WE Need Your Support

STEP-BY-STEP INSTALLMENT GIVING

Step by Step is our installment-giving program, where more of your money supports the work on stage, and renewal mailings and phone calls become a thing of the past. You choose an amount to give monthly or quarterly, and we’ll automatically bill your credit or debit card. Each January we'll send you a statement for your taxes.

If you want to change or stop your monthly or quarterly amount, just contact Donor Services at 312-654-5601.

To join Step-by-Step, go here and click on Payment Options.

STEP-BY-STEP FAQS

Q: How do I cancel my pledge?
A: No problem! Just email us or give us a call at 312-654-5601.

Q: I would like to change the credit card number attached to my pledge, how do I do that?
A: Please give us a call at 313-744-3181.

Q: Is my Step by Step pledge automatically renewed each year?
A: No, it's not. We will let you decide to renew.

Thank you for supporting Plowshares with a gift of appreciated securities (stock). Your contribution will help ensure the high quality of our productions on stage and offer you a variety of unique donor benefits, including potential tax savings.

INSTRUCTIONS

To donate stock, please contact Gary Anderson at (313) 744-3181 or gary@plowsharestheatre.org to inform us of the name of the securities you intend to transfer and the approximate dollar amount of the transfer or number of shares. This information is greatly appreciated and will ensure we can accurately process and properly recognize your generous contribution.

After you have spoken with the Development Department, contact your broker and provide the following information:

Account name: Plowshares Theatre Company
Broker: UBS
DTC number: 0221
Account number: 1B E9420
Plowshares' Federal Income Tax Identification number: 38-2885703

Upon receipt of the shares, Plowshares’ broker will liquidate the securities cost-effectively for the theatre.

While Plowshares will issue an acknowledgment letter following the transfer, please consult your tax accountant about the specific tax benefits you may receive for your contribution.

QUESTIONS

If you have questions or need further help making your gift of stock, please contact Gary Anderson at (313) 744-3181 or gary@plowsharestheatre.org .

HONOR SOMEONE SPECIAL

An honorary or memorial gift to Plowshares is the perfect way to celebrate special occasions or honor the memory of a friend or loved one. Donations may be made in any amount, with those above $500 listed in a special section or our program books. A personalized note can be sent in your name to the honoree or family member, notifying them of your kind gesture. You will receive a letter documenting your tax-deductible contribution.

You can make your gift online by selecting options under "Tributes," or please contact Gary Anderson for personalized assistance at (313) 744-3181 or gary@plowsharestheatre.org.

MAKE YOUR MARK WITH AN ESTATE GIFT

Many patrons find that making an estate gift to Plowshares – for example, adding the theater as a beneficiary of your retirement account or will/trust – is easier to execute than they imagined. And your future gift ensures the vitality of Plowshares for future generations.

Through your gift, join Plowshares’ Vision Guild.

By notifying Plowshares of your planned gift, you’ll enjoy membership in the Visionary Circle. No minimum financial level is required to accept membership and enjoy these benefits starting today:

• Invitations to Visionary Circle events with Plowshares artists
• Private backstage tour with family members
• VIP ticketing services
• Recognition on the Donor Wall in the theater lobby and on our website.

Click here to learn about the different types of planned estate gifts.

Please contact Gary Anderson at (313) 744-3181 or gary@plowsharestheatre.org.

GIFT EXAMPLES

There are many ways to make a planned gift to Plowshares and provide tax benefits to your estate and/or heirs. Below are a few gift examples to discuss with your financial advisor.

Plowshares's Official Name, Address and Tax ID:

Plowshares Theatre Company
440 Burroughs St
Detroit, MI 48202
Tax ID #: 38-2885703

A GIFT THROUGH YOUR WILL OR TRUST

A gift through your will or revocable trust is a simple and meaningful way of remembering Plowshares that may be directed where most needed by the Board of Trustees. A sample clause to share with your attorney is:

I give to Plowshares Theatre Company, a Michigan not-for-profit corporation whose address is 440 Burroughs St, Detroit, MI 48202, Tax ID #38-2885703, (the sum of $_________) or (_____ % of the residue of my estate) for its general purposes.

RETIREMENT PLAN ASSETS

Designating Plowshares as a beneficiary of retirement plan benefits may be a very savvy tax-wise gift strategy. Our charitable tax status exempts retirement benefits from estate and income taxes that your individual heirs could incur if you were to give them retirement plan assets.

LIFE INSURANCE

Life Insurance that you no longer need for your family security may be donated to Plowshares by transferring ownership of the policy or naming the theatre as a beneficiary. Your estate may be entitled to a charitable deduction for the proceeds passing to Plowshares.

