Planned Giving Home

Welcome to Intermountain
Planned Giving
Take five minutes to be part of Intermountain's healing work... forever

Ralph Yeager
Senior Development Officer

In recognition of a century of helping and healing children, the Intermountain Centennial Initiative was launched. The Centennial Initiative really isn't a fund-raising campaign; it's more of a commitment-raising campaign.

How does an endowed fund operate? It's pretty simple. To ensure that the endowment-as well as gifts made to it-continues to increase in value in perpetuity, only a portion of annual earnings (no more than 5%) are made available for services. The principal of the fund can never be spent. We like to think of the Intermountain Donor Restricted Endowment in terms of the chicken and the eggs: we can eat the eggs, but we'll never harm the chicken.

Two factors-compound interest (Einstein called it the most powerful force in the universe!) and time-work together in enabling endowed funds to generate phenomenal growth for the future. One famous example is Benjamin Franklin's. In his will, he bequeathed $1,000 lbs sterling each (roughly $4,000) to the cities of Philadelphia and Boston. He instructed that the funds be invested for two hundred years and at the end of that period, the money should be used to do good. Franklin died in 1790. In 1990, each gift had grown to over $2 million.

If the words "endowment" and "legacy gift" convey images of Rockefellers or Bill Gates, then you're not alone. But the sad misconception of endowed giving is that you must be rich or dead to be a philanthropist. Nothing could be further from the truth. Individuals who work, plan for the future, and set aside funds for retirement can make substantial endowment gifts-gifts that will provide enduring levels of support equivalent to the annual giving they made during their lifetimes.

Learn more about the Centennial Initiative

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Meet the Staff

Benefits for Family and Intermountain

There are several types of plans. Many of these have wonderful benefits for the gift donors. Many of these families have enjoyed increased income and generous tax savings. You might start by meeting these friends. Just click on the picture and you can view each story.

Giving Back A Little More
George used the proceeds from the sale of his home in Missoula to establish a sizable life income gift with Intermountain. Why a life income gift? "It's a way to give back to Intermountain while also meeting my own financial needs," explains George. More on Giving Back A Little More >>.

Retired Teacher Still Blessing Children's Lives
In 2006, Barbara decided to consider charitable gift planning as a part of her broader goal of getting all of her estate plans in order. With help, Barbara decided to set up a deferred gift annuity with Intermountain as beneficiary. "I don't need the income right now," explained Barbara," and by deferring payments for five years, I was able to get more in the way of tax benefits." More on Retired Teacher Still Blessing Children's Lives >>.

Income For You, A Gift For Intermountain
Life income gifts have always been an attractive way for donors to receive income while benefiting a qualified charity. For Montana residents, the Montana Endowment Credit is an added incentive for the creation of a life income gift. More on Income For You, A Gift For Intermountain >>.

Good Teacher, Good Example
A lifelong supporter of Intermountain, Jean traces her connection to the early 1930s when she spent a summer in Helena with her father who was on a work assignment. "I visited the campus that summer, and the work Intermountain does for children has been important to me ever since." Jean recently took steps to provide for Intermountain in perpetuity through a charitable gift annuity. "I'm pleased with the gift annuity because it not only provides me with dependable income, but also attractive tax benefits," explains Jean. More on Good Teacher, Good Example >>.

Steps to Wise Giving

There are several steps to help you make wise and prudent gifts. These pages are here to help you learn how gift planning ideas can be of personal benefit. Let us suggest a few steps that would help you in that process.

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