The WSO Campaign

Although it’s been with us for forty years, the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra is just beginning to realize its true potential. That holds true not only for its musical quality, but also its educational services and its outreach to the community and region. In 2004, an ongoing endowment campaign was established in order to a) endow increased honoraria for musicians and and to expand the string section; b) endow support for professional development of staff; c) complete acoustic improvements to the Community Arts Center and purchase additional instruments and equipment; and d) pay the costs of administering the campaign.

Planning Your Gift

Please refer to "Ways of Giving."

Multi-year Pledge Period

WSO will happily work with you to set up a pledge payment plan to suit your needs. This allows donors to realize recurring tax benefits by spreading pledge payments over an extended period. In this way, a donor can generally make a much more significant investment than through a one-time cash gift. A pledge payment qualifies as a fully tax-deductible contribution in the year it is paid.

Ways of Giving

There are several ways of making a contribution to the Campaign for Williamsport Symphony Orchestra. They fall into two basic categories: Current and Deferred.

The most common type of gift is conveyed by cash, money order or draft. Non-cash gifts include Securities, Real Property, Tangible Personal Property, and Gifts in Kind. Any of these methods may be used to fund either a current gift or a deferred gift.

A deferred gift is, of course, created in the present, often as part of a comprehensive estate-planning process. It is the benefit of the gift which is deferred--that is, the recipient's full interest in the donated assets is not realized until some point in the future. A bequest, for example, is legally created by executing a will. The organization, however, does not receive the benefits until the death of the donor. Examples of deferred gifts are Life Income Plans (including charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts) and gifts of Life Insurance. Certain gifts of life insurance, such as a gift of a paid-up policy, may be considered current, rather than deferred gifts. Gifts of life insurance provide a method of making a substantial gift at a relatively low cost.

Bequests

Traditionally, the bequest is the simplest and most popular method of making a deferred gift. A bequest is a written direction contained in a will which disposes of some or all of the property controlled by the will. Through a will, it is possible to give cash, securities, life insurance proceeds, real property, and personal property. It is also possible to create a trust. Bequests are often used to establish memorials in honor of the donor, family members, or others.

Plan Your Own Program

In addition to the methods described above, there are ways to give which are not exclusively charitable in nature, but do have important applications for charitable giving. The best way to give is the method that best achieves your overall financial objectives, and at the same time advances the mission and goals of the Campaign. The WSO is working closely with The First Community Foundation to provide information to prospective donors and their representatives free of charge.
A complete Campaign information packet, including a listing of the Symphony's operating expenses and revenues, is available through:

Valerie Whyman, Executive Director
phone: (570) 322-0227
e-mail: valerie@williamsportsymphony.com