Strong Investments for a Stronger Future
Mission of the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation
▪ Foster, encourage, and promote the positive growth and development of the Golden Isles YMCA, currently serving Brunswick and Glynn County as well as the surrounding communities.
▪ Promote philanthropy in support of the YMCA.
▪ Provide advice and counsel to the YMCA Board of Managers (YMCA Board) on matters affecting the YMCA and the advancement of its mission.
▪ Expand YMCA resources by increasing program participation and the membership base by networking with individuals, corporations, agencies, and small businesses in the community.
▪ Engage in and carry on any other activity in support of the purposes mentioned above.
About the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation
The Golden Isles YMCA Foundation’s sole mission is to support the Golden Isles Branch of the YMCA of Coastal Georgia. In recent years this has been done mostly through fundraising to build a Legacy Fund to support the Y campus and facilities. Both the YMCA Branch and the YMCA Foundation are physically located at 144 Scranton Connector, Brunswick, GA. The Y Branch has a staff for day-to-day operations, but the Foundation is a volunteer organization partially supported by Y staff locally as well as from the corporate Advancement Office.
The YMCA Foundation has a primary focus on philanthropy and financial development. Selected members plan and carry out the appeals and personal visits with individuals who have demonstrated an interest in supporting the sustainability efforts of the Y Foundation. Simply put, this means we strive to build a Legacy Fund that keeps the local YMCA facilities in good and safe working order so that the local Branch can continue conducting current programs as well as develop new ones to help meet local family needs.
The Golden Isles YMCA Foundation was created in 1992, a year after the current Terrill Thomas YMCA Family Center opened in Brunswick. The YMCA was a YWCA at that time. When the YWCA and YMCAs merged into the YMCA in 2012, the Foundation was officially renamed the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation. 2017 marked the Foundation’s 25th anniversary.
Other Ways to Donate
Mail a check:
Golden Isles YMCA
Attn: GI YMCA Foundation
144 Scranton Connector
Brunswick, GA 31525
Gifts of Life Insurance
Designate the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation as the beneficiary of your Life Insurance Policy.
We realize that if you need your life insurance for the future financial security of your family, those concerns must come first. However, if you have existing policies you no longer need for coverage, consider assigning ownership to the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation.
By naming the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation as both owner and beneficiary, you get a tax deduction while making a large difference to our mission. Paid-up existing life insurance policies are also immediately eligible for a charitable tax deduction for the cost basis or surrender value – whichever is less - in the tax year that the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation is named owner and beneficiary. A gift of life insurance is a simple way to give and makes a significant contribution to the future of our community.
Gift of Retirement Plan Assets
Designate the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation as the beneficiary of your Retirement Plan
Do you know that your remaining retirement plan assets are facing possible double taxation? If you leave these assets to any individual other than your spouse, you will generate “income in respect of a decedent.” As a result, retirement plan assets may be significantly diminished by estate taxes and these assets are also taxed to the beneficiary(ies) as ordinary income, subject to the recipient’s income tax bracket.
Undoubtedly, your decision regarding who receives the remainder of your qualified retirement plan assets depends on your family members’ needs and circumstances; we understand that family comes first. But if you want to include the Y in your legacy charitable giving and can make alternative provisions for your family using other assets, directing your retirement plan assets to the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation as a charitable bequest may be a much more efficient option.
By naming the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation as a beneficiary of all or a portion of your retirement plan assets, you avoid both the estate tax and income tax due on these tax-deferred plans if you distribute them to your heirs.
Your gift of retirement plan assets to the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation makes the most of your intended charitable giving and helps us to continue our vital work. We recommend that donors consult their professional advisors before directing retirement assets.
Gifts of Appreciated Stock
Donate Appreciated Stock to the Golden Isles YMCA Foundation for a truly impactful return on your investment.
A gift of appreciated stock – now, or in the future - can avoid capital gains taxes that would be due as a result of its sale. Your tax benefit is generally the fair market value of the stock at the time of your gift. With gifts of appreciated stock, your stock market earnings translate into true impact for our mission – a very rewarding return on your investment and a simple way to give.