Endowment and Planned Giving Program

Your loyal support has made it possible for United Way of Metropolitan Chicago to fulfill its mission. We invite you to leave your legacy with United Way to have a real impact on solving the changing needs of our community. Your legacy gift will make it possible for you to take care of the community issues you care about well into the future. Together, we can continue to impact future generations.

The United Way Endowment

United Way of Metropolitan Chicago began its Endowment in 2007. The fund contains unrestricted outright and planned gifts. At the discretion of the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Board of Directors, the income from the Endowment will be directed to fund innovative programs that address critical and emerging needs, ensure current needs are met, and provide resources to respond quickly and effectively to unexpected crisis. As metropolitan Chicago evolves, United Way changes the way we work so we will continue to be relevant and make sure issues do not become crises.

The Founders Circle

We would like to thank the generous individuals and organizations who provided the foundation for the Endowment in 2007-2008 with minimum gifts of $25,000.

$500,000 and above
Allstate Foundation
Cathy and Bill Osborn
Max and Jim Farrell

$200,000 to $499,999
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Connie and Elmer W. Johnson
Susan and Robert S. Morrison

$100,000-$199,999
Exelon Corporation
Northern Trust
Ernst & Young LLP
Harris Bank
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

$50,000-$99,999
Wm. Wrigley, Jr. Company
Chicago Board Options Exchange
KPMG LLP
National City Bank
William Blair & Company, LLC Foundation
Margaret Fox Morrill

$25,000-$49,999
Dr. Vera and Frank Clark
Ellen Costello and Michael Judge
Catherine M. Couglin
Deb DeHaas and Dave Underwood
Robert and Joan Der
Janet and Bob Froetscher
Dean and Kathy Harrison
Jay and Cindy Henderson
Lester and Nancy McKeever

Legacy Society – By supporting The United Way Endowment with an outright or planned gift, you can become a member of the Legacy Society with a minimum contribution of $1,000. Legacy Society members will be recognized in perpetuity for their outstanding generosity and foresight.

Planned Giving

There are a variety of planned giving opportunities for you to choose from including bequests, cash gifts, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, gifts of marketable securities, real estate, life insurance policies or retirement plan assets, which can be made now or at some point in the future. The most common form of a deferred planned gift is a charitable bequest, a gift that can be established fairly simply. Endowing your annual contribution or naming United Way as a beneficiary of an IRA or life insurance policy are additional strategies to consider.

Leaving a bequest to United Way – You can name United Way the beneficiary of a specific dollar amount or percentage of your estate. The following or similar language may be used to designate a bequest to UWMC:
For a specific bequest: “I hereby give and bequeath $_______ from my estate to the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, for its [endowment fund] or [general purposes].”

We will work closely with you to ensure your gift has the maximum impact in the community and fulfills your wish to leave your legacy. Each planned giving vehicle and endowment gift will work to provide a substantial gift to United Way of Metropolitan Chicago and, in certain circumstances, ensure tax and income advantages to the you and/or your heirs. As with all gifts of this nature, be sure to consult with your financial or tax advisor to determine if these techniques are appropriate for your situation.

Loyal Contributor Program

If you have been giving to United Way for 10 years or more, you are a Loyal Contributor. Have you been giving to United Way for over 25 years? Then you are a Diamond Donor! We would like to thank you and recognize you for illustrating what it means to LIVE UNITED. You are providing the foundation upon which United Way can invest in meaningful, measurable change in our communities. Thank you for your unwavering support. Each year of your participation is a tribute to your dedication to United Way’s mission of creating lasting change. You are part of a movement that inspires hope and creates opportunity – and a better tomorrow for everyone.

Honorarium and Memorial Gifts

You may make a gift in memory of a loved one or to honor a special person. Memorial and honorarium gifts provide the opportunity to pay tribute to loved ones and friends, as well as make an investment in our future. We will gratefully acknowledge your gift to the family or individual you wish to remember or honor.

If you have already included United Way in your will or estate plans, or would like to learn more about The Endowment and Planned Giving program, please contact Beth Curtis, Senior Manager of Strategic Giving, at (312) 906-2457 or beth.curtis@uw-mc.org.