ADetourtoaDream - Children's Home Society

DevelopmentDirectorRick WeberOur daughter,Hannah, graduatedfrom high school this Spring. I know manyof you will relate to the effort involved ingetting ready for graduation, and forhosting family and friends for a celebration.Graduations seem to accelerate things onto-do lists like nothing else can—cleaningout the garage, painting a room or two,some deeper cleaning than is usuallydone…and the list goes on. This frenzy ofactivity is, in a way, part of the graduationritual that we do because we love our kids.Family events like graduation remind me ofwhat we try to do for the children we serveat Children’s Home. We want CHS kids toknow and experience the kinds of thingsthat we want for our own kids. We want togive them the best chance possible tohave a good life.We are currently working on our longrangestrategic plan. As part of thisprocess, we’re reviewing our “BeliefStatements” that we adopted 20 yearsago. They continue to guide our worktoday.We believe:Every child has a right to a permanent,functional family.That in the absence of a family, everychild has the right to live in a permanent,safe and loving environment.Every child has a right to develop theirfull potential.We must care for CHS children as wecare for our own.The success of our program depends onthe quality and stability of our staff andboard.We need to be leaders in child andfamily advocacy.We should continuously improve andshare our professional skills to betterserve children, families and community.If you are a partner in our work, whetherthrough charitable support or volunteeringyour time, please know you are making adifference. If you have not been involved,we invite you to become part of theChildren’s Home Society family. We needmany friends to help make our beliefstatements be more than just some wordson a document.And in the meantime, my hope is thatbeing part of this work will enrich your ownlife. It certainly has done that for me.Creative Arts Endowment UpdateProviding music & art for CHS Kids!Thanks to start-up grants, a part-time music teacher and a part-time artteacher are now part of the teaching staff at both BHCH and SFCHschools. In the meantime, Children’s Home Foundation is working to builda Creative Arts Endowment Fund that will sustain these teaching positionsonce the grant funds have been used. Earnings from a $2 million fundwould forever secure the art and music programs at both schools.Makingan EstateGift maybe easierthan youthink!We mark steady progress toward theoverall goal of $2 million. Thanks tothe recent gift of $500,000 from theestate of Marjorie Rawlins, fundsraised toward this goal now total$1,527,000.We would welcome your help to secure art & music programs for CHS kids!A simple provision in a will, or anamendment (codicil) to an existing will canbe brief, easy, and inexpensive to complete.The most common wording in a will orbequest is for a gift “to Children’s HomeFoundation to be used to support theoperations of Children’s Home Society ofSouth Dakota. (There are Children’s HomeSocieties in other states, so indicating “ofSouth Dakota” is very important.)More specific designations can be made.For example, a gift could be designated “toChildren’s Home Foundation to be used tosupport Black Hills Children’s Home, aprogram of Children’s Home Society ofSouth Dakota.”Beneficiary designations of IRAs andretirement plans can be made by completing some very basicpaperwork. This does not even need to involve your will. A charitableorganization can receive all or just a portion of those funds.For 119 years, Children’s Home Society has provided safety & carefor thousands of children who have been victims of unfortunatecircumstances. Estate gifts help to secure “being here” for children andfamilies, for years to come.If you have questions, or would like to visit about an estate gift,please contact:In Sioux Falls:In Rapid City:RICK WEBERELLA SHAFER605-965-3127 605-343-2811rick.weber@chssd.org ella.shafer@chssd.org4