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We envision a vibrant, healthy and connected Benzie community
where everyone can thrive.
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To make your tax-deductible gift online click on the DONATE buttton below.
Or you may mail a check payable to "Benzie Wellness and Aquatic Center" to PO Box 2204, Frankfort, MI 49635.
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New USPS postmark procedures: as of 12/24/2025, a postmark reflects the date an envelope is processed in a regional sorting facility by an automated USPS sorting machine, not necessarily the actual drop-off date. Time-sensitive mail should be mailed several days before a deadline, or you may go inside a post office and ask for a hand-stamped postmark on the date the mail is dropped off inside a USPS facility.
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Please scroll down to find information about donating securities, making a gift from a retirement account or making a planned gift. ​​
Thank you for diving in with us!
We've Acquired our site!
Now we're moving on to the Design Phase.​
On February 28, 2025 we officially purchased the Crystal Lake Elementary School parcel at the corner of US31 and M115 (the county's only stoplight). This site will be the home to our proposed facility.
​Your support is more critical than ever as we work to secure the resources needed to begin building. Each gift brings us that much closer to our audacious aspiration of a vibrant, healthy and connected Benzie community where everyone can thrive.
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Thank you for your interest in our project and the promise it holds for all of us! ​​
Gifts of Securities
​Gifts of non-cash assets—such as stocks, mutual funds, or other investments held for more than a year—can be highly tax efficient. By contributing appreciated assets directly to a qualified charity like Benzie Wellness & Aquatic Center, you may avoid capital gains tax while still receiving a charitable deduction for the full fair market value.
Following are the instructions to transfer stock:
Rockefeller Capital Management
DTC# 0226
F/B/O NFS A/C #RJL-073140
F/B/O BENZIE WELLNESS & AQUATIC CENTER
From:____________________________________________
Share Amount: ____________________________________
Estimated Value: __________________________________
Security Name/Ticker: ______________________________
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Please send your notification to: Heather Jensen
Rockefeller Capital Management
45 Ottawa Ave SW #700
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616-305-2958
In addition to working with your financial advisor, please notify the BWAC’s Vice President, Diane Robertson Tracy, at 734-277-4994 or DianeRTracy@gmail.com before your transfer is made (so we can monitor our account for your expected transfer) with:
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the name of the stock
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the number of shares being gifted
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any special instructions (like a designation for the gift or making it in honor of or in memory of someone dear to you)
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​GIFTS FROM A DONOR ADVISED FUND (DAF)
A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a popular charitable giving vehicle. Through a DAF, you can make a charitable contribution to your DAF institution of choice, receive an immediate tax deduction, and then recommend grants to qualified charities from your DAF over time.
DAFs are versitile; allowing donors to give when, what, how, and where is most favorable for them. Charitable giving with a DAF can be a tax-efficient way to build a charitable legacy. DAFs can accept as contributions a wide range of assets such as cash, stock, cryptocurrency and real estate. BWAC is a qualified charitable organization that welcomes DAF gifts.
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​GIFTS FROM RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
​​​The IRS allows people age 70½ and older to make a qualified charitable donation (QCD) directly from an IRA and exclude it from their taxable income. The ceiling for an eligible donation is increasing from $108,000 in the 2025 tax year to $111,000 in 2026.
Along with reducing your tax bill, such donations count toward the required minimum distributions (RMD) you must take from a traditional IRA starting at age 73. If you take your mandatory withdrawal in the form of a QCD, it’s tax-free, provided you make the donation directly from your IRA to the charity. You don’t have to itemize to claim a QCD, as you do if you’re taking 2025 charitable donations as regular tax deductions.
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For those considering a gift from acoounts like an IRA or 401K, please contact your financial manager about your intent to disburse funds to the BWAC and provide the BWAC information below, along with any information about timing and/or designation for your gift.
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BWAC’s Legal Name: Benzie Aquatic Center
BWAC's Mailing Address: PO Box 2204, Frankfort, MI 49635
BWAC's EIN: 84-2581436
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