CHARITABLE IRA ROLLOVER

The charitable IRA rollover, or qualified charitable distribution (QCD), is a special provision allowing certain donors to exclude from taxable income – and count toward their required minimum distribution – certain transfers of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) assets that are made directly to public charities, including Plowshares. Donors can use this popular option to support the theatre with tax-wise gifts ranging from $100 to $100,000.

Qualifying charitable distributions must be:

• Made by a donor age 70 ½ or older
• Transferred from a traditional IRA or Roth IRA directly
• Completed by December 31 of the corresponding tax year

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY OR CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST

A charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust enables you to contribute to Plowshares in exchange for monthly payments for a specified term or life. This payment can be made to you or others you choose. Your gift is invested for the specified term or life, and then the remaining assets are transferred to Plowshares for use as you have directed. These types of gifts can also provide significant income, capital gains, and estate tax savings.

YOUR GIFT MAY BE WORTH MORE

Many employers offer a matching gift program that allows you to increase your giving to your favorite organization. This can double or even triple your gift to Plowshares, giving you increased benefits and visibility for your new level of giving. Inquire with your company's human resources department to see if your gift to Plowshares qualifies for a matching gift.

COMPANIES THAT MATCH

The following is a list of companies who have generously matched gifts for Plowshares in the past. This list is not comprehensive, so if you don't see your employer here, ask!

More than ever, people realize they don’t have to be of a specific demographic, background, income, or culture to be philanthropists.

Giving circles are a growing movement that is shifting the landscape of philanthropy. They enable everyday givers to amplify their community impact by joining with others.

We’ve got the answers to your most burning questions about giving circles, including:

What is a giving circle, exactly?

Put simply, a giving circle is a group of individuals who unite to support the causes they care about.

Giving circles are a collaborative, participatory approach to philanthropy that brings together people with common interests, concerns, or backgrounds to support causes that matter to them.

People join giving circles with like-minded people in their community to maximize group donations to nonprofits and other community-based groups. By pooling together their knowledge, money, and other resources, giving circle members can make a much more significant impact on the issues they care about than they ever could as individuals.

Far beyond the scope of mainstream philanthropy, giving circles are multi-dimensional vehicles that create community, bridge divides, promote viewpoint diversity, and create opportunities for civic engagement. They provide a setting where anyone, regardless of who they are or how much they have to give, can hone the skills to participate in a robust and diverse democracy effectively.

How do giving circles work?

Giving circles come in all shapes and sizes with countless different ways of operating. Members unite and intentionally develop the group’s culture, requirements, and preferences. With complete flexibility, these parameters include how often they meet and how many organizations they’ll give to.

Friends, family, community members, or coworkers can form giving circles by pooling donations of any amount. More formal giving circles tend to have more structure, usually with minimum donation requirements, a vetting process, and voting systems.

Others are much more informal. Members don’t have a required donation amount, and instead of grants being issued, individual checks are collected and sent to an organization as a lump sum.

However, the value of giving circles often extends well beyond cash donations. Members frequently organize group volunteer activities, events, and actions to raise awareness about various issues within their community in partnership with the organizations they support.

Giving circles promote more thoughtful, intentional, informed, and ethical giving and are infinitely customizable and adaptable to givers’ diverse philanthropic interests, geographies, and giving levels.

Powered by the people who contribute what they can, giving circles have the potential to open the doors of philanthropy to millions of people—indeed, they already have.

Sounds amazing! How can I get involved?

You don't need a large group of people or plenty of capital to join in this growing movement to diversify and democratize philanthropy. All you need is a little structure and a desire to impact your community.

Here are the first few steps we'd recommend for getting started:

1. Start your own giving circle

Follow this step-by-step guide to launch your own giving circle. Looking for additional support? Meet fellow changemakers and gain valuable tips and tools by joining Launchpad For You, a virtual training program for budding giving circle leaders.

2. Join an existing giving circle

Check out the first-ever global giving circle directory to find a giving circle or point of contact in your area.

3. Spread the word

The collective giving movement is growing exponentially, but we need your help to tell others about this incredible form of philanthropy.

Whether you’re a nonprofit looking to partner with giving circles in your community or a giving circle looking to grow your membership, consider these options for reaching out to others who want to make a difference:

• Throw a BAF (bring-a-friend) night, where each member brings one guest
• Create a peer-to-peer campaign for your next fundraising drive
• Host a webinar where you explain what your organization does and your community impact to date