How Can You Help Your Clients Give Back This Year?
Richard Opdyke and scholarship recipient Courtney Calbert. 
 
Richard Opdyke was shocked by the sudden passing of his beloved wife, Laurene.
 
Laurene was a nurse, and traveled the globe with Richard following his career as a pilot. She made an impression wherever she went, sharing her compassion with patients from Alaska to Saudi Arabia. Eventually, the couple retired in Stillwater, Oklahoma. 
 
Richard says it was Laurene's calling in life to be a nurse. He knew the best way to honor her legacy was to establish a scholarship in her name to help other nursing students pursue their dreams. His financial planner referred him to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, and we helped him use gifts from his IRA to fund the scholarship.
"The Oklahoma City Community Foundation made it simple for me to build Laurene's legacy through an IRA Charitable Rollover."
For Courtney Calbert, a recipient of the Laurene Opdyke Nursing Scholarship, the award is helping her create a legacy of her own.
 
"The scholarship is not just helping me pay for my tuition," Courtney said. "Laurene's legacy is also helping me learn to become a more capable provider."
 
Do you want to help your charitable-minded clients leave a legacy to memorialize the ones they love? Contact Joe Carter today at 405/606-2914 to learn about the variety of giving options we offer that can help you tailor the perfect giving plan for your clients this year. You can also visit OCCF.org/GiftsWeAccept to learn more!  
 
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What You Need to Know About Tax Reform
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was enacted at the close of 2017, bringing three main goals of the White House and Congress into focus. First, they wanted to simplify the code by doubling the standard deduction and reduce the number of itemizers from approximately 30 percent of taxpayers to 10 percent of taxpayers. Second, they hoped to increase employment by reducing the number of corporate deductions and lowering the corporate tax rate. Third, they wanted to lower individual rates by repealing most of the itemized deductions. How will tax reform affect your clients?

Case of the Week: Gifting Bank Stock to Charity
An initial director of her town's local bank, Barbara Banker is a respected businesswoman and owns a large block of stock in the bank. She is a strong community supporter and gives regularly to her favorite local charity. She would like to make a large gift of bank stock to a local charity for a new youth center. But, as director, she knows her bank is discussing a sale of all stock to another bank from a nearby large city. Can she still make her gift of stock to the charity if these bank negotiations are underway?  
                       
Upcoming Events
Do you want to increase your professional knowledge and skills and better serve your clients? Do you want insight that will benefit your clients immediately? This free luncheon through the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and the Cannon Financial Institute helps you make it happen!

Join us for the next Cannon Estate Planning Lunch & Learn on Jan. 23, 2018.

Jan. 23   
Designing Estate Plans to Withstand Challenges
Registration is closed.
 
Feb. 27
Modification and Termination of Trusts: A Double-Edged Sword
Registration will open Jan. 24.
 
March 27
Charitable Giving: Seeking the Perfect Match Between Donor and Donee


Registration for each event will open online following the prior month's teleconference.

The 2018 Cannon Estate Planning Lunch & Learn series dates are now available here!

( Note: In May 2017, we began construction on a building addition that, once complete, will allow us to offer more public meeting space. Unfortunately, the construction will temporarily bite into some of our parking space. If you arrive to the Cannon Estate Planning Lunch & Learn and cannot find parking, the closest available garage is 123 Garage and is located directly to our west at 123 NW 10th St. The cost to use the parking garage is $5. Thank you for understanding.)     

Contact:
Joe Carter
Director, Development
j.carter@occf.org
405/606-2914