About Giving

Types of gifts...ways of giving

• Cash gifts can be sent anytime, in the form of check, money order, or credit card. For year-end giving, your check date and envelope postmark must be prior to December 31 in order to be credited in the current tax year. Cash gifts are welcome, but please make these in person at the high school. Since the school is still growing and our operating expenses are quite high, cash gifts help tremendously by sustaining our current efforts and making it possible for us to focus on recruitment and long-range funding.
• Memorials and Honorariums are cash gifts that pay tribute to someone while also benefiting the school. You may make such a gift at any time, for any person. An appropriate acknowledgement will be sent upon receipt of your gift.
• Pledged gifts can be made over time, usually the length of one or two years. Annual Appeal pledges help our current operating budget throughout the fiscal year (ending June 30.)
• Non-Cash giving includes gifts of appreciated assets, such as real estate, stocks, corporate bonds, mutual funds, coins, etc. STM has accounts at most major brokerages and will assist with the transfer and liquidation of any asset. The charitable benefit is yours on the date you transfer the asset - not the date we choose to liquidate it. Other more complex charitable instruments such as annuities and remainder trusts can be established using your attorney or one of ours.
• Wills and bequests can also help support the mission of Saint Thomas More. Wills, trusts, life insurance, and retirement plans are substantial gifts that provide for the future needs of the school. Consult your financial advisor or contact Kay Strohl in the Advancement Office for more information, 217-352-7210 x302.

Commemorative Opportunities still exist within the school building. A tasteful permanent plaque can be custom designed in appreciation for your gift. Contact the Development Office.

Receipts and Tax Issues

Receipts for cash gifts and pledge payments are sent within 10 days of receipt. Acknowledgements for online donations are sent within 14 days. Your acknowledgement will state the amount paid and check number (if applicable). Receipts for gifts in kind will be provided as acknowledgements for tax purposes. (IRS regulations do not permit us to state a value of the gift, but the donor may claim it as they see fit.)

The High School of Saint Thomas More is a qualifying 501(c)(3) corporation, as organized within the Catholic Diocese of Peoria. As such, voluntary charitable contributions made to the school directly with no expectation of a commensurate return are usually deductible for tax purposes. All donors should consult a tax professional for more detailed information.

Tax letters are available in late January, listing all contributions made during the prior year. For gifts totaling more than $250, a letter is automatically sent to the current address in our donor database. For total contributions less than $250, a letter is available on request.

Statements and Balances

Pledge Statements are sent on a regular basis showing original pledge amounts and current balance. Incorrect information on the statements should be reported to the Advancement Office immediately.

The term "balance" is not used in the billing sense. Statements are sent merely as reminders of amounts already pledged. If for any reason a donor is not planning on fulfilling a pledge amount, notice of this fact would be appreciated and statements will not longer be sent.

Planned Gifts

The next 10 to 20 years will see the single greatest shift of wealth from one generation to the next. In these early years of growth, Saint Thomas More must become the beneficiary of part of that wealth. As the school reaches capacity in next few years, the success of our mission will become more evident and even more families will want to participate. Expansion is in our near future - and we must prepare today.

A bequest of cash, securities, life insurance, real estate, annuities and trusts... can all provide for our greatest years yet to come. No gift is too large or too small. The right planning today can improve your quality of life, cut your tax liability and help Saint Thomas More. Consult your financial advisor or contact Kay Strohl in the Advancement Office for more information, 352-7210 x302.