A Smart Way to Give That Results in More: Charitable Giving Through Your IRA
Ken and I regularly give thanks for the wonderful friends God brings to Joni and Friends. We certainly couldn’t transform the lives of thousands of people living with disability were it not for the prayers and faithful support of friends like you! Friends like Galen and Lita Norsworthy.
Ken and I have known Galen and Lita for 19 years. They’ve stood beside us all these years while raising their family, welcoming grandchildren, and now, even during their retirement years, they are busy serving others as they continue to stand beside us. Oh friend, how Ken and I love this wonderful couple who love and serve Jesus as they serve others. You see, retirement has its perks. The truth be told, they’ve found a great way to give to the ministry that reduces their income tax while maximizing the impact of their gifts. They recently spoke with our Planned Giving Team as to how and why they continue to support the mission at Joni and Friends.
Degna: How did you learn about Joni and Friends and why did you connect with the ministry?
Galen: We saw the Joni movie years ago and then our paths crossed with Joni again due to our involvement in many other ministries. We gained a tremendous amount of love and respect for Joni. Her commitment to serving others and allowing God to use her challenges to advance the Kingdom, has been a huge inspiration to us. Over the years, we became impressed with the financial and operational management of the organization. Joni and Friends manages their finances very impressively. It’s become the standard for us. It’s not always that way with other organizations and we’ve worked with a lot of them.
Degna: Why did you choose to give to Joni and Friends through your IRA?
Galen: We finally reached the age of the mandatory withdrawal from our IRA. Since we must withdraw the money from our IRA, we would rather it go to supporting a charitable organization we love than to pay taxes on the withdrawn amount. We see our IRA as a way for us to continue to give and not just for retirement. We think of it as a source of deferred income and so it’s a source of deferred giving.
Degna: Was it an easy process to make your gift through your IRA?
Galen: This is our 2nd year giving a gift through our IRA and it’s very easy to do, and hassle-free. We simply contact our IRA custodian to make the gift and they send a check to Joni and Friends on our behalf.
Degna: What would you say to others to encourage them to give to Joni and Friends in this way?
Galen and Lita: Giving through our IRA is a smart way to do it because it maximizes our resources, allowing us to give more to Joni and Friends while reducing our income tax. It’s good for people to take advantage of this tax break now as there are no guarantees due to the changing tax laws. I would encourage anyone who has a retirement account to think of it beyond just a way to maintain a certain lifestyle, but rather as funds to be invested in God’s eternal kingdom, and take advantage of this tax break opportunity to watch the funds go even further.
Degna: How do you see yourselves playing a role in continuing the Joni and Friends legacy amongst the younger generations who may not know about the ministry?
Galen and Lita: Disability ministry is a part of our ministry legacy. I (Galen) have collected wheelchairs for Joni and Friends so I get to connect with people and talk to them about the ministry. The legacy of Joni and Friends is a wonderful example that is already set for us and when we speak to young leaders, we tell them about the inspiring work you do at Joni and Friends to serve the disability community throughout the world as you share the Gospel with them. We know our time in this world is temporary and we want to make the most of it serving God, while He has us here on earth, until He calls us home.
Friends, you can see why this couple holds a special place in my heart. They have discovered the true joy of giving so that Jesus may be known. Through them, the lives of many people living with disability have been transformed for the Kingdom.
Thank you, Galen and Lita, and may our Lord reward you richly for the many lives you’ve transformed.
Friends, if you’re over 70 ½ and want to learn more about how you can give a gift through your IRA, please contact our team at (818) 575-1770 or email at [email protected], or click here to visit the webpage.
Reduce Your Taxes, Increase Your Impact!
Would you like a high-impact tax break that benefits you and helps impact the lives of people impacted by disability? Then please consider making a charitable IRA rollover gift. Here is how your IRA gift can make a difference beyond what you imagined.
