Tag Archives: Funds

Capitol Counties IBC Event this Saturday!

Capitol Counties IBC Event By Donna Holmes

The AAUW Capital Counties IBC Event is coming up soon! It will be held on January 29, 2022 from 10 a.m. to Noon.

Please join us to meet 2021-22 AAUW California Fellows/Grant Recipients as they discuss their work, research, and experiences. Also hear from AAUW CA President Dianne Owens. Please register for this free program by January 28, 2022. Register on Eventbrite here to receive the zoom link for this event.

Speakers at the Capital Counties IBC Zoom Event:
-Dianne Owens, AAUW CA President, 2020-2022

Carolyn Garfein

-Carolyn Garfein, past AAUW president, 2009-2013, will talk about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Prior to her experience at the national AAUW level, she was active with AAUW in Georgia and was the program vice president for CA AAUW.  She graduated from Cornell University and received her MBA from Cal State Long Beach. Carolyn retired from The Marketing Workshop Inc. as senior vice president.  She has returned to California after several years living and working in Georgia and is currently a member of the Roseville South Placer branch.

-Juily Phun will speak on Contours of Care: The Influenza Pandemic, Public Health and Asian American Communities in Southern California, 1918–1941.

-Ana Grande will speak on the P F Bresee Foundation – Physical Sciences and Engineering Exploration for 100 Low-Income Central Los Angeles Girls.

-Brenna Mockler will speak on Probing Supermassive Black Holes with Tidal Disruption Events.

Click here to get more information on the CA Fellows/Grant Recipients.  Join us for this informative event to support these women!

You and AAUW

Use Your IRA for Charitable Donations By Charmen Goehring

If you have not completed your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) for 2021, because you have nowhere to spend it, consider giving it to charity.

Donating to charity from your IRA generally results in a tax benefit. Normally, distributions from an IRA are taxed. However, an individual who is age 70 ½ or older may donate to a qualified charity (has Sec. 501(c)(3) status such as AAUW Funds or Tech Trek) and not pay tax on the distribution. The donation must be paid directly from the IRA to the charity (the check drawn on the IRA must be payable to the charity). Even better, the distribution can be counted as part of your required minimum distribution (RMD).

For example, Hilda wants to donate $1,000 to AAUW.

If Hilda withdraws the $1,000 and then writes a check to AAUW, she will pay tax on the $1,000. Assuming that the tax is $200, that will leave her $800 to donate.

Before recent tax law changes, Hilda could offset the tax on the distribution by claiming an itemized deduction for the donation. However, under current tax rules, most people do not itemize deductions because the standard deduction is higher.

If instead, Hilda directs her IRA to send a $1,000 donation to AAUW, the distribution is not taxed, and the charity gets $1,000.

Please consult your tax adviser to determine if this strategy works for you.

AAUW Legacy Circle By Charmen Goehring

You are invited to join the AAUW Legacy Circle, a wonderful community of likeminded supporters who have made equity a central part of their legacies through planned giving. Planned gifts, also known as legacy gifts, offer some of the most innovative and meaningful ways to give back and ensure a better future for women, girls and their communities. Affirm your commitment to AAUW through a planned gift to AAUW National today. Together we’re making a lasting impact to ensure a better future for girls and women!

Benefits of Planned Giving

  • Planned gifts, also known as legacy gifts or bequests, allow you the flexibility to provide for your family and support AAUW at the same time.
  • Planned gifts need not affect your cash flow during your lifetime; some legacy gifts are designed to also give back, providing steady income for you and your loved ones for life.
  • Certain planned gifts may reduce or even eliminate estate or capital gains taxes.
  • There is no minimum gift amount, and every gift can be tailored to suit your needs.

Become a visionary member of the AAUW Legacy Circle! To learn more, please visit AAUW.ORG/Legacy.
Or request a brochure or ask us a question by contacting Heather Miller, Director of Advancement, at: 202-785-7766 or millerh@aauw.org. Charmen Goehring  of the AAUW Legacy Circle Team is also available to assist you and may be reached by email at charminme@yahoo.com.

AAUW Funds & Living Our Mission of Equity

AAUW Funds By Charmen Goehring

October was a month full of AAUW Funds activities. Members in California enjoyed two online Funds events, previously the Funds Luncheons, each of which highlighted many CA-based recipients of AAUW grants and fellowships.

Their topics of study were diverse and fascinating! While we again missed the in-person opportunity to see friends and meet the recipients, dozens of members who might not otherwise have attended a lunch in the past were able to participate on Zoom. It is always inspiring to see how our contributions have provided support for these young women, some of whom might change the world! There will be one more opportunity to enjoy presentations by a few of our wonderful recipients during the final event on Nov. 7. You can register to attend at www.aauw-ca.org.

