Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation
The Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation exists because costs to care for our residents and maintain and expand our Health System facilities are constantly increasing. Funds raised by the Foundation helps to improve the quality of life for our residents and the work environment for our caregivers by contributing toward the purchase of necessary equipment, programs, and furnishings and the expansion of our facilities.
Your generosity impacts lives, because over 75% of our skilled nursing residents cannot afford to pay for their care and must rely on Medicaid reimbursement. However, the New York State reimbursement system does not come close to covering our cost of providing care, and the gap between the reimbursement we receive and our cost to provide care to a single resident for one year is over $18,000! Your gift enables us to continue our mission of caring for those who can no longer care for themselves, and ensures that quality care is available in our community.
The Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Every gift is used to help others, while providing you with tax advantages, as all gifts are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. We look forward to assisting you in the selection of gift opportunities that best meet your financial and charitable goals.
Gift options include:
- Cash - Gifts of cash entitle you to an immediate charitable income tax deduction.
- Stock and Other Appreciated Securities - Gifts entitle you to an immediate charitable deduction of full fair market value.
- Gift of Personal Property - Gifts entitle you to a charitable deduction based on full fair market value.
- Life Insurance - Gifts entitle you to a current income tax deduction, plus possible future deductions through gifts to pay policy premiums.
- Retirement Assets - Avoids income and estate tax.
- Real Estate - Gifts entitle you to an immediate income tax deduction and the reduction or elimination of capital gains tax.
- Retained Life Estate (give your residence, vacation home, etc. now, but continue to live there) - Gifts entitle you to a charitable deduction and lifetime use of residence.
- Trusts and Annuities - Gifts entitle you to a charitable income tax deductions, income, reduction of taxable estate, and other benefits.
- Bequests in Will - Donation is exempt from federal estate tax, and you retain control of your
asset for your lifetime. Learn about our Legacies for Life Planned Giving Program.
Gifts and pledges may be fulfilled with a credit card, check, via transfer of stock, or through United Way's Donor Choice program. Pledges may be made over the next year- just tell us how much you would like to pledge and how you would like to be billed (monthly, quarterly, twice a year, in one installment in a specific month, etc.).
Gifts may be made without restriction or designated to support a specific purpose. Gifts may be offered in honor or in memory of a loved one, and a variety of recognition opportunities exist including the naming of a building, room, or program, and the placement of tribute plaques in Health System facilities.
You can DONATE ONLINE or make your contribution payable to:
Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation ~ 64 Hager Street ~ Buffalo, NY 14208
Phone: (716) 886-4377 Fax: (716) 886-0036 E-mail: foundation@niagaralutheran.org
ANNUAL FRIENDS APPEAL & THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Helping those who face isolation, despair, and serious illness is a noble mission. Gifts to our Annual Friends Appeal support ongoing resident care initiatives at our skilled nursing homes. Each year a team of volunteers that we call the Leadership Council Committee meets to assist in the personal solicitation of new and renewing benefactors. All donors who make an annual gift of $500 or more are granted Leadership Council status and are entitled to special recognition opportunities, including our Benefactors Reception. Donors who make an annual gift of at least $500 and also ask others to do the same are entitled to become members of the Leadership Council Committee.
Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation donors become members of our Leadership Council with annual gifts totaling $500 or more. The 2010 campaign was co-chaired by Foundation Trustees Linda Dobmeier, Vice President of Dobmeier Janitor Supply, and Michael Straeck, President/CEO of Buffalo Ultrasound.
Our 2010 drive focused on raising funds for the installation
of an automated fire protection sprinkler system in the Niagara Lutheran Home
& Rehabilitation Center (NLHRC) in Buffalo.
Installing this sprinkler system will greatly increase the chances of survival
for our residents, visiting family members, staff, and volunteers in the case
of a catastrophic fire. Unfortunately, such protection comes at a high price,
as the cost of installing a sprinkler system in NLHRC is over $900,000.
Al
l of the funds raised through
the Foundation's 2010 Leadership Council campaign are being used to
install the NLHRC sprinkler system and preserve our fifty-four year old history
of caring for the frail elderly within the City of Buffalo. We
are extremely grateful to Linda Dobmeier and Mike Straeck for their efforts
toward this record-breaking campaign. Our goal was to raise a total exceeding
$215,000 from gifts of $500 and more, and gifts totaling $341,332 were received
by the Foundation during the campaign (159% of goal). This 2010 total included
a most generous $50,000 Leadership Council gift from Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower. Our 2010 campaign total is a new
record high, exceeding our previous record total of $309,475 set in 2008 by over
10%.
The year's Leadership
Council campaign included the second annual "Music and a Message" program which was held on the evening of September 21st at the GreenField Manor Chapel
& Auditorium. Our "message" was an appeal for support for our NLHRC
sprinkler system project, and it was very effectively delivered by Board member
and Chair of our Pastoral Care Committee, Pastor Michael Blackwell of St. John's Lutheran
Church in Depew. 
Our guest artist for the "music" portion of the program was John Stevens, the young man from Williamsville who was a finalist on the American Idol TV show several years ago. John presented an enjoyable program of jazz and swing favorites, and was Accompanied by a professional jazz combo made up of some of his former area music teachers. John had recently moved to Boston, MA, but he traveled back to Buffalo especially for our "Music and a Message" program. A reception with wine, hors d'oeuvres, coffee, and desserts wrapped up the evening.
EMPLOYEE ANNUAL APPEAL
The Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation conducts an Employee Annual Appeal throughout the Health System each October to seek contributions in support of resident needs. Our 2010 goal was to raise a total of $40,000 from employees of all Niagara Lutheran Health System facilities. During our appeal, 319 Health System employees contributed a total of $45,865 to the campaign (115% of our goal), which stands as our third-highest Employee Annual Appeal total ever.
Congratulations to all of our compassionate employees who made this drive such a wonderful success again last fall! Here is a chart for comparison to past year's Employee Annual Appeal
LEGACIES FOR LIFE
Niagara Lutheran's Planned Giving Program
Legacies for Life is a special program that recognizes and honors generous individuals who have decided to provide a planned, "legacy" gift through provisions made in a will, trust, or insurance policy. Planned gifts assure the future for Niagara Lutheran's mission of service, and they enable benefactors to help others for generations to come. Legacies for Life benefactors know that their gifts will have great importance for those who cannot provide for themselves.
A bequest (transfer of property by will) to the Niagara Lutheran Health
Foundation is one of the easiest ways of perpetuating your support for the role
we play in the lives of the elderly and infirm. You may stipulate whether the
bequest is for general support or for a specific purpose. A bequest may also be
made in honor or memory of another individual. Bequests to the Niagara Lutheran
Health Foundation may include cash, securities, life insurance, IRAs,
annuities, trusts, real estate, works of art, or other personal property. When
making a will, you should obtain the advice of an attorney, and if you already
have a will, a bequest may be added as a codicil, without rewriting your entire
will. We will be pleased to work with you to design a gift specifically
tailored to your wishes.Click here for more information about our Legacies for Life program.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Niagara Lutheran is blessed to have active board members and trustees who serve as special advocates for our mission of service. We gratefully recognize our Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation Board of Trustees for their outstanding philanthropic leadership in our community. Click here for a current list of the Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation Board of Trustees.
DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE 
