Nonprofit Toolkit – 5forCNY

“Central New York is where you have put down roots. This community is part of who you are. You can give back with a gift to the region’s future. We recently learned about the 5forCNY campaign and so can you. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can support the community through your estate, visit 5forcny.org.”

A variety of available social media templates on Canva ready to edit, download, and post! Click the available links for the design that works best for you and your nonprofit.

5forCNY Social Media Template – Version 1

• Facebook Post Template
• Instagram Post (Square) Template
• LinkedIn Post Template
• Twitter Post Template

5forCNY Social Media Template – Version 2

• Facebook Post Template
• Instagram Post (Square) Template
• LinkedIn Post Template
• Twitter Post Template

Community Foundation staff members are available to partner with your organization to present to your board and/or constituents about 5forCNY and the opportunity to preserve endowed assets for nonprofits and our community. Contact us to request or schedule a presentation.

Leverage the power of story. Use storytelling to share an example of a donor who was inspired by 5forCNY to leave a lasting legacy of support for your organization. You can also contact us to share your 5forCNY story or visit this link to read existing stories inspired by 5forCNY.

Planned giving is a crucial way to leverage donors’ support beyond their lifetimes. You don’t have to have a planned giving program in place to start talking about legacy giving. 5forCNY can be an easy way to introduce the concept of planned giving to your donors. Once donors begin to express interest, start with the basics – like bequests and beneficiary designations – and consider working with partners like the Community Foundation or other outside consultants to help process complex gifts.

1. Keep it brief: “If you are interested in learning about leaving a legacy with a planned gift, please contact us to explore your options.”
2. Many nonprofits also choose to share boilerplate language for wills and beneficiary designations. Some organizations choose to share this information on their website, while others opt to provide it upon request, once a donor has expressed interest in making an estate/planned gift. Here’s some standard language:
   1. Words for a Will or Trust: I give, devise, and bequeath to the [Organization Name (EIN XX-XXXXXX), City, State], a New York non-profit corporation, [%, $ or other] to be used for its general purposes [or a specified program].
   2. Beneficiary Designation:  Our listing as beneficiary should be “[Organization Name, EIN XX-XXXXXX, Street Address, City, State Zip]”.

The goal of 5forCNY is to encourage more individuals to consider leaving a legacy gift to a charitable endowment. By endowing their gifts, donors can extend their giving in perpetuity. Endowed dollars are invested for future growth and sustainability, while also ensuring a steady stream of annual support for nonprofits.

An endowment is a permanent fund that provides annual support to your organization. Some donors may choose to give to your organization’s endowment, while others may prefer to give to an endowment at the Community Foundation to hedge against nonprofit uncertainty.

Click the links to learn more about nonprofit agency funds and donor designated funds.