Many people have lived in McCone County and the surrounding areas their entire lives, and they have raised their children to respect and contribute to the communities. They are vital members of the community and plan to give back in any manner possible because they are civic-minded and take their role as citizens seriously. This is philanthropy, a desire to improve the welfare of community through charitable activities.

A particularly smart way to develop and strengthen the communities in McCone County and the in the area is to donate to the Redwater Community Foundation. By giving to the Redwater Community Foundation, your donation will be used to help maintain healthy, safe, and economically sustainable communities that are vibrant places to work, live and play in.

The foundation supports projects that provide a direct benefit to area residents, which address important unmet needs and receive support from the community. All donated money is professionally invested in a permanent fund known as an endowment. The endowment grows each year with the aid of the Montana Community Foundation that works with the Redwater Community Foundation and is carefully stewarded with only the interest from the endowment used to provide grants to eligible entities such as a 501c3 charity or a government body. All donations are greatly appreciated and are an excellent opportunity for the community to continuously receive the benefits of your giving. There are many forms that a gift to the foundation can come in such as a check, stocks, properties, bequests or planned gifts. A bequest is a contribution made in a will or estate plan allocated to a designated charity and is a way to meet your desire to support an important cause like the foundation. It is a legacy of an individual or a family used to honor and memorialize the life they led.

A planned gift is a donation made during the donor’s lifetime from his or her estate or assets such as a deferred gift annuity. This donation is eligible to generate greater income from under-utilized or marginally productive appreciated assets. The donor receives, because of a planned gift, income and tax benefits such as the Montana Charitable Endowment Tax Credit (up to 20 percent of the outright give from a qualified business or up to 40 percent for a planned gift by an individual) and reduced capital gains and estate taxes.

Many members of the “Greatest Generation” who lived after the Great Depression and World War II found through personal experience that they could surmount any obstacle and had become careful accumulators of their personal wealth. Their personal wealth can be transferred to future generations for charitable purposes and can be captured and invested in community foundations especially in the Redwater Community Foundation.

For more information on the Redwater Community Foundation, please visit our Web site at www.circle-montana.com/foundation.html. We advise that, for specific information on individual giving plans and the tax advantages of a planned gift, you consult a certified financial adviser. The Montana Community Foundation also has general information available on its Web site: www.mtcf.org.

Leave a gift that keeps on giving in McCone County and the surrounding areas. Join us by making a donation to the Redwater Community Foundation today. Donations can be sent to the Redwater Community Foundation at PO Box 520, Circle, MT 59215.