Additional Ways to Give

More than 50 years after her life, Helen Keller’s dedication to empower people with visual impairments carries on around the world. What is known today as Sights for Hope is part of the legacy, as its inception traces to a speech she made in Bethlehem, PA, in 1928.

A gift to Sights for Hope creates your own legacy of support for personal triumphs over vision loss. Planned gifts not only make legacy giving possible, but they can also provide other advantages such as tax benefits to the donor or lifetime income for the donor or others.

Click here to download a Bequest Intention Form

Ways to Give

It is easy to make a gift that provides the maximum benefit to you, your family, and Sights for Hope.

• Make a gift in your will
• Designate Sights for Hope as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy
• Designate Sights for Hope as a beneficiary of a portion of your retirement plan
• Create a trust that provides annual income to you and/or your family and ultimately reverts to Sights for Hope
• Create a trust that provides income to Sights for Hope and ultimately reverts to your survivors
• Donate property

Sample Bequest Language

Your attorney can arrange a gift by inserting the following language into your will or trust, or as an amendment thereof: “To Sights for Hope, Inc. (Federal Tax Identification Number 23-1352260), I hereby give $ ____ (or ___%) of my estate.”
We encourage all donors to consult with their own professional tax advisors when making charitable gifts.

IRA Charitable Rollover

The IRA Charitable Rollover Provision allows individuals who have reached age 70½ to donate up to $100,000 to charitable organizations directly from their Individual Retirement Account (IRA), without treating the distribution as taxable income. This provision had expired on January 1, 2015, but was reinstated and made permanent.

Jacob Bolotin Society

Jacob Bolotin was the first person in the world with total blindness to become a physician, and he was an advocate for the employment of individuals living without vision and their full integration into society. Bolotin’s advocacy efforts and medical achievements continue to positively impact individuals living with visual impairments today by setting the example that there are ways to overcome the obstacles of vision loss to live a fulfilling life. The Jacob Bolotin Society recognizes those generous donors who have projected their love and support for Sights for Hope and our mission beyond the horizon of their own mortality by making a deferred or estate gift of $10,000 or more.

Let Us Know

We hope that you would let us know of your plans so that we can express our appreciation and make additional arrangements if needed. Please contact our Advancement Office with details. Laws and regulations prohibit attorneys and financial professionals from informing organizations of planned gifts during your life.

Our Policies

A joint policy by Sights for Hope and our affiliated Sights for Hope Endowment Foundation directs single unrestricted gifts from wills or trusts of more than $10,000 to be divided into a single $10,000 gift toward our operations and a gift in the remaining amount toward the endowment. If, however, you wish for more of your gift, or your entire gift, to support our operations, we ask that you please inform us in writing.

The Sights for Hope Endowment Foundation is an independent nonprofit corporation that is affiliated with Sights for Hope and governed by a separate Board of Directors. The endowment foundation was established in 1980 to provide funding opportunities based on best investment practices that ensure our agency’s sustainability.

Helen Keller Society

Helen Keller Society members are individuals, groups, and estates that have achieved at least $1,000 in giving since 2010 to the Sights for Hope Endowment Foundation. Qualifying gifts include those made to the endowment directly and those transferred from Sights for Hope to the endowment foundation. Helen Keller, the legendary teacher and humanitarian, inspired the agency’s creation in 1928 with a speech to Lions Club leaders in Bethlehem, PA. Individuals and groups interested in support the endowment foundation should contact our Advancement office.

Employee matching gift programs are corporate giving programs that you can use to double, or even triple, your contribution.

Example Matching Gift

You work for Company A and decide to donate $100 to Sights for Hope. Company A has a matching gift policy that matches at a 1:1 ratio. After you submit your matching gift form, Company A will double your donation by also writing a check to Sights for Hope. Some companies even match gifts for part time workers and retirees.

How to Request a Matching Gift

1. Donate – Make a donation and save your tax receipt. Many matching programs will allow for up to one year after you’ve made your donation to request a corporate match.
2. Inquire – Contact your HR department directly to ask if they offer a matching gift program.See if your employer will match your donation!
   
3. Match – Commonly, your company will provide a matching gift form that you can download and complete to complete the match. Consult your HR department for more information on your company’s policies.

I made a donation a few months ago. Can I still apply for a matching gift?

Maybe! Many companies allow employees to submit match requests for 1 year following the date of the donation.

Can my company’s matching gift be applied to a specific service provided by the agency?

Yes! For example, if your initial gift is intended to support our guided transportation program, the matching gift from your company will also be directed to that initiative.

A stock gift to Sights for Hope may provide tax benefits. Potential benefits include the avoidance of long-term capital gains taxes and the opportunity to deduct your gift’s value from your adjusted gross income if you itemize on your federal tax return. Donors should be aware of possible tax implications. Please consult your tax professional for details.

Please use the form below to make your stock pledge. After your broker confirms the donation of stock, we will issue an official acknowledgment. The letter will indicate the number and type(s) of share received, the date of the gift, and the date during which the stock was converted into cash. Revenue from gifts of stocks will be assigned to our general contribution fund unless you indicate other wishes.

Every effort will be made to sell your stocks as quickly as possible. For tax purposes, the value of the stock will be an average of the high and low prices on the date in which your gift is liquidated.

A vehicle symbolizes independence for many people. Your vehicle also will help others seize independence when you donate it to Sights for Hope.

Donate your vehicle to us quickly and easily and with free pickup through CARS network when you click the link below. You also can call 855.500.7433. The CARS network will sell your vehicle and provide sale proceeds to Sights for Hope.

We are happy to receive support from donors making designations through various United Way organizations. Please contact your employer’s human resources department for more information on how to support Sights for Hope through your local United Way.

AmazonSmile is a digital platform that offers the famous Amazon shopping experience and an easy opportunity to support personal triumphs over visual impairments. When you choose Sights for Hope as your organization on AmazonSmile, we receive 0.5% of each purchase you make there.

How to Set Up AmazonSmile

• Click here to go to the AmazonSmile platform.
• Follow the prompts and select Sights for Hope as your supported charitable organization.
• Shop on the AmazonSmile platform every time you want to make an Amazon purchase

How to Use AmazonSmile on Your Smart Phone

• Complete the steps in the section above first in order to have AmazonSmile appear as an option in your mobile app.
• Open the Amazon app on your mobile device.
• Go into the main menu of the Amazon app and tap into ‘Settings.’
• Tap ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

Sights for Hope is happy to accept noncash gifts that benefit our mission and support our clients in their journeys to triumph over their visual impairments.

Notes About Noncash Gifts

• Donated items may be are quarantined prior to their distribution.
• Among the items we cannot accept are used books and magazines.
• If we are unable to accept your donation, we would encourage you to locate your nearest Goodwill Donation Site.

Our Wish List

While we are grateful for a variety of noncash gifts, these are the items that we would appreciate the most.

• iPad Tablets – New and gently-used iPads are given to both employees and clients to support our agency’s ability to conduct virtual programming.
• Laptop Computers – New and gently-used laptop computers help support our caseworkers as they work in the field or work remotely.
• New Vehicles – Our guided transport service is the most utilized Sights for Hope service as well as its most expensive. The donation of a new vehicle helps support the service and the safety of our clients and drivers.