ways to give

Education is the cornerstone for community success. It is the key to stimulating economic development, reducing the crime rate, and decreasing poverty. Donations made to the Waterloo Schools Foundation help us directly impact the lives of the 10,000+ students in the Waterloo Community School District and the Greater Cedar Valley.

Types of Donations

When considering a charitable gift, most people think of writing a check, but many other types of non-cash assets allow you to provide even greater support for the causes you care about. Whether you’re ready to give today, want to chat about specific initiatives, or want to set up a long-term plan for giving, we're here to help!

Email us at info@wcsfoundation.org and our team

will help guide you through the giving process.

The Waterloo Schools Foundation accepts gifts of all types, including, but not limited to:

cash

Most donors give in the form of a check or wire transfer. A benefit of donation to a 501(c)3

nonprofit (like the Foundation) is that donations made are tax-deductible.

annual sponsorships

The Foundation seeks annual sponsors to invest in the 10,000+ students and

teachers of Waterloo. Business and individuals are welcomed as annual sponsors.

More information can be found on our Sponsors page.

employer matching gifts

Some employers have the benefit of donation matching - a giving incentive in which an employer

matches their employee's contribution to a specific organization. If their employee donates $50 to the

Foundation, the employer will make a matching $50 donation. If your employer offers this benefit,

consider letting them know of your donation to the Foundation to increase the impact of your dollars.

individual matching gifts

The Foundation hosts various 24-hour challenges throughout the year. This is a time when businesses or

individuals will pledge to match a certain dollar amount of money raised. For example, on Giving Tuesday,

a local couple decided they would donate $1,000 once we reached $1,000 in other donations.

memorial gifts

Memorial gifts are a great way to honor someone who was passionate about public education during

their lifetime. Some families do this by asking friends and family to send donations to the Foundation in lieu

of flower memorials to the funeral home. The Foundation then creates a memorial fund in their name.

These funds can be designated for a specific purpose, i.e. student learning opportunities, our grant cycles, specific funding within the district, teacher support, etc.

planned giving

Planned giving is a donor's intention to contribute a gift to an organization beyond their lifetime. This is often in the form of financial or estate plans via a will or trust. Another avenue of planned giving is through assets not eligible for gifting during one's lifetime; for example, life insurance policies, retirement assets, and equity, rather than standard earned income. You can work with the Foundation to determine how these proceeds will be used within our mission.

endowment fund

An endowment fund is money set aside (invested). At the end of the year, a portion of this money goes to the nonprofit, but the principal amount remains in the market. Unlike a typical investment fund, the beneficiary of an endowment fund is the nonprofit organization that receives the earned money of the fund. Donations made to these funds are tax deductible, so donors can receive charitable tax benefits immediately upon making their donation.

STOCK

Establishing a donation is possible through the donation of appreciated securities, which include stocks and bonds, including those from closely held companies. Donating appreciated securities allows you to avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciated portion of the gift. Consult with your tax professional about tax implications and specific procedures involved when donating stock shares.