Serving Union County since 1953 A 501(C)(3) Charitable Organization contact The Foundation Helpful Articles from the Union County Foundation Director Please browse this archive of articles by the Executive Director of the Union County Foundation, David Vollrath. Click on any title below to see the full text of that article. Note: The articles originally appeared in the Marysville Journal-Tribune and the Richwood Gazette over the past several years; so some information regarding specific years may be out-of-date. As is always the case, you will want to consult your financial professional advisor(s) regarding your specific situation in regards to the issues presented here. #1 What in the world is the Union County Foundation? #2 How can I leave a meaningful legacy? #3 What is a “donor advised fund” and what can it do for me? #4 What is a “charitable gift annuity” and what can it do for me? #5 How can I start a scholarship fund? #6 How can I make a gift through The Union County Foundation? #7 Have you thought about a will and bequests? #8 What is a Charitable Remainder Unitrust? #9 Using Community Foundations as a Depository #10 Basic Steps Towards Estate Planning #11 Myth #1 Regarding Wills -- “I Don’t Plan to Die” #12 Myth #2 Regarding Wills -- “Joint Tenant Will Take Care of Other Siblings” #13 Myth #3 Regarding Wills -- “I’ll Place the Land in Joint Tenancy” #14 Myth #4 Regarding Wills -- “They’re Too Expensive and I Have Too Little Property” #15 What Makes for a “Good Inheritance”? #16 What Makes for a “Good Inheritance”? (Part 2) #17 What Makes for a “Good Inheritance”? (Part 3) #18 End of Year Gifts of Stock #19 Guidelines for End-of-Year Donations #20 How to Donate Stock to Charity #21 January Investment Checkup #22 Reviewing your Will and Estate Plan #23 Reviewing Your Plan for Giving #24 Tax Savings for Non-Itemizers #25 Money under the Mattress #26 Market Timing: Friend or Foe? #27 U.S. Savings Bonds... "The All-American Investment" #28 U.S. Savings Bonds... "The All-American Investment", Part 2 #29 U.S. Savings Bonds... "The All-American Investment", Part 3 #30 U.S. Savings Bonds... The Final Chapter #31 A Wonderful Legacy -- Memorial Scholarships #32 Local Fraternals -- Highly Charitable #33 What is "GST" and Why Should You Care? #34 Gifting Real Estate -- "Real" Advantages #35 A Final Gift to Your Family #36 Why Wouldn't You? #37 Top Ten Ways to... #38 Understanding Living Trusts #39 Wills... A Closer Look #40 Perils of “Phishing” #41 Tax Benefits of Charitable Giving #42 Have You Ever Been Asked? #43 Maximizing Tax Benefits from Charitable Gifts (Part 2) #44 Proper Receipting of Charitable Gifts #45 Gifting Land #46 When Do Charitable Gifts Require an Appraisal? #47 “Bargain Sales” 101 #48 2005 Tax Facts #49 Charitable Gifting of Personal Property #50 Charitable Giving & “Quid Pro Quo” #51 Union County Scholarships #52 A Charitable Role Model #53 Charity & Children #54 Retired & Wired #55 Community Foundations #56 Bequests #57 Methods of Gifting Stock #58 Rules for Charitable Giving #59 Irrevocable Charitable Remainder Unitrusts #60 There’s No Place Like Home #61 Gift Annuities -- Often Misunderstood #62 Guide to IRA 2005 Charitable Gifts #63 Understanding Community Foundations #64 “Legacy Costs” #65 “It’s a Wonderful Life” #66 Gifting Life Insurance #67 State of the Union... County Foundation #68 Lasting Legacies #69 Charitable Reporting on Tax Returns #70 Gift Tax Exclusion Increased for 2006 #71 The $188 Billion Dollar Gift #72 Community Foundations #73 Scholarships #74 Juanita Yoder, A Quiet Example to Us All #75 Family Farms and Estate Tax Reform (3 August 2006) #76 Tax-Free Charitable Transfers from IRA’s (24 August 2006) #77 “Real World” Tax-Free Charitable Transfers from IRA’s (20 September 2006) #78 “Real World” Tax-Free Charitable Transfers from IRA’s (Part 2) (11 October 2006) #79 Worth Remembering (1 November 2006) #80 ThanksforGiving (22 November 2006) #81 Year End Giving (15 December 2006) #82 State of the Union County Foundation (24 January 2007) #83 Update on Tax Free Charitable IRA Transfers (21 February 2007) #84 Understanding Community Foundations (14 March 2007) #85 What Brings You Happiness? (5 April 2007) #86 What’s a CRUT? (25 April 2007) #87 Class of 2007 (23 May 2007) #88 Conservation Easements (Land trusts) (20 June 2007) #89 Two for The Ages (11 July 2007) #90 One of a Few Good Men (16 August 2007) #91 Give Yourself a Gift (13 September 2007) #92 Retained Life Estate (10 October 2007) #93 Foundation Investing (8 November 2007) #94 “Last Call” for Tax-Free Charitable Transfers from IRA’s (6 December 2007) #95 A Look Back at 2007 (23 January 2008) #96 Scholarships: A Legacy Worth Consideration (14 February 2008) #97 Starting a Named Fund (13 March 2008) #98 Recognizing the Change (28 April 2008)