EVERGREEN GIVING
AMA Foundation
By Dan Bott, Foundation Board Chairman | Daniel_BottSr@ml.com
In this month’s column, I am focusing on our Evergreen donors, known as our Torchbearer and Legacy Society donors. I also want to share an idea and a big callout to our active clubs that can make a big win-win difference for themselves and members in need.
Our Torchbearer donors are recognized as members who are so committed to the mission of the AMA Foundation that they have chosen to become regular donors. Many of our Torchbearers give multiple times during the year. We noticed within this group a growing number of monthly donations and some have asked for the foundation to come up with a way to automate the giving process.
We are pleased to announce that the foundation staff has created a special Monthly Giving Program so that even someone making small donations can give all year with an automatic withdrawal or debit. Over time, these cumulative donations have become significant, rivaling some of our larger single donations. The program officially launches during a livestream event on January 29, 2021, within a few days after this publication is mailed. A convenient online portal to sign up and manage your monthly giving can be found at www.modelaircraft.org/donate.
We know that the Torchbearers are among the most committed donors and have a true interest in AMA’s mission, so we wanted to create a special benefit for this donor group. Torchbearers will receive exclusive insider monthly digital content showing them the impact of their gifts, as well as behind-the-scenes access to special AMA initiatives and programming.
Many of you who have been following this column, or with whom I have spoken personally, know of our long-term focus at the AMA Foundation to discuss planned giving with our members. Planned giving, quite simply, is getting to know our senior membership base and finding out what legacy they would like to be remembered for and help them make a lasting impact on the hobby.
An AMA Foundation Legacy Society Donor does this by adding the AMA Foundation in his or her will or trust to receive a bequest upon their passing. The efforts of working with our members are now bearing results by recognizing some very generous Legacy Society members with their wishes. Ronald Hesselbrock, Herbert Bone, Don McWhirter, and Warren Knapp passed away in 2020, and they all gifted the AMA Foundation with
a combined generous bequest of nearly $500,000 in donations. Their estate bequests are flagged to support AMA scholarships, educational programs, and the National Model Aviation Museum.
A planned gift is often the greatest and largest gift a donor will make in his or her lifetime—a gift that carries their legacy on for future generations. These gifts have long-term benefits to AMA programs because the funds are invested in an endowment with the income from the investment going to fund the AMA programs previously listed.
We have many useful planning tools to assist our Legacy Society donors in the planning process. Please reach out for an informative conversation with our AMA Foundation staff to discuss how you can leave a lasting legacy by calling (765) 287-1256, ext. 279.
A brief final note and request: Active AMA clubs can play a major role creating a win-win outcome for deceased donors. The AMA Foundation is seeking AMA sanctioned clubs to join our RC Resale Network. Our RC Resale Network connects individuals or families who often need help when looking to sell a collection of a loved one’s items. When families reach out to the AMA Foundation, we connect them with a club in their area that can help them sell their items. Clubs not only perform an act of goodwill, but they also have an opportunity to receive a portion of the proceeds.
Visit https://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amafoundation/rc-resale-network-portal for more information.
Have a happy and healthy 2021 flying season.
Dan Bott is an AMA Life Member and an AMA Foundation Heritage Society Donor Member. Professionally, Dan is a four-decades-long financial advisor who can be reached at Daniel_BottSr@ml.com.
