Posts Tagged: Dig it
Please Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support the UC San Bernardino Master Gardener Program
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation on Friday, June 4 ("Big Dig Day" or anytime!) to support the efforts of our 220 UC Cooperative Extension San Bernardino County Master Gardener volunteers.These highly trained, dedicated, and passionate volunteers help over 35,000 county residents each year grow food in home, school, and community gardens; cool urban heat islands through the proper selection and care of drought-efficient landscape plants; and, enhance their quality of life through participating in outdoor activities. Even during COVID, the Master Gardener volunteers provided education at more than 150 educational activities, adapting in-person training to online opportunities. These volunteers provide over $260,000 of services free each year!
Options for 'on the spot' donating include making a one-time gift, a recurring (monthly gift) or cherishing the memory of a loved one through a tribute gift.
Other ways to give: (information provided by Kelly Scott, major gifts officer, UC ANR)
There are a variety of planned gift options that will allow you to meet your philanthropic and financial goals. You can make a significant impact by supporting the UC Master Gardener Program through your estate plans, for instance by making a bequest. Donors may also establish income-producing gifts such as charitable gift annuities or charitable remainder trusts, which benefit them during their lifetimes with up-front income tax savings and often at a higher return. (Please contact Kelly Scott at kdscott@ucanr.edu or (530) 750-1307 for more information on this option.)
Stock and Appreciated Securities
Avoid capital gains tax and claim a federal tax charitable deduction for the full appreciated value of long-term (held more than 1 year) securities (stocks, bonds, mutual fund shares). In order to qualify, gifts must be transferred directly from your brokerage account to the Regents of the University of California. (Please contact Kelly Scott at kdscott@ucanr.edu or (530) 750-1307 for more information on this option.)
Real Estate/Personal Property
Gifts of tangible property or other assets that represent value may offer you tax benefits while also enabling you to support our program. Examples include real estate, equipment, collections, and artwork. If you have a gift of this kind. (Please contact Kelly Scott at kdscott@ucanr.edu or (530) 750-1307 for more information on this option.)
Please help us spread the word and share this blog with others who have benefited from the help of a Master Gardener volunteer.
We hope you will join us on June 4!
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
/span>UC ANR COVID-19 Update: Town Hall follow-up FAQs
Town Hall follow-up FAQs
FAQs have been developed to address questions asked during the May 28 Town Hall meeting concerning safety measures related to COVID-19, budgetary impacts and more. Please visit http://ucanr.edu/sites/safety/files/327731.pdf to read the questions and answers.
Celebration Corner
BIG congratulations! Together we raised over $88,000 in new support across the state with our second annual Big Dig Day campaign. This is an increase of more than 3x the individual giving from last year. In these unprecedented times, this show of support demonstrates the impact we're having in our communities and the value that donors place on our work.
More than $65,000 of support was designated to 51 counties. We received 773 gifts from 678 donors. Thank you for your participation—and thank you to our donors who extend our reach and help us fulfill our mission for a healthier California. Please share our thank you video with your contacts!
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
Black Lives Matter, Pride Month, budget and Big Dig Day
It's hard to believe it is already Friday; this week has certainly been chaotic. While dealing with the challenges of a pandemic that may be entering a second wave soon, we've all had to process a great deal of emotion over the death of George Floyd and anger over the ongoing injustice against the Black community. As I said earlier this week, our mission to serve California can never fully come to fruition if Black Americans and other historically victimized groups continue to suffer hatred and bias. Easy enough to say, but what does that mean going forward?
This week, the most important action was to quickly make it clear where we stood on the situation and offer emotional support to our colleagues and communities of color. Let me be clear: Black Lives Matter. It's hard to know if our messages were the best they could be, but they were offered with sincerity and the hope of stimulating productive discussions. Those discussions are critical to next steps; we have to think and learn and then identify where and how we can enhance our programs and policies to build that healthy, peaceful and prosperous California for all.
I'm not sure what those next steps will encompass, but I am sure that, working together, we can design actions that will help us achieve that goal. As we work toward that, I ask all of you to be open to new ideas and have patience with each other. We are all flawed human beings that are doing the best we can while dealing with a pandemic, an uncertain economy, sheltering-in-place and all the other upheaval that has been thrown at everyone this past few months.
One action that I would like to offer right now is to read this very thoughtful article and one of the best explanations of "white privilege" I've seen. These easy-to-understand, everyday examples are shared with compassion despite the hurt they caused; every white person needs to read this. If your reaction to that is to say, "I don't need to read this because I'm not a racist," then you are probably one of the people that need to read it the most.
In June, every Wednesday at 6 p.m., you are invited to join UC ANR colleagues to view films about LGBTQ+ communities and participate in discussions after the shows from the comfort of wherever you are sheltering in place. The length of each session will vary with the length of the film. Register for the ANR Pride Film Fest at http://ucanr.edu/pride2020 to get the Zoom link.
Before I close, I'm sure many of you have been following our budget situation and actions taken by the state legislature. At this time, we don't know for sure how large of a cut we may be facing, but are preparing for various scenarios. We'll share more detail on that next week. I can commit to you that any actions taken on the budget will prioritize our people. You – our academics, programmatic staff and the support staff that enable them all to be successful – are our most important infrastructure. Without you, the mission cannot be delivered!
In closing, the last action I'll suggest for this week is for you to please take care of yourself. Sleep in this weekend, get out into the sun, spend some quality time (Zoom or in person) with family and friends. Take part (safely) in a protest of some sort or find another way to support our Black community.
Best wishes and warm regards to all,
Glenda
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
Big Dig Day, June 5
Even as we are experiencing pain, fear, anger and hopelessness in reaction to current events, we know the worst of times can bring out the best in people.
As we prepare to launch our Big Dig Day campaign, we recognize fundraising messaging can and should be sensitive to the difficult time our country is enduring on so many levels.
People want to help. So we will continue to invite our donors, neighbors, colleagues, family and friends to support the work we do to bring people together for a healthier California—and world beyond.
The mission and work of UC ANR are important. We have provided critical resources to communities in California during the depression, war-time, civil unrest and pandemics. With the support of our employees, our stakeholders and the communities we touch, we will grow our programs and continue to share the knowledge of the University across California.
I hope all of you will join me in supporting Big Dig Day tomorrow, June 5. I know not everyone is in a position to make a financial gift, but there are many ways to support—change your Facebook profile frame to UCANR Big Dig, post on social media, and send an email to your network sharing the Big Dig site ucanr.edu/bigdig. Now more than ever, we need to be reaching out.
If you need help with messaging or have questions about ways to be involved, please contact Emily Delk on our Development team (eddelk@ucanr.edu).
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
"Big Dig" Day of Giving is Friday, June 5th