Press Release

leaders encourage keep donations local

Date: 12-15-08

COLDWATER, MI—

In October seniors at the H.C. Burnside Center heard from the Better Business Bureau about using caution when making charitable gifts.  This is always wise advice, but we would like to clarify a couple of points and take the advice a step further. 

We in Branch County are blessed with many generous individuals and businesses as well as many wonderful non-profits doing incredible work.  If you want to insure your gift goes to a good cause, and is being used wisely by upstanding organizations, look to our own community.  You can see first hand the good they are doing.  You also have the opportunity to get to know any of our local non-profits just by calling them or stopping by during business hours.  Any legitimate non-profit maintains an open door policy and by law is required to show you proof of non-profit status, the license to solicit and the latest IRS financial report.    

In order to qualify as a non-profit an organization must meet requirements established by the Internal Revenue Service and receive a letter of determination indicating its non-profit status. There are annual reporting requirements and the organization must annually renew its License to Solicit which allows it to receive donations.  These are public documents which the non-profit is required to make available to anyone who asks.  These documents are also posted on Guidestar.com.  The Better Business Bureau charitable listing is voluntary and many worthwhile organizations will not be found on the site, including those listed at the bottom of this letter. On the other hand any organization which files the IRS 990 or 990-EZ will be included on Guide Star; it is not by choice.

The HomeTown Competitiveness project has been working hard toward building the economic health and long term betterment of our community.  One of the areas of this project in which we can all participate and all benefit is charitable giving.  We would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to Keep Your Legacy Local. 

You can keep your legacy local by making your end of the year gifts as well as the gifts in your will or estate to local agencies.  We encourage everyone to find out how to make a gift which benefits you and even benefits your heirs.  Ask your attorney, your accountant or contact one of us for the name of an advisor who can assist.

Colleen Knight                                                Christine Delaney

Branch County Community Foundation         Tibbits Opera Foundation

Julie Stratos                                                      Hillary Eley 

Community Health Center Foundation            Branch Area Chamber of Commerce

Judy Krzeminski                                              Barb Rosene

Branch County United Way                                 Downtown Development Authority