Splish Splash, It Was Done in a Flash!

Why a Gift of Stock Is One of the Best Ways to Give

Originally from Texas, Sue Wild’s Hawaii story began in 1961, on the Matson luxury ocean liner, the Lurline, sailing from San Francisco to Hawaii. She was an architecture student at the time, and little did she know she would meet her husband-to-be on the romantic cruise. She and Walter met and two days later, he proposed to her. The next day she accepted. They moved to Oahu and were married for 56 wonderful years, until his passing this year.

Sue’s relationship with the YMCA of Honolulu began when she took a water arthritis class at the Windward Branch. Later, they needed someone to teach the class and asked her to be a volunteer instructor. Certified to teach arthritis, Parkinson’s, Tai Chi and Silver and Fit classes, Sue also taught at the Nuuanu and Kaimuki-Waialae branches.

Sue knows the importance of a well-run pool for the water arthritis classes. Over the last year, the Windward Branch’s pool had been breaking down quite a bit, so in consultation with Branch Executive Leigh Ann Landreth, Sue offered to cover the cost of the needed repairs. She gave the Y stock as her gift, which made possible the replacement of the pool heater, plastering, repair of the deck, and the purchase of a pool cover.

Why give stock instead of cash? "Why not," replied Sue. "I save on capital gains tax. If I sold the stock to make a cash gift, I’d have to pay extra taxes, and then the Y would receive less. And since I owned the stock for more than one year, I got double the tax savings by being able to deduct the full market value of my donated stock."

Example:

"I am humbled by Sue’s tremendous generosity with her time and resources. Plain and simple, it is only through partnerships with volunteers and donors like Sue that the Y is able to serve our community with the best possible programs and facilities," said YMCA CEO Michael Broderick.

What Sue most appreciates about the Y is how it supports seniors. "It helps seniors socialize and provides a safe environment for them. I love that the personal trainers are there to help seniors exercise the right way, without getting hurt," she notes. She also thinks the Y’s programs for kids are excellent. "One of the most important things the Y does is offer programs for school breaks," she says. "So many parents work, and these programs provide good supervision. They teach Y values, and the staff members are good role models for the kids. The Y does a really good job."

Our most sincere thanks to Sue, for making the YMCA part of her family! To learn more about gifts of stock, click here or contact in confidence, Kerri Van Duyne, Vice President of Development, at (808) 541-5473 or kvanduyne@ymcahonolulu.org.

Because everyone’s situation is different, the Y encourages you to seek professional legal, estate planning, and financial advice before deciding on a course of action. This information does not constitute legal or financial advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice.