A 501(C)(3) Charitable Organization serving Union County, Ohio since 1992 Home General About the Foundation Frequently Asked Questions Staff Governing Board Affiliations Annual Report Financial Review Newspaper Articles Contact the Foundation Foundation Funds Investments Grants & Scholarships Guidelines for Grantmaking Grant Application Form (.pdf) Grant Application Form (.doc) Description of Scholarships Scholarship Application Forms (available Jan.- Apr.) Gift Annuities Q&A: Charitable Gift Annuities Gift Forms Forms for Advisors Admin Fee Schedule 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and the Richwood Gazette over the past several years; so some information regarding specific years may be out-of-date.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) #99 Alternative to Low Interest Rates (29 May 2008) #100 Too Little... but Not too Late (19 June 2008) #101 Understanding F.D.I.C. & S.I.P.C. Insurance (Part 1) (16 July 2008) #102 Understanding F.D.I.C. & S.I.P.C. Insurance (Part 2) (15 August 2008) #103 Which Assets Best to Leave to Charity (18 September 2008) #104 Retirement Account Charitable Rollover Extended (23 October 2008) #105 The Results Are In -- Giving Increases Happiness (20 November 2008) #106 Year End Guidelines for Charitable Giving (18 December 2008) #107 Back to the Future (19 January 2009) #108 The Gift that Never Stops Giving (February 2009) #109 Charitable Visions Fulfilled (26 March 2009) #111 Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust Made Simple (22 April 2009) #112 The Simple Things That Make Our County Great! (28 May 2009) #113 The Positive Momentum of Charity (23 June 2009) #114 More Than Just a Picture (23 July 2009) #115 The Surprising Answer to the Not So Surprising Question (21 August 2009) #116 An Unexpected Act of Charity (24 September 2009) #117 Bequests (24 November 2009) The Spirit of Christmas (21 December 2009) #118 Perfectly Confusing -- 2010 Estate Tax (26 January 2010) #119 “Helps” Fund (5 March 2010) For more information on the Union County Foundation, email: info@UnionCountyFoundation.org Copyright © 2006-2010 The Union County Foundation.