Ways you can give to the EHS Capital Campaign

 
Gifts of any size are needed and appreciated. You can make an online contribution, or you can use this mail-in contribution form to send your gift via US mail. You can designate your gift for a specific capital campaign project or you can make an undesignated gift and your contribution will be used towards a capital campaign project where the funds are needed most. If you would like to make a larger gift and pay it over three to five years please contact us to arrange payment options. 
 
Here are examples of the many ways Elyrians can contribute to the Build the Dream, Shape the Future Capital Campaign for an Enhanced New Elyria High School.         
 
  • Make a gift of cash
  • Make a gift of appreciated securities
  • Make a gift of life insurance
  • Remember Elyria High School in your will or living trust
  • Make a life income gift
  • Honor someone special with a tribute or memorial gift
  • Ask your company for a matching gift
  • Host a third party fundraiser through your employer or organization
  • Purchase a naming opportunity
  • Buy a historic brick, brick paver, or auditorium seat
 
To Make an online contribution, click here, or 
 
Print this contribution form and return it with your donation to:
 
The Elyria Schools Administrative Center
C/O Elyria High School Capital Campaign
42101 Griswold Road
Elyria, Ohio 44035
 
All checks should be made payable to Elyria City Schools. Your gift is tax deductible as permitted by law.
 
Contact Us
For more information about ways you can give or how you can get involved, please contact Elyria Board of Education Member Holly Brinda at (440) 371-2285, (440) 365-7666 or email Holly at holly.brinda@yahoo.com.
   

Gifts of Cash

Gifts of cash allow you to maximize your charitable deduction and deliver immediate benefits to the Elyria High School Capital Campaign Project. Your gift can be made outright or can fund a number of life income arrangements. Gifts of cash can include currency, personal checks, money orders, credit cards and wire transfers. 
 
Benefits of using cash to fund a charitable gift
 
  • You are entitled to a charitable income tax deduction.
  • The deduction counts against a larger portion of your taxable income that a gift of appreciated assets because the IRS allows you to claim charitable deductions for gifts of cash up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income but only 30 percent for gifts of appreciated assets. 
 

Gifts of Appreciated Securities

A gift of appreciated securities to the Elyria High School Capital Campaign may be a more tax-wise gift for some donors than a cash gift. As stocks grow in value, they may appreciate substantially beyond the original investment. When stocks are sold, any growth above the original cost is considered a capital gain and is subject to federal capital gains taxes up to 20 percent (some states have capital gains tax as well). 
 
Benefits of gifting appreciated securities
 
  • You receive gift credit and an immediate tax deduction for the fair market value of the security on the date of transfer, no matter what you originally paid for them.
  • By gifting the school district appreciated securities that have been held by at least a year and a day, you can avoid capital gains tax and receive an income deduction for the fair market value of the stock at the time of the gift.
  • You can direct your gift to a specific fund or purpose.
  • You can make the gift in annually paid pledge or as a one-time contribution.
  • Your gift can be used to establish a life income gift to benefit the schools.
 
How to Make a Gift of Appreciated Securities
 
Electronic Transfer: Your broker can electronically transfer your securities to the school district. This request must be made in writing using an Electronic Stock Authorization Form. Upon receipt of this form, our broker will advise us of your gift so that we may recognize your generosity and acknowledge your donation. 
 
Physical Delivery: You may also deliver securities to us in person, by registered mail, or by courier. 
 
 

Gifts of Life Insurance

By making a gift of life insurance, you can make a significant gift to the Elyria High School Capital Campaign without dipping into your capital assets. While there are many different kinds of life insurance, the principle of giving remains the same: a relatively small present gift will ultimately provide a much larger gift in the future. 
 
When making a life insurance gift you may contribute an existing policy that your family no longer needs or you may establish a new policy with Elyria City Schools named as owner and beneficiary. When you give an existing policy, you may qualify for a charitable income tax deduction based upon the cash surrender value of the policy on the date of the contribution. In the case of a new policy, you may deduct the amount of your premium payment as long as it is provided to the school district. In the case of the Elyria High School Capital Campaign, only gifts of life insurance that can be sold and funds directed to the campaign will be counted.    
 
Benefits of Gifting Life Insurance
 
  • You acquire advantageous tax deductions.
  • You have the ability to make a larger gift than you may otherwise make.
  • You have the ability to make a contribution without disturbing other assets.
 
Determining the right plan for you depends on a number of factors including your age, income needs and financial objectives. Consult your financial advisor to formulate your best strategy. 
 
 

Gifts by Will or Living Trust

You can give to the Elyria High School Capital Campaign without affecting your cash flow during your lifetime. While the campaign requires more immediate contributions in the next 3-5 years to fund Phase I of the campaign, the school district also needs longer term gifts to fund Phase II and ongoing capital improvements to be made to the building and grounds and Ely Stadium.
 
Grateful former students, faculty, support staff and friends are encouraged to make future gifts to the school district by including a bequest provision in their wills or revocable trusts. Bequests will allow the school district to continue to provide enhancements to the educational environment into the future. Gifts of this kind will be recognized, but will not be counted as part of Phase I of the campaign.
 
