Holiday Giving
This holiday season, you can help bring warmth, joy, and care to the children and families we serve at Gateway Children’s Services. Whether you’re looking to sponsor a child, fund a needed upgrade, or support festive activities, there’s a way for everyone to give back:
🔧 Support Our Holiday Appeal: HVAC Replacement – This season, we’re raising funds to replace four aging HVAC units at our residential facility to keep our kids safe, warm, and healthy all year long. A donation to this appeal makes a powerful impact—providing comfort for years to come. Go here to donate and see our progress.
🎉 Sponsor Holiday Activities – Give the gift of joyful memories! You can sponsor holiday outings and activities for the children in our residential program like gingerbread house building, Breakfast with the Grinch, movie nights, and more. Every sponsorship helps create cherished holiday moments.
🎁 Angel Tree Program – Help make a child’s Christmas wish come true by sponsoring a child through our Angel Tree program. Many of our youth will arrive closer to Christmas, and we need generous sponsors ready to ensure each child feels seen and celebrated. Sign up here to be notified when children’s wish lists become available.
📦 Shop Our Amazon Wishlist – Prefer to donate gifts directly? Our Amazon Wishlist makes it easy to choose essential items and fun surprises for our kids from clothing to games to comfort items and have them delivered right to our door. Click here to shop our Amazon Wishlist.
🥘 Sponsor a Meal or Donate Treats – Want to make spirits bright in a delicious way? You can sponsor a meal or donate goodies for the 20 children in our care. Whether it’s a home-cooked meal, a holiday feast, or festive snacks, your kindness will fill stomachs and hearts. Email L.taylor@gatewaychildren.org or call 859.498.9892 ext 302 to learn more.
Give Today
Your support makes it possible for Gateway Children’s Services to provide safe housing, trauma-informed care, and life-changing opportunities for children and teens across Kentucky. While many friends give through traditional cash donations, there are many other meaningful ways to support our mission – some of which may also provide you with tax advantages.
Your support makes it possible for Gateway Children’s Services to provide safe housing, trauma-informed care, and life-changing opportunities for children and teens across Kentucky. While many friends give through traditional cash donations, there are many other meaningful ways to support our mission – some of which may also provide you with tax advantages.
Online: Make a one-time or recurring gift using a credit card, debit card, bank account, PayPal, or Apple Pay.
Amazon Wishlist: Purchase needed items from our Amazon Wishlist or our Transition Home Wish List – Amazon will ship directly to us.
By Mail: Send gifts to Gateway Children’s Services, 37 North Maysville Street, Mount Sterling, KY 40353. (Make checks payable to Gateway Children’s Services)
By Phone: Call 859-498-9892 ext. 302.
By Email: Contact Lynda Taylor at L.taylor@gatewaychildren.org.
Learn more about the three different types of giving to help children and families have what they need to succeed below.
Types of Giving
1. Immediate Gifts
- Cash Gifts
The most common way to give is through a one-time or recurring cash donation.- Impact: $50 may purchase new clothing for a child; $250 may cover therapeutic activities or school supplies; $1,000 may fund an enrichment outing for our residential youth.
- Why choose this option? Cash gifts provide immediate support for our programs and are often fully tax-deductible.
- In Memory or In Honor Of
Celebrate a loved one while giving hope to children.- Memorial Gifts: Provide lasting support in memory of someone special. We’ll send an acknowledgment to the family.
- Honor Gifts: Celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, or milestones. We’ll notify the honoree of your thoughtful gift.
- Personalized Pages: We can create a dedicated online page in honor or memory of your loved one.
- Matching Gifts & Workplace Giving
Many employers will match employee gifts, doubling or even tripling the impact of your generosity. Contact your employer to learn more. - In-Kind Contributions
Goods or services (supplies, labor, professional expertise, vehicles, etc.) can also be a valuable giving option.
2. Tax-Advantaged Giving
- Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)
If you are age 70½ or older and have an IRA, you can transfer funds directly to Gateway.- Benefit: Counts toward your annual Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) and may reduce taxable income. Impact: Instead of increasing your taxable income, your IRA gift goes directly to helping children heal and thrive.
- Benefit: Counts toward your annual Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) and may reduce taxable income. Impact: Instead of increasing your taxable income, your IRA gift goes directly to helping children heal and thrive.
- Appreciated Assets
Donating stocks, bonds, or mutual funds can maximize your impact.- Benefit: Avoid paying capital gains tax and still claim a charitable deduction for the full fair market value. Example: Stock purchased at $2,000 now worth $10,000 — donating avoids capital gains on the $8,000 increase while allowing a $10,000 deduction.
- Benefit: Avoid paying capital gains tax and still claim a charitable deduction for the full fair market value. Example: Stock purchased at $2,000 now worth $10,000 — donating avoids capital gains on the $8,000 increase while allowing a $10,000 deduction.
- Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)
A donor-advised fund works like a charitable investment account. You can contribute cash or appreciated assets to your DAF, receive an immediate tax deduction, and then recommend grants to Gateway over time.- Benefit: Offers immediate tax benefit, flexibility in timing, and potential to grow funds before granting.
3. Future & Legacy Gifts
- Estate & Legacy Giving
Secure the future of Gateway’s mission.- Include Gateway in your will or living trust.
- Name Gateway as a beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k), or life insurance policy.
- Benefit: May reduce estate taxes for your heirs while creating a legacy of care and hope.
- Charitable Real Estate Giving
Donate a home, farm, land, or other real estate directly to Gateway.- Benefit: May avoid capital gains taxes on appreciated property, receive a tax deduction for fair market value, and relieve yourself of maintenance/ownership costs.
- Benefit: May avoid capital gains taxes on appreciated property, receive a tax deduction for fair market value, and relieve yourself of maintenance/ownership costs.
- Planned Gifts Beyond Wills
Options such as charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, or gift annuities can provide income to you (or your heirs) while also benefiting Gateway in the future.
Other Ways to Support
- Malone’s & Drake’s Gift Cards: Purchase gift cards at givebhg.com and designate 20% to Gateway.
- Vehicle Donation: Donate your car for a free, easy, and tax-deductible gift. Call 1-888-755-5435 or visit carsforcharity.net and select Gateway Children’s Services.
- Kroger Community Rewards: Link your Kroger Plus Card to Gateway and earn rewards EVERY time you shop. Visit Kroger and search for community rewards. Our Organization Number is AC154.
Ready to Learn More?
We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor, tax professional, and/or attorney to explore which giving option is best for you. We are happy to provide a list of professionals familiar with Gateway Children’s Services when requested. Our team is also available to answer questions and work with your advisors to make the process simple.
Every gift – whether today, through your investments, or as part of your legacy – creates brighter futures for Kentucky’s most vulnerable children.
Thank you for considering Gateway Children’s Services in your charitable planning.
For more information, please contact:
Lynda Mae Taylor, Director of Development & Community Engagement
37 North Maysville Street, Mt. Sterling, KY 40353
859-498-9892 ext 302 or email L.taylor@gatewaychildren.org
