One way to avoid
paying Uncle Sam more than he deserves is through charitable giving to the
American Lighthouse Foundation.
We exist solely on
donations and without your generous help it would be impossible to save
lighthouses and their history. The projects that we have undertaken will
cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. But it will be worth it. Through our
all-volunteer efforts we are:
♦ Restoring and
maintaining lighthouses, thus allowing future generations the opportunity to
visit them. Remember, lighthouses are among the oldest standing buildings in
America.
♦ Creating a
Teachers Resource Manual, "Kids on the Beam," that can be used by teachers
nationwide to teach 5th and 6th graders lighthouse history and preservation.
One can learn more about early American history by studying lighthouses than
from any other source.
♦ Adopting "The
Lighthouse Kids" as a chapter of ALF, an important step in getting younger
children involved at an early age.
♦ Creating a
first-class lighthouse museum where artifacts and rare documents can be
viewed, enjoyed and learned from. It is important to keep valuable
Lighthouse Service and Coast Guard artifacts out of the hands of private
collectors. A free public lighthouse museum offers future generations the
best insight into our nations lighthouse history.
♦ Fostering and
supporting other lighthouse initiatives and organizations through public
information and advisory services.
♦ Taking public
and political stands to save lighthouses from demolition or improper use and
care, as we have done with Currituck Light in North Carolina, and Squirrel
Point Light in Maine.
You can help in a
number of ways....
Gifts of Stock - Donating stocks, bonds or
appreciated securities are an efficient and smart way to make a
contribution. You take a charitable gift deduction of the full fair market
value of the stock based on the date of transfer and in doing so you avoid
paying the capital gains tax on the appreciated value. However, if you lost
value on a stock, it is better to sell it first and then donate the proceeds
from the sale.
Bequests - Your planned giving or
bequest will provide continue income to ALF and provides a way for you to be
remembered in perpetuity. Please remember to let us know if you have
remembered us in your will.
Sustaining gifts - Sustaining members
are members who generally support ALF at a higher amount than the yearly
membership fees. Obviously, sustaining members can be for whatever amount
you choose. Sustaining gifts can be charged on your credit card each month
or every quarter. This type of dependable income gives the foundation the
ability to budget and plan much more easily for its many projects.
Other gifts - Other worthwhile gifts are
also especially appreciated such as homes, land, automobiles, antiques and
collectibles. Many times people have land or automobiles that they no longer
need or use. These make great donations. Once we even had a fire truck
donated to us. These types of donations allow you to get the fair market
value of the item that you donate and with your receipt from us, deduct it
from your taxes.
Always consult
with your accountant or CPA to find out what's best for you, but please give
from the heart.
It always seems to
come back to the age-old question - How do you want to be remembered?
Enjoy what you
have by planning for what you will give.
To
discuss giving options & becoming an ALF supporter
please contact:
Bob Trapani / ALF Executive Director
