United Way Story County offers many ways for supporters to contribute, donating isn’t the only way!
Learn more about the other ways that we empower donors to support United Way Story County and help us achieve our goals and strengthen our community.
When you look toward the future, what kind of community do you want to leave behind? By including United Way of Story County in your estate plans, you create a lasting legacy that will support local families, empower young learners, and strengthen our community for generations to come.
Planned giving is for anyone who wants to ensure that the values they live by today continue to make a measurable difference tomorrow.
How to Leave a Gift in Your Will
A gift in your will or living trust—known as a charitable bequest—is one of the simplest and most flexible ways to make a profound impact. You can designate a specific dollar amount, a particular asset, or a percentage of your remaining estate to United Way of Story County.
Why Choose a Bequest?
Let Us Say Thank You
If you have already included United Way of Story County in your estate plans, please let us know! We would love the opportunity to thank you for your visionary generosity and ensure your gift is recognized exactly as you wish.
To make the process as easy as possible, you can share this standard language with your attorney or estate planner when updating your will or trust:
“I give, devise, and bequeath to United Way of Story County, a non-profit corporation located in Ames, Iowa, [insert dollar amount, percentage of estate, or description of property] to be used for its general tax-exempt purposes in supporting the Story County community.”
Beyond a will, there are several simple ways to give that do not require updating your estate documents. You can name United Way of Story County as a beneficiary of your:
Simply request a “Change of Beneficiary” form from your plan administrator or financial institution to name United Way of Story County as a primary or partial beneficiary.
The recognition levels are listed below. Many thanks to the following individuals and organizations for investing in the future of Story County! Join us by supporting the endowment and helping us build a better Story County for tomorrow.
Membership in the Porch Light Society includes donors who have taken steps to endow a leadership gift of $1,000 or more in perpetuity by either documenting a planned gift that would generate income or endowing through cash gifts or another charitable giving tool. The name of this honored group refers to the early days of when UWSC, then known as the Ames Community Chest, conducted its annual campaign door-to-door. Households who wished to contribute turned on their porch lights to welcome the campaign volunteers. Today’s Porch Light Society honors our legacy as well as our future
Kay and Roger Beckett
Mary and Alan Christy
Carolyn and Chuck Jons
Yvonne and Kevin Kinzler
Jean and Marion Kresse
Teresa and Jami Larson
Frankee and Jim Oleson
Becky Perkovich Parmelee
Suzan and John Shierholz
Marianne and David Spalding
Donors who contribute $1,000 or more annually to the Endowment:
Pat and Louis Banitt
Jennifer and Brian Dieter
Barbara and Harlan Hanson
Liz and Randy Hertz
Carolyn and Chuck Jons
Mary Jo and Roger Kluesner
Jean and Marion Kresse
Beverly and Warren Madden
Marie and Ken McCuskey
Barbara and Robert Mittman
Jim Oleson
Ruth Ann Robson
Pam and Dan Sargent
Cosette and Lou Scallon
Karen Wagner
Donors who contributed before 2014 with a gift that helped begin the Endowment
Roberta Abraham
Barb and Jack Adams
Julia F. Anderson
Julia Apple-Smith and Ron Smith
Pat and Louis Banitt
Irene Beavers
Sharon and Jeff Becker
Kay and Roger Beckett
Jean Beckwith Bailey
George Belitsos
Neala and Chuck Benson
Jan and George Beran
Doreen and Kenneth Berg
Sue and Craig Bjorkgren
Roberta and Robert Boeke
Jo and Verle Burgason
Ann Campbell
Jeanne and Darrel Campbell
Sally and Jerry Chase
George C. Christensen
Dorothy and Jim Christy
Mary and Alan Christy
Elizabeth and David Cox
Phyllis E. Crouse
Linda and John Dasher
Jennifer and Brian Dieter
Etiquette Iowa – Dr. Patricia Tice
Alyce and Glenn Fanslow
Jane Farrell-Beck
Jenn and Jeremy Galvin
Kathy and Kevin Geis
Darlene and Neil Harl
Janet and Pete Hermanson
Karen and Al Hermanson
Ann and Jim Herriott
Frank Horn
Dianne and Rick Hugdahl
Julie and Tom Huisman
Marge and Erb Hunziker
Peggy and Jeff Johnson
Roger W. Jones
Carolyn and Chuck Jons
Susan and J. Michael Kelly
Chris and John Kinley
Mary Jo and Roger Kluesner
Jenni and Steve Koger
Jean and Marion Kresse
Teresa and Jami Larson
Gale and Lee Livingston
Mary Ann and Paul Lundy
Jere Maddux
Jackie and Dick Manatt
