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Ben Madonia '74

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Planning Your Gift

To Do Well By Doing Good


Committee on Development Meeting

November 30, 2007


Hamilton Plans, the planned gift newsletter mailed earlier this month with a fresh new design, focuses on the extraordinary devotion and generosity to Hamilton of Elizabeth McCormack. Her inspiring words also appeared in the Alumni Review.

One of the objectives of planned giving at Hamilton is, "To do well by doing good." Each of you will find a page from the newsletter in your materials titled 2007 Tax Savings Checklist that provides helpful personal planning ideas and gently introduces the main objective – encouraging charitable contributions of all kinds to Hamilton.

The checklist includes concepts such as reviewing the requirements of "qualifying" dividends before selling securities, establishing Roth IRAs for children and grandchildren as soon as they start their first jobs and the use of charitable gift annuities to re-balance portfolios. Charitable remainder unitrusts, with variable payments, also have been employed by members of the Hamilton family.

Elizabeth McCormack reminds us of the most important planned gift maxims. First, donors make contributions because they believe in Hamilton – donative intent is paramount. Second, as I have said many times in these meetings for more than twenty years, everyone is involved in planned giving -- the President, every trustee, every development officer. Dick Tantillo quickly adds that everyone is involved in development. Thank you ever so much for all that each of you do for the Annual Fund, Excelsior and Planned Giving. 

Benjamin Madonia III