If you have not already financially supported this year‛s Annual Appeal, we ask your consideration to make a gift now. As a general rule, gifts to the Appeal are tax deductible. The 2015-2016 Annual Report is available here.
3. Endowments
Endowments are funds permanently set aside to generate investment income “forever” to benefit Regina and its students. Regina’s endowments are critical to the long-term financial survival of Regina, and reflect a fiscal responsibility from one generation to the next.
You may choose to make a gift to one of the three established endowments, or create your own named endowment fund. Either way, these gifts perpetuate “forever” your wishes to benefit students with a Regina Catholic education.
How does it work? The principal of the endowed gift is invested (and never touched) to protect the “purchasing power” of your gift over time, while providing steadily growing numbers of spendable income (approximately 4% interest paid out annually to Regina). The Regina Foundation endowments are overseen by the Foundation’s Finance Committee (a subcommittee of the Foundation Board of Directors) and other local financial consultants.
To learn how to establish an endowment please contact Foundation Executive Director Kecia Boysen 319-354-5866 for further details or with any questions. To learn more about Regina’s current endowments please click here.
4. Appreciated Securities
Gifts of marketable stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares may be the best way for you to make a gift to Regina. Stocks, which have appreciated in value, can be given outright, usually for a larger tax savings than an equivalent cash gift would bring. Stocks, which have lost value, can be sold by the owner, who claims the capital loss and takes the gift deduction. Your gift of appreciated securities makes it possible for you to give more to the school at no greater cost to you.
5. Gifts In-Kind
Contribute goods or services that would otherwise need to be purchased by the Foundation and/or Regina. Such items could include construction materials, instructional equipment, printing costs, etc. In-kind donations are often fully or partially tax deductible.
Insert the photos called “High school entrance” and “Piano” which I’ll send to you in the next email, and include the following text next to the photos: Examples of in-kind gifts include Glen and Nancy Yowell’s contribution of time and materials for the new high school entrance and the donation of several pianos to the school.
6. Matching Gifts
Many donors double their support for the Regina Foundation each year by making use of their employer’s matching gift program. The Foundation is grateful to these companies and foundations for their generosity in recognition of quality Catholic education and what Regina brings to its community-at-large. To find out if your company participates in such a program please consult your Human Resource Department.
7. Memorial Gifts
Memorial gifts are a thoughtful way to recognize a person’s life and accomplishments. The Foundation will notify the family that you have made a gift, and the person being memorialized will be recognized in the Foundation’s annual report. Memorialized persons will also be remembered at the Memorial Masses held annually at Regina in memoriam of the many deceased benefactors of the school.
8. Honorary Gifts
By giving a Gift of Honor to the Foundation, you can demonstrate appreciation for your treasured relationship while also helping Catholic education. An acknowledgment note will be sent to the honoree to announce your gift without disclosing the amount. This is a great gift for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. for the person who has everything.
9. Will or Living Trust Provisions
One of the advantages of giving through a will (bequest) is the flexibility it offers. You don’t have to entirely rewrite your existing will to be able to remember Regina. A simple amendment to your will (codicil) will allow you to name the Regina Foundation (to benefit Regina) as a beneficiary. Your legal consultant can help you make the change, leaving a legacy of faith! Four of the most popular bequest forms are:
- A fixed amount of money or a designated property
- A percentage of the estate
- A double-purpose bequest allows you to give life income to a relative or other loved one and to leave a gift to Regina
- A residual bequest (whatever property remains in one’s estate after specific bequests have been fulfilled is known as residue)
10. Life Insurance (Beneficiary and/or Ownership Designation)
Life insurance policies make excellent gifts to Regina and may reduce the taxation of your estate. Options including the following:
- Name the Regina Foundation (to benefit Regina) to receive a percentage of your life insurance proceeds. Even a gift of 1% of your overall proceeds or your “rest and residue” can be a generous gift.
- Name the Regina Foundation (to benefit Regina) as first, second, or last beneficiary for part or all of your life insurance.
- Do you have a policy that you no longer need because your life circumstances have changed? You can name the Regina Foundation (to benefit Regina) as the policyholder and make a gift of its annual premium to the Foundation. Upon your death, the Foundation (Regina) will receive the policy’s proceeds.
11. Charitable Trust
Charitable trusts and similar gifts provide the donor and/or a beneficiary a lifetime income or income for a designated time with the Foundation (Regina) retaining the remainder.
12. Real and Personal Property
If you own a personal residence or family farm, and you are unsure what will become of it after your death, you may want to use it in an exceptional way for Catholic education. You can gift your house or farm while you live, then continue to live there the remainder of your life and receive any income earned. The earth is the Lord’s. Your gift of property is a symbolic, as well as practical way to support the work of Regina.
13. Retirement Plan Beneficiary Designation
Your savings for retirement represents a lifetime of working and planning. If you or your loved ones don’t use the funds, why not arrange for Regina to put them to work for the glory of God?
- It is easy to arrange a gift through your IRA, pension, or profit-sharing plan
- Adding the Regina Foundation (to benefit Regina) as a final beneficiary of your retirement funds can be as simple as filling out a change-of-address form
- When you make your next contribution to your IRA ask about naming the Foundation (as a beneficiary for Regina)
14. Establish a Named Scholarship
Named scholarships offer individuals, families, alumni/alumni classes, businesses, and other interested parties the opportunity to recognize a person’s life, accomplishments, and beliefs. The criteria for a named scholarship shall be set by the donor in agreement with the Foundation. Donor/donor families are invited to present the scholarship at the annual Regina Scholarship Luncheon held each May at the school. (In keeping with its mission to enhance the financial strength of the Regina Catholic Education Center, the Foundation no longer accepts endowed scholarships for college-bound seniors for their post-secondary education.)
15. Special Projects and Programs
You may wish to gift to a specially designated project or program, such as academics, athletics, fine arts, special events, or technology. Please contact the Foundation office to discuss.
