Support Us


Kendal at Oberlin offers a number of options for people to support its mission through charitable giving.


The Legacy Circle of Friends recognizes those who have made a commitment through a Charitable Trust, Charitable Gift Annuity, Bequest, and generous Lifetime Giving. Kendal offers an annual thank you event for its Legacy Circle of Friends, recognizing their commitment to Kendal’s future. Robert Longsworth, Professor Emeritus of English at Oberlin College and a Kendal at Oberlin resident, offered his thoughts on the word “philanthropy” for one of those events.


Committee on Philanthropy

The Board of Directors of Kendal at Oberlin established the Committee on Philanthropy that is made up of Board, residents, staff and members of the Oberlin Community. The role of the Committee on Philanthropy is to establish Kendal of Oberlin’s charitable goals, develop the policies and procedures related to philanthropy and monitor progress against those goals.

How To Give

Tribute Gifts

Give in someone’s honor.

You may wish to make a contribution in honor of someone of significance to you and the community. Perhaps it is a friend, neighbor, or someone who has served the community as a board or staff member. You are welcome to make a donation online or download a printable donation form in PDF format. All gifts will be acknowledged and recognized. We will notify a family member or friend of your choice without disclosing the amount. 

Sample language for an obituary:In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the [insert Name of Fund here] at Kendal at Oberlin. Gifts may be made online at kao.kendal.org/donate or mailed to 600 Kendal Drive, Oberlin, OH 44074.

Sample language for an event invitation: “In lieu of presents, please consider a gift to the [insert Name of Fund here ] at Kendal at Oberlin in my/our honor. Gifts may be made online at kao.kendal.org/donate or mailed to 600 Kendal Drive, Oberlin, OH 44074.

Special Ways to Give

Kendal at Oberlin provides residents and others with a variety of charitable giving opportunities through Outright Gifts of Cash or Securities, Bequests, Pooled Income Fund, Named Endowment Funds, Charitable Remainder Unitrust arrangements and Charitable Gift Annuities. Through a planned gift, your legacy can live on.

Legacy Giving

Planned gifts include bequests through your will, the designation of Kendal at Oberlin as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy or retirement account, or a charitable gift annuity. All these gifts are structured to meet your specific financial objectives while also benefiting Kendal at Oberlin. These gifts can offer significant advantages of favorable income, as well as savings on capital gains and estate taxes. These options allow you to transfer cash real estate or other assets — while in some cases retaining an income from the assets for life.

Bequests

Bequests are not just for the wealthy. Anyone can make an extraordinary gift that can help provide for the financial future of Kendal at Oberlin. Planned gifts are often thought of leaving a legacy that benefits not only you and your family but also the future of our communities.

Include Kendal at Oberlin in your will or a codicil to your will. Flexible and revocable, a bequest allows you to make a gift that costs you nothing during your lifetime.

  • Give a percentage of the residue of your estate—the amount left after taxes and expenses are satisfied and specific bequests have been paid. E.g., “I give 25% of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate to Kendal at Oberlin.”
  • Give a specific dollar amount or an item of property—e.g., “I give Kendal at Oberlin $25,000” or “I give Kendal at Oberlin 100 shares of IBM stock.”
  • Make your bequest contingent—e.g., “I give Kendal at Oberlin $25,000 if my children predecease me.

Beneficiary Designations

Name Kendal at Oberlin as the beneficiary of your retirement account. This is as simple as contacting your financial institution for a change of beneficiary form for your Individual Retirement Account (IRA), 401(k), or 403(b).

Name Kendal at Oberlin as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy. For many people, life insurance affords a practical means of making a significant gift through a new or paid-up life insurance policy. If you make Kendal at Oberlin the owner of the policy as well as beneficiary, you may receive current income tax benefits.

Charitable Gift Annuities

Invest in a charitable gift annuity to benefit Kendal at Oberlin. A charitable gift annuity is a contractual agreement between you and Kendal at Oberlin. In exchange for your gift of cash or securities, Kendal at Oberlin provides you and/or another designated person with guaranteed, lifelong annuity payments. 

Do you need more tax-free income and would you like to support our mission? If so, consider a charitable gift annuity that will ultimately benefit Kendal at Oberlin. A gift annuity may be the best way to achieve both objectives—you will earn more tax-free income and benefit Kendal at Oberlin far into the future. A gift annuity gives you a fixed annual income payment for life at a very attractive rate of return. For example, recent rates have offered a 70 year-old a 5.7% fixed annual income. This rate, which rises with age, is based on your age at the time you make the gift.  A gift annuity is a simple and powerful tool for charitable giving, particularly in a low-interest rate environment.

Some key advantages include:

  • Guaranteed life income for the annuitant, much of it tax free
  • Immediate tax savings through a charitable deduction
  • The gift is not included in your gross estate for estate tax purposes

A gift annuity is easy to open. All you have to do is decide on the gift amount and work out a few details with Kendal at Oberlin, sign an agreement, and make your gift with a check or stock transfer. Payments to you will be made quarterly or annually, according to your wishes. Kendal at Oberlin’s fund of your choice will receive the remainder after your death.

Please note our Tax ID number is 34-1567246 our legal name is Kendal at Oberlin. Contact your financial or legal advisor for specific advise and to find out what type of gift is the most advantageous given your current financial circumstances. 

Would You Like to Learn More About Planned Gifts to Kendal?


For more information regarding giving options and the advantage of planning a special gift please, contact Kendal at Oberlin’s Chief Financial Officer, Ann O’Malley.

Giving Options

As a nonprofit organization, Kendal at Oberlin relies on the generosity of donors to further its charitable purposes. Gifts of all sizes are needed and appreciated. Kendal at Oberlin gladly accepts unrestricted gifts as well as those to support existing funds.

  • Residents Assistance Fund
  • The Staff Emergency Fund
  • The Stevens Education Fund
  • The Kathleen Knipper Early Learning Center Scholarship Fund
  • The John Bartram Arboretum Endowment Fund — This fund supports the costs of developing maintaining the Kendal at Oberlin Arboretum’s programs, projects, and education, as well as the acquisition and maintenance of specimen trees. Gifts of $500 of more to this fund offer the opportunity to name a tree in honor or memory of a loved one.

Other Designated giving opportunities include new technology, transportation assistance, or undesignated gifts.