Many thanks to those members who consistently send in donations to the AAUW Funds throughout the year via the AAUW website. This is an easy and convenient way to provide funding for our wonderful organization and its programs!

As always, I wish to encourage you to consider honoring your passion for AAUW by joining the Legacy Circle. The Legacy Circle is composed of dedicated AAUW members who have included AAUW in their estates in order to ensure the organization is healthy and able to help women and girls far into the future. If you have been a member of AAUW for 30 years or more, you are passionate about AAUW. Why not take the simple step of joining the Legacy Circle? You can join online at www.aauw.org or contact Charmen for a brochure.

AAUW Sacramento is close to becoming the CA branch with the most Legacy Circle members!!

Living Our Mission of Equity Book Discussion By Charmen Goehring

We hope you will join us in a monthly equity conversation looking at our own biases, and what actions we can take to attract diversity to our branch and become better people in the process. Each month, we read a section of our selected book and then meet to discuss what we have learned, along with exploring other issues related to race and equity. We meet the second Wednesday of each month from 7 to 8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a joint CHAR/Sacramento activity.

The Zoom meeting code is 737 420 3780, or you can join using this link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7374203780

We will be discussing the second half of “You Are Your Best Thing” on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. If you have questions and to RSVP, please email Charmen. Charmen’s contact information can be found in the branch Membership Directory.

AAUW CA FUNDS EVENTS COMING SOON!

AAUW CA FUNDS EVENTS COMING SOON! By Charmen Goehring

 Mark your calendars for the inspiring AAUW Funds Events on Zoom on Oct. 23, 2021, and Oct. 30, 2021, both at 10am. We have more than 30 recipients of AAUW grants and fellowships in California and because of the online format, you will have a chance to hear from most of them. The women share their research and how our Funds awards are meaningful to them. Usually, luncheons — two in Northern California and one in Southern California — are held. Being on Zoom makes them accessible to everyone, with no driving and free!! I would like to suggest that you might donate to the AAUW Greatest Needs Fund in lieu of purchasing a luncheon ticket!

You can find out more and register at https://www.aauw-ca.org/aauw-2021-fund-events/ .

AAUW Sacramento Funds & Legacy Circle

AAUW Sacramento Funds & Legacy Circle By  Charmen Goehring

AAUW Sacramento members continue to generously support the AAUW Fund. This is a suite of funds including the Greatest Needs Fund, the Leadership Fund, the Governance and Sustainability Fund, Economic Security Fund and the Education and Training Fund. You can either send a check to our branch, designating where you would like your contribution to go, or safely online via the AAUW website.

Another opportunity to support AAUW and our mission of working to advance gender equity for women and girls is to become a member of the Legacy Circle. There are many ways to recognize AAUW in your estate and the form to join online takes 2 minutes to fill out. I can also send you a hard copy form if you choose. AAUW Sacramento added several new Legacy Circle members last year, giving us the second highest number, behind the AAUW CA Online Branch!!

Please contact Charmen Goehring (charminme@yahoo.com or 207-756-0406) for more information on either contributing to Funds or joining the Legacy Circle.

Membership Renewals and Donations

Membership Renewals and Donations By Sharon Anderson and Liz Jordan

Sharon Anderson, membership treasurer, and Liz Jordan, finance director, want to thank the members who have so eagerly renewed their membership and made significant donations to our branch outreach programs, and to our Dues Assistance Fund and General Branch Operations Fund.

As of the date of this writing, May 15, 2021:

  • 107 branch members have renewed membership on time. Thank You!
  • 49 renewing members used the convenience of online renewal. Last year, at the end of renewal season, a total of 41 members used the national Membership Payment Program (MPP). Conclusion: we are already more efficient this year, in mid-season than we were last year at the end of the renewal season.  This saves hours of branch volunteer time. Good Job!
  • Members have generously donated $7,006 to our local branch activities!
  • Many of our 50-Year, Honorary Life members (MBHL) who do not have to pay branch dues, faithfully send in their $20. We are so appreciative.

The deadline to renew is June 1. Because our newsletter comes out very close to this deadline, we urge every member:

  • If you have not yet renewed, do so as quickly as possible.
  • Whether renewing online or by check and snail mail, all members should return their Renewal Form to Sharon Anderson to update contact information. Did you find that conveniently addressed envelope?  If you can’t find it, Sharon’s address is in the directory.  Her contact info is 916-396-9790; aauw@att.net.

