Updated from the original publication on November 18, 2016.
The holiday season is a time for giving, and there’s a way to be sure your gift will leave a positive impact on the lives around you. Presbyterian Senior Living has more than 30 communities in and around Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, and your donation would make a huge difference in the lives of the people we serve. Some gifts can even pay you back in the long run!
Why Give?
In short, we can’t do it without you. Presbyterian Senior Living’s mission is to offer Christian understanding, compassion and a sense of belonging to promote wholeness of body, mind, and spirit. That mission includes everyone we have the pleasure of serving, and we strive to provide the utmost service and support to residents and family members entrusting us with their care. But it’s only with your help that we are able to accomplish our mission.
How you can help
Imagine this: a resident at a senior living community outlives their finances. It’s definitely possible, in fact, it happens frequently. Should that person be asked to leave the place that provides them with the care they need, or the place they’ve come to call home? How can they afford to stay? The answer is in the generous donations provided every year.
Presbyterian Senior Living makes a commitment to the people we serve, and they will not be asked to leave because they outlived their resources. Since we were founded in 1927, we have never had to break our commitment, in part due to the gifts we receive from you. For example, last year, PSL provided nearly $30 million to support residents who outlived their financial resources, a large portion of which came from donations.
Make a donation now to support our mission
Your gift can make a positive impact on residents’ lives in other, more tangible ways as well. Past donations
have provided residents with a wheelchair accessible minivan, a new Aquatic and Fitness Center, and renovations to our health centers.
There are several opportunities available that need charitable support. They include employee scholarships, campaigns for capital needs and renovations, and the need to provide subsidized care to residents. Your support there can assist a particular community or help where it is most needed.
Presbyterian Senior Living also raises special funds that enhance the lives of the people we serve in each community. These funds can include an outdoor enhancement, entertainment, activities, and more. Donating specifically to one of these funds ensures our communities are caring places to live, work, and visit, all thanks to you.
You also have the option to set up or contribute to an endowment fund. Donors may choose to provide for the future of Presbyterian Senior Living or a specific community by contributing to a fund that continues to grow its principle, while providing immediate support through interest payments.
A Positive Impact on Your Life
The feeling you get after giving gifts during the holiday season can be its own reward, but there are other ways a gift to PSL can reward you, too. A donation of $10,000 or more through a charitable gift annuity can provide fixed payments for you and your loved ones. It involves a simple contract between you and PSL where you agree to make a gift to PSL or one of its communities and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life. You get immediate tax savings and future income for yourself while benefitting a community or project you care about most.
How to Create a Legacy of Philanthropy this Holiday Season
It’s not just charitable gift annuities that can provide you with tax breaks though. PSL has 501(c)(3) status with the IRS as a tax-exempt organization. This status means that all gifts to Presbyterian Senior Living or its communities are tax-deductible.
There is also a relatively new law that lets donors age 70½ or older make a rollover gift of up to $100,000 from their IRA. Each year, up to $100,000 can be transferred directly from a donor’s IRA to Presbyterian Senior Living or one of its communities, free from federal income tax. There may also be state income tax savings.
How to give
The methods listed above aren’t the only opportunities you have to give this holiday season. You can make a simple cash donation at any time, or transfer stocks and securities. You can also make a memorial or honorary gift to honor someone important in your loved one’s care.
PSL and its communities also hold fun, special events to raise money throughout the year that you can 
participate in. The 21st Annual Caring by Sharing Golf Tournament was held in Stevens, PA in September, and raised more than $61,000 dollars. And the 8th Annual Long Home Heritage Gala is coming up in January of 2017. Proceeds from that event support the needs of low-income seniors from Lancaster, PA and surrounding communities.
The easiest way to decide what kind of gift is right for you is to check out our handy chart of giving options. We would be happy to discuss how you can best participate in the season of giving this year by contacting The Office of Mission Support at 1-800-382-1385.
Stay tuned for more information on how you can support our mission and give the gift that makes a positive impact in your community.