How You Can Help

We invite you to partner with The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation, Inc. Your donations, whether large or small, help us achieve our goals and remain true to our mission. The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization. You will receive a gift receipt denoting the value of your gift for tax reporting purposes.

Ways to Give

Online Giving

The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation is pleased to provide its supporters with the convenience of online giving. To support the program of your choice, complete the online form.

Giving by Mail

To make a traditional check or credit card gift, please print and complete the donation form and mail or fax it to:

The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation
101 West Expressway 83
McAllen, Texas 78503
(956)687-5146
(956)687-5196, fax

Honorary/Memorial Gifts

There is no more significant way to honor the memory of a loved one, celebrate a special event in the life of someone close to you, or show your appreciation for the ways in which an individual has enhanced your life than to provide for the needs of others, on their behalf.

Each gift received by The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation is acknowledged to the person, or to the family of the person, in whose honor or memory the gift was made. The gift amount remains confidential. A separate receipt is sent to the donor. All gifts are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

Matching Gifts

Many companies have programs that match all or part of their employees’ philanthropic donations. Some employers extend this benefit to retired employees. Before making your next gift to The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation, check with your employer to determine its policy on matching gifts.

To initiate the process, you should obtain a matching gift form from your employer and send it to The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation with your gift or pledge. The Foundation will complete the matching gift process and send both the donor and the company receipts for tax purposes.

Endowments

Endowed funds represent the financial bedrock of our organization and provide permanent funds to sustain The Vannie E. Cook Cancer Foundation’s mission. Endowed funds are managed as part of the Foundation’s overall endowment.

The Foundation staff is pleased to work with donors to establish endowed funds that incorporate their preferences and designated areas of interest. An endowment may be established for a minimum of $25,000, which can help support many of the patient programs and services of the projects we fund.

Planning a Fundraising Project or Event

We appreciate the support and interest of individuals and organizations that would like to raise funds and bring greater awareness to the Foundation’s mission. In the past, The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation, has been the beneficiary of a few third-party projects.

We have developed fundraising projects guidelines to ensure consistent and high quality projects that are congruent with the Foundation’s mission and its reputation and commitment to our projects and programs. Approval of your project will be evaluated by the Board Chairman and the Executive Director based on other Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation priorities, projects and events, as well as on the potential demands on the Foundation staff and resources.

To initiate the process, please review and sign the third-party Proposal Guidelines. Once you have agreed to these guidelines, please fill out the Proposal Form and the Budget Planning Tool. Your completed forms may be submitted to:

Laura Martinez Ilgun, Executive Director
Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation
101 West Expressway 83, McAllen, Texas 78503
Fax: (956) 687-5196

Please allow 10 weeks prior to the distribution of your invitations and public announcements for approval. A signed copy of this agreement will be sent to you immediately upon approval. All recurring events must be submitted for approval on an annual basis. For more information, contact Laura Martinez Ilgun at (956) 687-5146 or lmilgun@vanniecook.org.

Planned Giving

It brings me incredible joy knowing that I will leave a LEGACY OF HOPE and support by providing for the future of the Foundation through a bequest under my will.

- Dr. Ken Landrum, Board Chair from 1995-2014

The Board of Directors and Staff of The Vannie E. Cook Cancer Jr. Foundation, Inc. thank all of our friends and supporters who have arranged for the Foundation to receive a bequest, life income plan, or other deferred gift. Below is a summary of some planned giving options. These are not offered as professional tax or legal advice and may not apply in all cases. Please consult a tax advisor or legal counsel about your specific situation.

Support the Foundation through a Planned Gift and become a Member of the Saving Our Children Society.

 

Life Insurance

Many donors choose to give life insurance policies to the Foundation either as an immediate gift or as a provision upon their passing. This can be an easy way to make a gift to the Foundation without revising your will and can have advantageous estate tax consequences.

Donors who consider giving life insurance policies do so because they have no heirs or because they already have made provisions for beneficiaries through other financial vehicles.

Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs)

CRTs allow a donor to make a gift to The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation while at the same time achieving several other financial objectives. When you create a CRT, you irrevocably transfer money, securities, real estate, or other assets to a trust that will then pay you an income for life or for a period of years. If you wish, the trust also can pay an income to another beneficiary. At the death of the surviving beneficiary, the remaining principal in the trust goes to the Foundation. Several types of CRTs allow the donor to tailor their gifts to best serve their own needs.

Retirement Plans

Donors may consider making the Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation a beneficiary of a percentage of their pre-tax qualified retirement plan, such as an Individual Retirement Account, 401k, 403b or Thrift Savings Plan to name a few. This is done via a beneficiary designation form.  These pre-tax assets are received by a qualified non-profit free from income tax liability, leaving other tax friendly assets available to pass along to your family and other heirs. Contact us for the needed information to put on the beneficiary designation form.

Bequests

A bequest through a will is the most common type of planned gift, and does not draw on assets during a donor’s lifetime. Bequests can be estate distributions of cash, securities, real estate, or personal property. Types of bequests include a percentage bequest, a fixed-dollar bequest, a residual bequest, and a contingent bequest. Important estate tax savings can result from a bequest.

Make a Gift through your IRA

Good news for IRA owners 70 1/2 or older. A transfer directly from your IRA to the Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation, Inc. - referred to as a Qualified Charitable Distribution or IRA Charitable Rollover - is simple and highly effective way to GIVE. If you are age 70 1/2 years or older, this is a great way to minimize the tax bite associated with IRA required minimum distributions (RMDs). Find out more.

Our success depends on the support from our Community. Will you help us? Make a Donation