Simplify Your Giving with a Donor Advised Fund

A Donor Story: Don & Coggin Heeringa

Don Heeringa was born and raised in a farmhouse in Lynden, Washington. Coggin hails from Dixon, IL. Both left their hometowns to pursue a post-secondary education as young adults. The two met a while rehearsing a musical where Coggin’s character fell in love with an older gentleman who was played by Don. They married in 1978.

Don’s work brought the Heeringas to Door County in the 80’s. Working as a nursing home administrator and clergyman throughout his professional career, Don experienced firsthand the importance of supporting human services and social justice.

Coggin has been working at Interlochen each summer for the past 52 years. She began as a counselor at the music camp, but soon realized that environmental studies was where she belonged. For Door County, Coggin uses Crossroads at Big Creek as her classroom. Under her leadership, Crossroads has gone from a 60-acre school forest to a community treasure of nearly 200 acres.

Don’s generous heart and Coggin’s passion for environmental education merge to inform their charitable giving. Giving has been part of both of their lives from a young age as they watched their respective churches support the congregation and community alike.  “The lessons I have learned have been taught from the time I was a little kid,” said Don. “My parents lived through the Great Depression and really had very little. But there was always a little to put in the offering plate at church.” Coggin recalls a song from her childhood church choir that essentially said, If I had enough, I would do my part. “We are comfortable. We have enough,” said Coggin. “We strive to share everything above and beyond ‘enough’ with those in need.”

A Donor Advised Fund at the Door County Community Foundation allows Don and Coggin to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax benefit, and then support the causes and organizations of their choosing from the Fund over time.  Donor Advised Funds operate much like a private foundation, but without the administrative burdens, high operation costs or required tax filings.

Don Heeringa was born and raised in a farmhouse in Lynden, Washington. Coggin hails from Dixon, IL. Both left their hometowns to pursue a post-secondary education as young adults. The two met a while rehearsing a musical where Coggin’s character fell in love with an older gentleman who was played by Don. They married in 1978.

Don’s work brought the Heeringas to Door County in the 80’s. Working as a nursing home administrator and clergyman throughout his professional career, Don experienced firsthand the importance of supporting human services and social justice.

Coggin has been working at Interlochen each summer for the past 52 years. She began as a counselor at the music camp, but soon realized that environmental studies was where she belonged. For Door County, Coggin uses Crossroads at Big Creek as her classroom. Under her leadership, Crossroads has gone from a 60-acre school forest to a community treasure of nearly 200 acres.

Don’s generous heart and Coggin’s passion for environmental education merge to inform their charitable giving. Giving has been part of both of their lives from a young age as they watched their respective churches support the congregation and community alike.  “The lessons I have learned have been taught from the time I was a little kid,” said Don. “My parents lived through the Great Depression and really had very little. But there was always a little to put in the offering plate at church.” Coggin recalls a song from her childhood church choir that essentially said, If I had enough, I would do my part. “We are comfortable. We have enough,” said Coggin. “We strive to share everything above and beyond ‘enough’ with those in need.”

A Donor Advised Fund at the Door County Community Foundation allows Don and Coggin to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax benefit, and then support the causes and organizations of their choosing from the Fund over time.  Donor Advised Funds operate much like a private foundation, but without the administrative burdens, high operation costs or required tax filings.

A Simple, Inexpensive and Highly Tax Efficient Way to Give.

Donor Advised Funds are convenient, flexible tools for individuals, families, businesses, or groups that want to be personally involved in suggesting grant awards made possible by their gifts. If you have a range of community interests, you may find that it’s an ideal vehicle for fulfilling your charitable wishes. Donor Advised Funds are typically less costly and easier to administer than other forms of philanthropic giving (such as family or corporate foundations).

Your gift can be combined with others to increase its impact, and you can add to the Fund you establish at any time, receiving tax benefits with each new gift. You can establish a Fund today and make grant recommendations now or in the future.

Creating a Donor Advised Fund is easy.

• You make a gift to the Door County Community Foundation – you can give cash, appreciated stock, real estate, or other assets. A minimum gift of $1,000 is all it takes to open your own personal Donor Advised Fund.
• We set up a special Fund in your name, in the name of your family or business, or in honor of any person or organization you choose.
• You receive a tax deduction in the tax year your gift is made. That makes a Donor Advised Fund a great tool for bunching your charitable giving.
• You suggest charities that should receive distributions from your Fund – working with our professional staff to support the causes and organizations you care about most.
• If a gift to your Fund is incorporated into your estate plans, you can designate your heirs to be “successor advisors” to the Fund.
• We handle all the administrative details and issue grants to charities in the name of the Fund you establish (if you prefer, grants can be made anonymously).

And while we may be the Door County Community Foundation, but our family of donors have favorite charities across the nation. As a result, we make distributions to charities in virtually every state in the union.

Donor Advised Funds are particularly effective as an estate planning tool. Rather than naming multiple charities are beneficiaries of your estate, your retirement account, or other assets – you simply designate your Donor Advised Fund at the Door County Community Foundation, Inc. as the charitable beneficiary. Then the Community Foundation distributes your estate gift to the charities or causes you care about the most.

If you so choose, your Donor Advised Fund can made into an endowment. Your gift – and all future earnings from your gift – then become a permanent source of community capital, giving back in your family’s name literally forever.

Learn more about using a Donor Advised Fund as a tax planning tool for bunching several years of charitable gifts into a single tax year.

Download an information sheet about Donor Advised Funds.

Then contact the Door County Community Foundation to learn more, or speak with your accountant, attorney or investment advisor today.