Planned giving can often seem intimidating or assumed to be “only” for people of a certain age or income. But planned giving encompasses a wide variety of giving vehicles that can provide flexibility for donors of any age and income.
Recently we spoke to two donors, Melissa and Pat, who have both made planned gifts to support Second Helpings. Their stories and gifts are very different, representing the variety of support that fuels our mission to fight hunger from all angles.
Melissa, middle, with two other volunteers, at our Corks & Forks event this spring.
Melissa Young first learned about Second Helpings on Charity Navigator, a nonprofit rating site. While researching, Melissa filtered by four-star ratings only, to see only the organizations with the highest scores on Charity Navigator’s rating system. She focused her search locally, to find organizations making an impact in central Indiana.
“Second Helpings stood out to us,” Melissa remembers. With so many causes and organizations to choose from, “Learning that you’re preventing food waste, launching careers, and feeding people…You’re matching more than one of our interests and values.”
After that initial research, Melissa learned more about Second Helpings and was inspired to set up a monthly donation.
Another tool Melissa discovered is FreeWill, a free online will-writing tool. She was motivated to establish her will after working through the process with her parents. “My husband and I are in our forties, and aren’t having children, so if something happened to us, where everything would go is very up in the air,” Melissa explained.
She decided to designate a specific percentage of her estate as a gift to Second Helpings in her will, which she created for free on FreeWill. “I feel so fortunate,” Melissa shared. “We’re not millionaires or anything, but we’re doing well, and we’ve always worked hard to be financially responsible. We have enough to share, and so when I pass away, I want my money to go somewhere it can be used well.”
Since first learning about Second Helpings online, Melissa now volunteers in our Hunger Relief kitchen and at special events.
Pat volunteers in our Hunger Relief kitchen as a tilt skillet operator.
Pat Gamble-Moore first heard about Second Helpings from a colleague. “He returned from a breakfast and said, ‘You need to go see what they’re doing!’”
So she did. She took a tour and later was invited to join our Board of Directors. As part of her board orientation, she rode along with a volunteer Meal Delivery Driver. “That was a clear moment of understanding, both how Second Helpings impacts folks and the impact of volunteers on this organization.”
Pat, who serves as the Senior Vice President and Indiana Market Manager for PNC Bank, was elected to serve as Board Chair in 2021. During her first term, Second Helpings was part of the inaugural cohort of Stronger Partners, Brighter Futures, a one-year program facilitated by Cape Fletcher Associates that focused on emphasizing planned giving and shared information during board meetings.
“I had never really thought about planned giving before, and I had believed the myth that you have to have unlimited resources to make a gift like that. So to find out that ‘little old me’ could also create a legacy was really empowering. I also wanted to show the board that I wasn’t asking them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.”
Once Pat made that decision, actually making her planned gift was easy. She decided to designate Second Helpings as a beneficiary of a specific percentage of her retirement assets, which “only took a few clicks” through her company’s online system.
Having gone through the process, Pat shared that, “We need to dispel the myths that only the wealthy can make gifts or an impact. Everyone can do it. You can – it’s just that simple. The amount doesn’t matter, it’s the act itself, showing support and investing in something you believe in, leaving a legacy.”
“Understanding the food insecurity ecosystem is important to me and my work, and it aligns with my personal interests,” Pat explained.
These two donors have made their legacy commitment to Second Helpings through using their will and retirement plan assets, respectively. You could also choose to make Second Helpings a beneficiary of a donor advised fund, life insurance policy, or other assets. Do you have any questions about making a planned gift to Second Helpings? Call Katie Prine, our Chief Relationship Officer, at (317) 602-8739, or katie@secondhelpings.org.