Carolyn and Ralph Manning
Barbara Matthies
Roberta Milinsky
Barb and Fred Miller
Carol Ann and Dave Morris
Amy Myers
Frankee and Jim Oleson
Jan and Don Payer
Becky Perkovich
Randi and Steven Peters
Marlys and Jim Potter
Jan and Tom Putnam
Rosellyn and William Rudolph
Cindy and John Russell
Sherry and Lee Sargent
Lynn and Dave Scarlett
Jan and Dick Seagrave
Joy and George Serovy
Suzan and John Shierholz
Karen and Bob Shirk
Sigler Companies and Employees
Frances and Richard Smith
Maureen and Chris Snyder
Virginia and Robert Stafford
Wilma Struss
Ruth and Clayton Swenson
Kathleen and John Timmons
Mardi and Regis Voss
Janice and Marvin J. Walter
Mary Watkins
Wells Fargo Advisory Board
Wells Fargo Foundation
Lynn and Bill Whisler
Wendy Wintersteen
Julie Wooden
Nine Anonymous Gifts
Here, you’ll find answers to common questions about our endowment program and how it supports our mission. This resource is designed to help you understand the benefits and details of contributing to our endowment fund, including a clear explanation of what an endowment is and how it works, insights into the impact of endowment gifts on our community and organization, and step-by-step instructions on making contributions, including various giving options.
This section aims to provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions about supporting our endowment. Together, we can create a lasting legacy for future generations!
An endowment is a fund that is invested to produce annual income. Most endowment funds are designed to be permanent so the principal is not compromised. Either all or a percentage of the annual earnings are used to further the mission of United Way.
At United Way of Story County (UWSC) we are continually working to identify needs, evaluate programs and direct resources to help address those needs. Through the Endowment, UWSC can secure the resources needed, so that when the problems are identified, we are prepared to address them. The Endowment can fund special projects that address emerging needs of the county. Hunger, child safety and transportation are examples of county-wide needs that have been funded.
The UWSC Endowment supports the mission of United Way of Story County, just as the LIVE UNITED campaign does. Both the UWSC Endowment and Allocations Committees review the human services environment and make the annual recommendations to the Board of Directors on how funds will be used. The following are areas that may benefit from annual Endowment earnings:
There are many tools to use in estate planning. The simplest is a bequest in a donor’s will, and others include securities, life insurance, retirement income gift annuities and remainder trusts. Donors can contact UWSC for more information and should also contact their financial professionals to discuss the options that are best in their individual situations.
Gifts of all sizes and kinds are important in building the endowment for UWSC. Gifts may include cash, naming UWSC Endowment in your will, identifying UWSC Endowment as a beneficiary of an insurance policy, a charitable gift annuity, and transfer of stock are all accepted. Should you be interested in donating directly through the Story County Community Foundation for a tax advantage, visit each fund’s secure online form separately: UWSC Agency Fund, Frankee Oleson Women with Initiative Endowment, and/or the UWSC Endow Iowa Fund.
A Charitable Gift Annuity is a planned gift that provides an income for life to the donor, while designating a gift to a charitable organization. In return, the donor also realizes an annual return on the gift and a sizable tax benefit. Donors who are interested in a Charitable Gift Annuity should contact UWSC as well as their financial professionals.
Did you know that donating appreciated stock is one of the most tax-smart ways to support United Way of Story County? When you give stock directly to us, you bypass the cash donation process and unlock unique financial benefits—allowing your generosity to make an even bigger ripple effect across our community.
If you would like to make a gift of stocks or securities, please contact Kristin Pates, Sr. Director of Advancement at kpates@uwstory.org or by calling 515-268-5142.
United Way of Story County is eligible to receive Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs).
If you are 70½ or older, you can support United Way of Story County directly from your traditional IRA through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). This unique giving strategy allows you to transfer funds directly from your retirement account to our organization completely tax-free, turning mandatory withdrawals into measurable local impact.
