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January 2020 News & Views

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News from the Director

Happy New Year!

We rang in 2020 with our friends from Winter Eliot. It’s a long-standing tradition that we start each year with them on campus. It seems like yesterday that we were worried about Y2K. I was trying to explain to a young person about the worry and near panic that was occurring that year. They looked at me like I was crazy. It just goes to show how something so big can be so silly later.

About two hours after the last newsletter was sent out, we received word that we could publicize the grant we were awarded. I am very proud to tell you we received a $350,000 gift from the J.M. Murdock Charitable Trust. This great group is based out of Vancouver, WA. They are very generous, but also very careful who they support. It is a huge feather in our caps and should help in securing other Foundation support.

The Pines project is finally rolling ahead. The foundation is in and walls are being built. It should go quicker now. We will start to update our Facebook page more because we will have more progress to share. It will be ready for the summer season. I should say summer 2020 to answer the smart alecks in the group. HAHA

I will be sending out the forms this month for personalizing the benches and rooms that people have donated. We will also do a final round up of bricks. We laid out the patio bricks during Seabeck Friends Weekend. It is going to be a lively looking patio! There is still room for more bricks, benches and a couple of rooms left. I am going to set a deadline around April 15th for all personalization requests. We would love to have people recognized in the awesome new building.

I wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year!

Chuck

Local Artists Donate Live Edge Tables

to the Pines Project

I have been President of the Seabeck Community Club for the last 12 years or so. We host the monthly meetings on campus. Our club considers Juniper our club house. We do have to share it with paying guests occasionally. A great committee rounds up speakers each month on topics that interest our local citizens. Every now and then, a speaker will have to cancel, and we have to scramble around to fill the void.

This happened in October this year, so I stepped in and did a presentation on the Pines Project. The club was very excited to hear about the new building and asked many questions. The next day I received an email from Tui Weinman, a neighbor who lives in Seabeck Heights. She was wondering if we would be interested in some handmade tables for Pines. I gave my standard answer of yes, but it depends on costs. She offered to donate them for all the things Seabeck does for the community. The first one was delivered on New Year’s Eve and it is incredible! Huge thanks go out to Dave Maxwell, Tui and Zvi Weinman for their hard work on this great project! Tui designed them and Dave and Zvi made them.

These live edge maple tables will add so much to Pines! THANK YOU!!!!!!

Thanks,

Chuck

How Our Vending Machine Proceeds

Benefit the Local Seabeck Community

Hey all you lovers of the Seabeck snack vending machine. We want to thank you for satisfying your cravings while at Seabeck this past year. We are pleased to report that we were able to provide the Seabeck Mobile Food Pantry a check for $450 from the proceeds from our vending machine that will go toward Christmas food baskets for our neighbors in Seabeck. Thank you!!

2019 Comment Card Summary!

In 2019 we had 84% of our groups return from the previous year. We had 19 new groups in 2019 and already added quite a few new groups for 2020. It's going to be another busy year.

Comment Cards

In 2019 we had 1283 comment cards returned to us by our guests.

1111 guests said the friendliness of the staff was excellent.
1095 gave us excellent marks for staff response to guest needs.
1036 said the cleanliness of the rooms were excellent.
1040 gave excellent marks for the cleanliness of the grounds.
1061 said that their overall experience at Seabeck was excellent.

The staff is proud of those numberS! Thank you to all our guests in 2019.

The Pines Capital Campaign

Total donations as of 12/29/2019

$2,154,163.68

We have a desire to continue to offer our services for many years to come. Seabeck Conference Center is happy to serve people like you, and we invite you to be a part of our legacy. Your donation will help us build a new Pines (ready by Spring 2020) that will be a place for future generations to gather.

WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT

SEABECK CONFERENCE CENTER

Want to help us lay the foundation for the next decade of Seabeck Conference Center?

There are many ways, not all of them involving huge disbursements of cash.

Here are some creative ideas you might not have thought about:

Cash Donation Today

Tax deductible gifts via check or credit card, in person or online. Please consider

upping your regular gift by another 10 percent.

Automatic Monthly Payments

Gifts can be deducted periodically from your bank account, making larger donations

easier by spreading them over time.

Low-Cost Appreciated Stock

Avoid paying the capital gains by giving full-market value to Seabeck Conference Center.

Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity. QCDs can be counted toward satisfying your required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year, as long as certain rules are met. You must be 70 1/2 or older to be eligible to make a QCD.

In-Kind Donation

We are always in need of furniture, lighting, rugs, and much more - the

market value which is tax deductible.

Multi-Year Pledges

A great way to ensure support will be there when we need it year after year.

Designated Gifts

Donate to a targeted project or capital campaign.

Commemorative Gifts

Donate a bench or rocking chair in honor of someone or something important to you.

A Bequest in Your Will

Your gift can be a specific sum or a percentage of an estate after other bequests.

Just add an addendum to your existing will.

IRA's and Retirement Plans

Your estate receives a charitable deduction for the full gift amount on estate and income

taxes, while we receive full donation value. Non-charitable heirs receive only a part of

the value (since inherited assets are subject to estate and income taxes).

Life Insurance and Savings Accounts

Same as retirement plans, except that payments made to Seabeck Conference Center

are exempt only from estate taxes.

All gifts are welcome. Seabeck Conference Center is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and your contribution may be tax deductible. If you have any questions, please contact our Executive Director, Chuck Kraining at (360) 830-5010 or email him at chuck@seabeck.org .

Seabeck Conference Center

13395 Lagoon Dr NW

Seabeck, Washington 98380

360.830.5010 Email | Website