Benefits of Bequest Gifts
  • Your assets remain in your control during your lifetime.
  • You can modify your bequest if your circumstances change.
  • You can designate a certain dollar amount or percentage of the net proceeds of the estate.
  • You can name the Elyria City Schools as a secondary beneficiary and leave the bulk of your estate to your family members.
  • It helps you reduce or avoid federal estate taxes.
  • You can direct your bequest to a particular purpose.
  • There is no upper limit on the estate tax deductions that can be taken for charitable bequests.
  • You will have the satisfaction of knowing that your bequest will support Elyria’s students in the way you intended after you are gone.  
 
Sample language for a general purpose outright gift:
 
I give, devise and bequeath $ _______ or ________% of my estate to the Elyria City Schools, an Ohio public school district, to be used at the discretion of the Elyria Board of Education to benefit the children and youth served by the Elyria City School District.
 
Sample language for a restricted gift for a specific purpose:
 
I give, devise and bequeath $ _______ or _______ % of my estate to the Elyria City Schools, an Ohio public school district, to be used to support the following programs and/or services delivered through Elyria City Schools: (insert specific designation).   
 
If you are interested in supporting the Elyria High School Capital Campaign or other work of the Elyria City Schools, please complete and return the Elyria City Schools estate intention form to reference your future plans and make yourself eligible for recognition in the New Frontier Club.    
 
 

Charitable Gift Annuities and Charitable Lead Trusts

The Elyria City School District will work with donors to accept Capital Campaign Contributions made from payouts from charitable gift annuities and charitable lead trusts. Giving through a charitable gift annuity allows you to arrange a generous gift to benefit the Elyria High School Capital Campaign while providing you with a fixed payment stream and significant tax benefits. A charitable lead trust can support the capital campaign now and the remaining assets can be transferred to other individuals or even yourself at a later date.  
 
Contact Us
For more information about how you can benefit from using a charitable gift annuity or charitable lead trust to make your donation to the Elyria High School Capital Campaign, please contact Elyria Board of Education Member Holly Brinda at (440) 371-2285, (440) 365-7666 or email Holly at holly.brinda@yahoo.com.
 

Memorial and Tribute Gifts

Making a memorial gift is a perfect way to insure a lasting remembrance of a special person who touched you in some special way during his or her life. A tribute gift is a thoughtful way to recognize someone for a special achievement or milestone like a birthday, wedding, anniversary, graduation, birth, recovery, Bar and Bat mitzvahs, and other special occasions and accomplishments. 
 
The Elyria Schools will acknowledge your tribute or memorial gift by sending an appropriate note to the family of friend in whose name the gift was made. The amount of your gift will not be mentioned. A separate receipt will be sent to you. 
 
To make a tribute or memorial gift to the Elyria High School Capital Campaign, please print and return this mail-in contribution form and return it with your donation to:
The Elyria Schools Administrative Center
C/O Elyria High School Capital Campaign
42101 Griswold Road
Elyria, Ohio 44035
 
All checks should be made payable to Elyria City Schools. Your gift is tax deductible as permitted by law.
 
 
 

Matching Gifts

A number of caring companies offer matching gift programs to their employees and sometimes their employees’ spouses, retirees and directors. With these programs, a company will sometimes match gifts to not-for-profit organizations and schools. 
 
Click here to check out our matching gift company list to see if your company has a matching gift program (list may be dated). Check with your Human Resource Department to obtain a matching gift form.  
 
Please send your gift, the completed a matching gift form and contribution form and send it along with your donation to:
 
The Elyria Schools Administrative Center
C/O Elyria High School Capital Campaign
42101 Griswold Road
Elyria, Ohio 44035
 
All checks should be made payable to Elyria City Schools. Your gift is tax deductible as permitted by law. 
 

Hold a Fundraiser 

Thank you for considering the Elyria High School Capital Campaign as the recipient of funds from your fundraising event! You and your organization can assist the school district in funding the building and grounds enhancement projects identified by faculty and students with your efforts or fund a naming opportunity. 
 
A third party fundraiser is a company, organization or individual that wishes to hold an event or sale to benefit the capital campaign. Although the campaign committee cannot personally participate in each event that is proposed, we can provide input and materials about the capital campaign. Examples of successful events include dress down days, white elephant sales, talent shows, flower sales, chili cook-off, car washes and more.   
 
As the event organizer, we ask that you:
 
  • Inform us of you event 30 days in advance and obtain approval in the form of a letter from the campaign committee;
  • Organize and promote the event at NO cost to the school district;
  • Designate full proceeds to the Elyria City Schools Capital Campaign;
  • Conduct your fundraising event in compliance with all federal, state and local laws; 
  • Obtain all necessary permits and/or licenses required by law for this event;
  • Use the school district’s name, logo or other information in promoting the event only after obtaining approval;
  • Do not solicit funds door-to-door or using telemarketing methods;
  • Do not represent yourself as a representative of The Elyria Schools;
  • Agree to send moneys raised for the campaign within 30 days of the event payable to Elyria City Schools.  
 
The Elyria Schools Capital Campaign Committee will:
 
  • Ask you to sign an agreement and provide you with a signed letter authorizing you to host your event, giving you credibility in the community;
  • Provide you with advice and expertise in event planning;
  • Provide promotional materials about the capital campaign;
  • Reserves the right to decline any fundraising proposal that may compete with an existing established event or that is not in line with the school district’s mission of serving students and the community;
  • Assume no legal liability or financial liability associated with this event.
 
If you are interested in organizing an event that supports the Elyria High School Capital Campaign please contact Board Member Holly Brinda at (440) 371-2285, (440) 365-7666, or email Holly at holly.brinda@yahoo.com.