The Advancement Office of the Sisters of St. Francis of Holy Name Province raises awareness and financial support to help care for infirm and older sisters, and to support their ministries in the United States and missions in Africa and Mexico where they commit themselves to human rights, ecological harmony, and global peace. 

Are you a “Franciscan at Heart?”

The mission of the Sisters of St. Francis is only made possible through God’s Providence and the kindness and generosity of our good friends and benefactors who support us in our work through their prayers and donations.

 When you support us—we consider you a Franciscan at heart because you join us in our lives of service to others.

Our Sisters serve as elementary and secondary teachers, social workers, counselors, parish ministers, soup kitchens workers, and in programs to assist those who are poor and under-served.  Additionally we lovingly support and care for our senior members at Stella Niagara and throughout Holy Name Province.

Thank you for being our partner in all of these wonderful ministries.  As one of our donors you are remembered in the daily prayers of our Sisters.

 Ways You Can Make a Difference

Gifts of Cash, Stock and Securities

Regular gifts to our Sisters may be made through cash, check or credit card contributions. You may also pledge your contribution and pay through an installment plan that allows you to keep within your budget. These gifts are fully deductible from federal and state income tax.

Or perhaps gifts of stock and securities are a better way for you to make a difference. Such gifts can be made through your broker by requesting that the securities be transferred to The Sisters of St. Francis of Holy Name Province, Inc. These gifts are also income tax deductible and can provide you with relief from capital gains tax.  Please be sure to contact Barbara Johnson at 716-754-2193 to discuss your stock gift, so that we know it’s on its way to us and can acknowledge your gift properly.

You can also honor or remember a loved one (a relative, friend or classmate) through a tribute donation.  Memorial tributes are added to our memorial register, placed in our Chapel at Stella Niagara, and your loved ones are remembered during our daily prayers.  Your gift may be made at any time by contacting the Advancement Office at (716) 754-2193. 

Don’t forget that many companies offer matching gift programs for their employees, thus doubling the impact of your gift to the Sisters. Your company’s human resource office will be able to provide you with matching gift forms to be forwarded to our office.

Become a member of our Legacy Society

We honor your intent to remember the Sisters in your estate planning by in turn, remembering you and your intentions during bimonthly mass celebrations; offering a special mass just for you at the beginning of the year in our Chapel at Stella Niagara; offering you a personal memento, and of course, a special place in our prayers.  Your name will also be placed on our Legacy Society Roster, placed in our Chapel at Stella Niagara, unless you choose to be an anonymous member.  Please let our Advancement Office know if you have remembered the Sisters in your estate planning.

Consider Including the Sisters in Your Will

Everyone should have a will. Creating a will ensures that your wishes are explained, documented and clearly understood. Otherwise a court will make those decisions after your death.

In your will, you can make a bequest to individuals and charitable organizations such as the Sisters of St. Francis. After you have provided for your family, you may choose to leave a specific dollar amount, a fixed percentage of your estate, or you may designate that the balance (residue) of the estate is left to the Sisters of St. Francis.

By remembering the Sisters of St. Francis in your will, the value of your bequest is wholly deductible and is not subject to federal estate or state inheritance taxes. You will also know that your final gift will support the Sisters in our ministries in the United States and missions in Africa and Mexico.

The exact wording you will need to include is:

Percentage:
I give, devise and bequeath to the Sisters of St. Francis of Holy Name Province, Inc., 4421 Lower River Road, Stella Niagara, New York 14144  ______% of my estate.

Dollar Amount:
I give, devise and bequeath to the Sisters of St. Francis of Holy Name Province, Inc., 4421 Lower River Road, Stella Niagara, New York 14144  $________ from my estate.

Residue:
All the residue of my estate, including real and personal property, I give, devise and bequeath to the Sisters of St. Francis of Holy Name Province, Inc., 4421 Lower River Road, Stella Niagara, New York 14144.

Life Insurance or Retirement Plans May be a Good Choice for You

You can name Sisters of St. Francis of Holy Name Province, Inc. as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy. This also holds true for IRAs, 401(k) programs and other retirement plans. The result is a final gift that could be far more substantial than you may have been able to do during your lifetime.

Remember bequests, life insurance and retirement beneficiary designations are simple to do and are revocable should your situation change.

Other Gift Choices May Fit Your Situation

There are many more ways in which to provide a legacy to The Sisters of St. Francis.  Please feel free to contact Barbara Johnson, Director of Advancement. She will be happy to meet with you in order to match your situation with your desire to be a “Franciscan at Heart.”

Your inquiry will be treated confidentially and does not imply any obligation to make a gift.

A note from Barbara:

“The essence of planned giving is thinking and planning ahead in a thoughtful manner to care for those you love.  Since I do love the Sisters and believe in their ministries, it became clear to me that becoming a Legacy Society member was something that I really wanted to do!

In my case, the easiest solution was naming the Sisters of St. Francis of Holy Name Province, Inc. as the beneficiary at death of one of my retirement plans.  All I had to do was call my representative (his name and number were on my statement) and request the form to change beneficiaries.   It was easy.

The form was very simple.  My representative had highlighted the areas I needed to complete.  My husband needed to sign the form, too, as he had been the previous beneficiary – but he is very pleased that I’m remembering the Sisters.   After getting the signatures notarized, I returned the form and that was it! Now I’m a member of our Legacy Society!”

For information, to join our mailing list or to learn how you can support the Sisters, please contact:

Mrs. Barbara Johnson

Director of Advancement

phone: 716-754-2193

fax: 716-754-2187

e-mail advancement@franciscans-stella-niagara.org

4421 Lower River Rd.

Stella Niagara, NY 14144-1000

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