Donors

Thank you for partnering with us to help further our mission:

Serving people in need and on the margins of society
Sustaining our ministries that bring dignity, respect and companionship to others
Creating a sustainable world in right relationship with all creation
Seeking to be peacemakers and unifiers wherever we serve and live
Advancing peace and justice in our world
Caring for our retired members who have served a lifetime for others

As a donor…

You will be walking side by side with the Franciscan Sisters in living the Gospel message of love, compassion and outreach, being mindful of the most vulnerable in our society.

You will have an opportunity to specify a particular ministry for your donation that draws your interest. Your entire gift goes to support the Franciscan Sisters and their ministries. You share YOUR values through your financial gifts.

You will have the JOY of giving to a dedicated and committed group of women, the Franciscan Sisters who value you, as donor and companion.

You will be remembered in Masses and in prayers daily at evening Vespers.

You’ll be informed about upcoming events and with news about the Franciscan Sisters through Our Journey, newsletters, social media and our website, www.fslf.org.

Your gift will be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please make your checks payable to FSLF or the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota.

Donations

Thank you for your interest in the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls. There are a variety of ways to support the mission, ministries and retirement needs of the Franciscan Sisters.

Gifts of Cash

By mail - A gift of cash is often the simplest way to give. Cash gifts are tax deductible in the year in which they are received by the Franciscan Sisters’ Development Office. Checks should be made out to the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, or FSLF and sent to:

Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota

Development Office

116 8th Avenue Southeast

Little Falls, MN 56345-3597

You may designate your gift to Franciscan missions or ministries, sisters' retirement needs or specific programs sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters by adding it to the memo line on your check.

By telephone – A gift via credit card (Visa or MasterCard) can be made by calling the Development Office (320)632-0606.

Online Giving

The “Donate” button leads you to our secure online giving site where one-time or recurring gifts can be made.

In Memory

Memorial gifts provide a thoughtful and appropriate way to express sympathy and honor a friend, relative or associate who has passed away. Memorial gifts can be designated to Franciscan missions or ministries, sisters' retirement needs or specific programs sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters. Add your designation to the memo line on your check.

A form is available in PDF format if you would like to use it: In Memory Donation Form

In Loving Tribute (In Honor)

Tribute gifts are an opportunity to honor a relative, friend or business associate, usually for a special occasion: birthday, anniversary, promotion or a particular accomplishment. Memorial or tribute gifts can be designated for Franciscan mission or ministries, sisters' retirement or other needs.

A form is available in PDF format if you would like to use it: In Loving Tribute Donation Form

Gifts of Stock

An appreciated stock gift is usually more beneficial to the donor than contributing cash to a charity. A gift of appreciated stock generally offers a twofold tax savings:

First, you avoid paying any capital gains tax on the increase in value of the stock.
Second, you receive an income tax charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the stock at the time of the gift.

To transfer stocks held with a broker or certificates held by you:

Contact the director of Community Relations: (320)632-0624.

Estate Planning / Planned Giving

“Estate planning” or “planned giving” refers to any charitable gift that requires more thought and planning than the average donation. Planned giving has been traditionally defined as a gift someone makes near the end of his or her lifetime and is usually considered part of their “Estate Plan.”

Planned giving includes both current and deferred gifts. Current planned gifts are such items as cash, stocks, real estate and personal property. Deferred gifts, such as bequests, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance policies, are committed to the Franciscan Sisters, but are not available for use until some future time, usually at the death of the donor.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm not a wealthy person with an "estate." Can I leave a gift?
The word "estate" simply means any property, money or personal belongings that you may have at the time of your death. Most people leave an estate when they die, even though they may not be wealthy. Even people with a small estate can arrange to leave a charitable gift.

How do I make sure that my gift goes to Franciscan Sisters?
State your intention in your estate plan that is prepared by an attorney. Without planning, your property and finances are distributed according to state laws, whether or not they coincide with your wishes.

Though it is the expectation of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota (FSLF), to use the gift received from you to support the mission designated with your gift, please be advised that in order to ensure that donors will be entitled to a federal tax deduction, FSLF is required, under Internal Revenue Service Rulings, to retain full authority over the assets granted to it, and cannot accept gifts that are required by the donor to be paid, or to be used, only to further the work of a specific individual, or that are required to be used overseas by our Institute or a foreign charity or Religious Institute.

What should an obituary state when leaving a gift to the Franciscan Sisters?

During a bereavement period, friends often seek an appropriate means to express sympathy. The following message in the obituary of the deceased provides an avenue to make a meaningful gift:

Memorial gifts may be made to:
                  Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota
                  116 8th Avenue SE
                  Little Falls, MN 56345-3597

Which deferred planned gift is most often given?
Bequests, something given to the Franciscan Sisters by will. Typically, wills/assets are the most popular. Nearly 80 to 90 percent of all deferred planned gifts are bequests.

Do I tell the Franciscan Sisters that I've designated a gift in my estate plan?
The communication is up to you. Charities like to know in advance so they can recognize your generosity. They also can tell you about other opportunities for giving.

What is the Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Society?
Anyone who has remembered the sisters in their estate plans is automatically a member of the Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Society.

Benefits include: remembrance in daily Mass and prayers of the Franciscan Sisters; participation in the ministries of the sisters; an invitation to an annual dinner and program at St. Francis Convent, Little Falls, Minnesota; and substantial tax savings.

What will my bequest mean?
Your bequest is 100 percent deductible and provides a reduction in estate taxes. Even a modest gift can mean a great deal toward helping the Franciscan Sisters continue their ministries.

Who will benefit?
By recognizing the charities of your choice in your will or estate, you continue to promote the values important to you. You are leaving YOUR legacy. Giving means that you are making the world a better place than you found it.

What type of planned gift can I make?
You can make both current and deferred gifts. Current planned gifts are such items as cash, stocks, real estate and personal property. Deferred gifts, such as bequests, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance policies, are committed to the Franciscan Sisters, but are not available for use until some future time, usually at the death of the donor.

Which gifts provide me with income and how do they work?
Charitable Remainder Unitrust - A charitable remainder unitrust is a custom designed and individually managed trust that enables you to retain a variable income for your lifetime or a fixed term of years, claim a current income tax deduction, and make a future gift to the Franciscan Sisters.

Which gifts provide income to the Franciscan Sisters and how do they work?
Charitable Lead Trust - A charitable lead trust is a custom designed and individually managed trust that enables you to give a fixed amount to the Franciscan Sisters for either a fixed term of years or the life of one or more individuals.

Upon conclusion of the measuring term, the trust terminates and, according to the terms of trust instrument, distributes its remaining assets (called the remainder interest) back to you or to one or more individuals that you have specified.

Charitable Lead Unitrust - A charitable lead unitrust is a custom designed and individually managed trust that enables you to give a variable annual amount to the Franciscan Sisters for a fixed term of years or the life of one or more individuals.

Upon conclusion of the measuring term, the trust terminates and, according to the terms of the trust instrument, distributes its remaining assets (called the remainder interest) back to you or to one or more individuals that you have specified.

How do I get started?
1. Make a personal inventory of your assets.
2. Identify charities you wish to remember, like the Franciscan Sisters.
3. Contact the Franciscan Sisters about planned giving opportunities.
4. Contact your professional advisor.
5. Write your will or change your will to include charities, like the Franciscan Sisters.

Where can I find more information?
Contact Elizabeth Rydeen, director of Community Relations, Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota
(320)632-0624 or giftplanning@fslf.org