Inspire, Fall 2005

H ow often have you heard that the key to life is answering a few essential questions? The key to evaluating any writing done by a journalist is to measure how well the article answers a few essential questions. The key to becoming a partner in Cedarville’s annual fund is as simple as answering the same essential questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? Who benefits from gifts given to the annual fund? Students! The desire to help our students is the driving force behind gifts to the annual fund; students benefit from it in every way! What are my options? There are several options: 1. Give a one-time gift through the mail or online when we send a letter to you. 2. Become involved in one of our giving clubs. Torch Club $100+ per year Charter Society $500+ per year President’s Associates $1,000+ per year Chairman’s Council $5,000+ per year 3. Give a one-time gift through the mail or online when you read an Inspire article. 4. Take advantage of matching gifts. Contact your human resources department or visit our Web site to see if your employer matches gifts. Some employers not only match gifts; they may triple the size of the gift! 5. Give a one-time gift when a Cedarville student calls you. 6. Give a one-time gift anytime! Where does my gift do the greatest good? Students do not pay the entire cost of their education. No student at Cedarville EVER has. And gifts touch everything that touches students: faculty, educational resources, student aid, Christian ministries, residence hall mentoring programs, chapel services, and more. Why should you and I give? Because Cedarville has “branded” us for life, and students today need all the good that you and I experienced while we were here. When can I give? You can send in a gift at any time of day or night, seven days a week, any month of the year. The annual fund works 24/7 for students! If you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Please call us at 1-800-766-1115 or visit www.cedarville.edu and click on “Financial Partners.” Annual Fund Office Contact Jeff Brock ’84 brockj@cedarville.edu The Essential Questions CareerNet is a voluntary association of people committed to supporting the career needs of Cedarville University students and alumni. Being a part of CareerNet allows you to identify practical means of support for our current students and our ever-growing circle of alumni. The goal of this association is not to be a job placement agency, but to offer students and alumni meaningful insight into various career fields and life ministries. Partner with us … • Notify us of job and internship opportunities. • Encourage your company to attend Career Link Events. • Act as a contact in your profession. • Act as a contact in your region. To join CareerNet, contact us at www.cedarville.edu/career or career@cedarville.edu or call us toll free at 1-888-562-4811. Our fax is 1-937-766-7876. Cedarville offers a full schedule of events to serve prospective students. Please encourage students to take advantage of these exciting opportunities in 2005-06: October Revolution@Blowout (student event featuring Christian bands, worship, and God’s Word) November Science and Math Day (explore career and ministry opportunities in science and math) January Leadership Conference (leadership training for high school students) February CedarMania (all-night event for junior high students) Engineering Day (explore career and ministry opportunities in engineering) Music Showcase (honor band, choir, and strings for high school musicians) Business Day (explore career and ministry opportunities in business) Nursing Day (explore career and ministry opportunities in nursing) March Junior Jam (day program for 3rd through 6th grade students) Bring ’Em to Campus! Join Today! CareerNet Needs You! CareerNet … helping students network! For more information on these and other events, visit www.cedarville.edu/youthevents or call 1-877-CEDARVILLE . On September 23, 2005 President Bush signed the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005 (KETRA) into law. KETRA provides a number of tax incentives for those who were affected by Katrina and for those involved in relief efforts. The law also contains a very important, although temporary, provision allowing 100% deductibility of charitable cash gifts up to the total of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income (AGI), whether or not the gifts are designated for Katrina relief. Deductions of cash gifts are normally limited to 50% of AGI. Qualifying gifts must be made between August 28, 2005 and December 31, 2005. This creates a temporary window to make “zero tax effect” IRA and 401(k) withdrawals when the proceeds are used for charitable giving. The money withdrawn from an IRA is totally taxable but will be 100% deductible when used for a charitable gift. The net result is a zero or near zero tax effect. Many donors have been waiting for the opportunity to draw down IRAs for giving purposes without paying the incremental tax. The government has resisted this option on a permanent basis, but has allowed a temporary opportunity in the KETRA law. As always, the effect of changes in the tax law will vary for each individual. You should consult with your tax preparer to determine how best to use the provisions in KETRA. Office of Gift Planning 1-800-766-1115 giftplanning@cedarville.edu Pay Zero Income Tax for 2005