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How to give to Hospice at Home

Not everyone who requests Hospice at Home services has insurance coverage or the financial means to pay for care. Your monetary gifts, gifts in-kind and gifts of time ensure no one is turned away from care.

Hospice at Home is a lifeline of hope for the people we serve — our patients, their caregivers, family and friends. Whether patients need Transitions Service, palliative care, hospice care or bereavement support, our professional staff and specialized teams offer patients the comfort and higher quality of life they want and deserve.

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Everyone can receive Hospice at Home's care regardless of ability to pay

Fortunately, most Hospice at Home care is covered by some kind of health insurance. Medicare, Medicaid and most major Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) and other private health insurance plans typically cover much of our patients' palliative and hospice care. The remaining amount of support comes through monetary gifts, in-kind gifts and time from volunteers.

But not everyone who requests Hospice at Home services has insurance coverage or the financial means to pay for care. As an organization, we are committed never to restrict anyone's care because of an inability to pay.

Your donation ensures that our services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to everyone who needs them. You allow us to provide complementary and alternative therapies not always covered by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance. Thanks to your generosity, we are also able to offer families and friends bereavement services at no charge to guide and support them on their grief journeys.

Whatever gift of money or time you are able to contribute to Hospice at Home, it will be used to help your neighbors experience comfort, dignity and peace at the end of their lives. They and their families will be deeply appreciative of your caring for them at a time when they need the greatest physical, emotional and spiritual support.

Ways you can help make a profound difference in people's lives

Hospice at Home is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides comfort, pain management and bereavement services to thousands of individuals annually in Southwest Michigan who have life-limiting serious illnesses, injuries or debilitating diseases. To ensure your donation helps fund programs and projects that meet the needs of our patients and families, an independent accounting firm annually audits Hospice at Home. Our financial statements are on file with the Internal Revenue Service and are available for your inspection.

There are several financial ways you can help us make a difference in the lives of people during their end-of-life journeys. Your gift may be tax deductible if you itemize deductions on your personal income tax return. Please see your financial advisor for more information about the tax benefits of donating to Hospice at Home through:

Honorariums and memorials

An honorarium is a donation that honors a living friend or family member. You may make the gift to celebrate an individual's birthday, anniversary or other special occasion. So we can acknowledge the gift, please give us the person's name and address as well as the reason for the honor. We will inform the individual of your thoughtfulness without mentioning the monetary amount of your gift.

A memorial is given to commemorate a deceased loved one. Hospice at Home will let a family member know of your tribute and generosity.

Appreciated stock or other investment assets

You may also donate stock, insurance, bonds, antiques, automobiles or homes instead of cash. This may allow you to avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation and receive a charitable gift donation.

Corporate matching gifts

Many corporations in our communities support charities, such as Hospice at Home. Some of these companies have created matching gift programs. The corporation matches, dollar for dollar, an employee's charitable gift. So if you give $10, the company will donate $10, bringing the total gift to $20.

Check with your human resources department or company owner to learn whether your company has a matching gift program. If one exists, fill out the form, include our tax ID number and return it to your employer.

If your company does not have a corporate matching plan, suggest that it start one. It is an excellent way to support employees' charitable choices as well as manage corporate giving annually. Encourage your human resources director or business owner to contact us for more information.

Endowment gifts

Hospice at Home has established endowment funds through community foundations in Berrien County and South Haven. An endowment fund allows us to invest the money you donate rather than spend it. When invested properly, these funds can lower the need to raise money each year. We use the interest earned from the endowed investment to meet ongoing expenses, to cover capital expenditures or fund special projects and programs.

Planned gifts

Planned giving lets you make a great difference in the lives of adults and children, while taking advantage of unique tax savings and/or income benefits. It gives you the opportunity to leave a legacy and carry out your dreams.

Here are some of the most common types of planned gifts and a simple overview of your options. Please consult with our professional advisors regarding planned gifts.

Bequest. This is the most common and simple form of planned giving. A bequest is made when you name a charitable organization, such as Hospice at Home or Lory's Place, in your will. A bequest can be a designated amount in cash, a percentage of your estate, certain assets or a remainder of your estate after everyone else is provided for. Your estate may benefit from tax savings as a result of your charitable gift. A bequest also gives you the opportunity to ensure your financial security during your lifetime while leaving a legacy that will provide quality end-of-life care for people in your community.
Charitable gift annuity
Charitable trusts
Life insurance
IRA and other retirement plan assets

If you'd like more information on how you can leave your own legacy, please contact Aaron Bradford at 269-927-5142.

More ways to help

Your family, group or company can help make our hospice and bereavement services available to anyone in your community who needs them, and have a great time raising the funds in the process!

Car washes, rummage sales, lemonade stands, spaghetti dinners, golf outings - these are some of the many ways that people, groups and organizations in our community help us continue our care. Proceeds from these events help us provide community programs and complementary services at no charge.

We are happy to offer assistance to any organization or individual conducting a fundraiser to benefit our program services. If you are considering organizing a fundraising event, please contact us at 269-429-7100 or 800-717-3811.

Volunteer

Volunteers are essential to the financial health of Hospice at Home and Lory's Place. Whether you provide direct services to patients and their families, or work behind the scenes to help with fundraising, assist with office tasks or on committees, your gift of a few hours a week, month or year allows us to free up financial resources to fund the projects and programs that have a deep impact on our community.