The renewal process requires many hours of volunteer time:

  1. Making trips to the bank to deposit checks.
  2. Updating membership and bank records (lots of data processing).
  3. Notifying Interest Groups and branch committees of members who have indicated an interest in their area of responsibility
  4. Calculating next year’s branch budget, which is based on dues collected.
  5. Updating and preparing the branch directory starting July 1
  6. Printing and mailing the directory to the membership in early August.

Sharon Anderson and Liz Jordan want to thank all members for their timely renewal and for the generosity of their donations to local and national needs. Thank you!

Funds Update

Funds Update By Charmen Goehring

Do you remember the statewide Legacy Circle contest that ends June 30? AAUW Sacramento is close to winning!! If you have been thinking about remembering AAUW in your estate, this would be a great time to make that commitment and join the Legacy Circle! Call me if you have questions, or find a brochure on aauw.org.

Between January and May, our branch has contributed more than $2,700 to the AAUW Funds. Thank you to each of you who has made a donation. The majority of those monies went to the Greatest Needs Fund, which allows AAUW the maximum in flexibility to address needs as they arise, as well as fund the majority of our signature projects and staff. Please consider a gift to AAUW’s Greatest Needs Fund today!

AAUW Membership Renewal

AAUW Membership Renewal By Sharon Anderson

The branch renewal letters went out in the mail on Monday, April 19. The day before that, I sent out, to all our members, a mass email that includes National’s invoice form. If you will use National’s emailed invoice form to renew this year, to that we say: Yippee!  It saves us a lot of time and trouble, getting all the dues in the right slot very quickly.

The invoice was mailed out from my computer, but it doesn’t look like it because I have to use National’s program. The email will be from memberinfo@AAUW.org.

National’s email invoice is easy, as you no doubt learned last year, but here’s a refresher, just in case:  1) open the email with your credit/debit card in hand; 2) click on the blue (aqua?) highlighted option 1: “Click here to use debit or credit card”; 3) fill in the blanks; 4) click “next”; 5) click the “submit” button at the end.  Besides dues, you can also donate to any of National’s Funds on this invoice.

For any donations that you wish to make to any of Sacramento’s programs with your renewal, please include a check mailed with your renewal form, because National will not process our branch donations.

If you have any problems, please call me. Please be sure to postal mail back your paper application to me, as we do need it for our bookkeeping purposes. If the emailed invoice gets lost in your inbox, just let me know and I’ll send you another one.

If you haven’t renewed as you read this, renew now! Thank you!

Sharon Anderson, Membership Treasurer
916-396-9790

Funds Update, Legacy Circle, and Living Our Mission of Equity

AAUW Sacramento Funds Update By Charmen Goehring

Many thanks to those of you who send in regular gifts to AAUW to help our beloved organization advance our mission of gender equity. Making a regular monthly gift that is automatically withdrawn from your account is very easy to set up online. No more remembering to write the check! I love how easy it makes it to give on a regular basis, and it also allows AAUW to plan for the contributions.

I was talking the other day to an AAUW friend, who is on the state board, about the Legacy Circle. She revealed to me that she thought one needed to have a healthy bank account in order to become a member. I thought that if she has this assumption, others might as well. The answer is, no, you do not need to be well off to be a Legacy Circle member! A Legacy gift is not something you give during your lifetime — it is given by your estate. There are many ways to leave a gift, including making AAUW a beneficiary on an insurance policy or annuity (this is what I have done), donating a set sum or a percentage of your estate, creating a charitable gift annuity, or even creating a COD account at your bank (You deposit money now, either one time, or several deposits, and it is payable to AAUW upon your death). Knowing that I am a part of helping secure the future of AAUW, an organization that I have contributed my time and talents to for 28 years now, makes me feel proud.

I would love to welcome more AAUW Sacramento members to the Legacy Circle. Please reach out to me for more information! Or go right to the AAUW website to enroll!

Living Our Mission of Equity By Charmen Goehring

We invite you to join us in a monthly equity conversation looking at our own biases and what

Charmen Goehring

actions we can take to attract diversity to our branch and become better people in the process. We are reading the book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson and discussing what we have read, along with exploring other issues related to race and equity. We meet the second Wednesday of each month from 7 to 8 p.m. on Zoom.

The Zoom meeting code is 737 420 3780 or you can join using this link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7374203780.

We will discuss Part 3 on May 12 at 7 p.m. If you have questions and to RSVP, please email Charmen at charminme@yahoo.com.