Gifting Stock to Non-Profit

Generosity Corner

By Rich Rice, Executive Director, WIND

November 24, 2019

“For it is in giving that we receive” Francis of Assisi

As we approach the holidays, we are bombarded with a variety of ways to give to those in need around the world. Catalogs are delivered that are designed to guide our giving and ask us to consider buying shoes, medicines, and even goats. The spirit of thankfulness and giving moves us to respond this time of year. Part of living in our global community makes it important to be generous with our resources. People are hard wired with hearts of generosity which swell during the Christmas season.  

There is an abundance of charities from which to pick. There are large (global) organizations and small (geographically focused) charities. There are a multitude of causes to which you can donate money, feed the homeless, provide water to a rural village, educate deserving children, save the whales, etc. The list is endless. Ultimately you will choose a cause that is important to you and an organization you trust.

Most of us will send a check to the organization or go to the charity website to make our donations using our debit card. Here is another option:

Have you ever considered gifting stock to your favorite charity?

It is simple and easy. When you donate stock to charity, you do not feel the impact from your personal cash accounts. In addition, you are allowed a tax deduction at the current market value of your gift, and you may potentially avoid costly capital gains.

The financial impact to a non-profit or 501(c)3 organization is immediate. Your stock will be sold and converted to cash to be used to meet the needs that the charity serves. Your stock gift can have an immediate, transforming impact!

Many non-profits have a stock account specifically designed to receive stock donations. This holiday season consider another approach to your giving. Contact your favorite charity and ask them about donating stock this year.

Note: Learn more about WIND’s stock giving program: https://wind-guatemala.org/donate/give-5/

Planes, Ferry's and a Big Bus

“How did you get to Guatemala?” I was asked. Well, I paused, the answer is more complicated then Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

We Begin…

By Car:  the journey began with a ride to the ferry terminal. We left the house about 1:15pm. 

By Ferry: I boarded the late arriving ferry, the Samish, around 1:30 and arrived to Anacortes around 2:45.

By Foot: Short walk to the bus stop where I waited for the 3:05 pick up.

By Shuttle Bus: A “short bus” picked me up at the terminal and after a stop in Anacortes to pick another passenger, I arrived at the bus terminal at 3:40. The terminal consists of a half dozen chairs and a unisex bathroom, which I was thankful for.

By Big Bus: Boarded a tour bus at 3:50 for an on-time departure for Seatac. 9 passengers and a big bus. We made one stop at the Tulalip Casino for 10 minutes. Schedules must be kept. Arrived too the airport at 6:00pm. Almost 5 hours into my trip to Guatemala.

Checked into my flight at the Aeromexico counter. Found a restaurant with a big screen TV to watch the final three quarters of the Thursday night game – Seahawks vs Rams. Sat with strangers at the bar and we cheered the Seahawks onto a nail-biting victory. The 12’s travel well. “Go Hawks!”

By Subway: Flight departed from the S gates, a short ride on the underground tram.

By Airplane: Flight to Mexico City departed Seattle on time at 10pm. Slept for a few hours We landed in Mexico City at 5:10am Mexico City time. It was 3am back in Seattle. Navigated Mexico customs and found a Starbucks. My Starbucks app on my phone worked here. Not sure how many pesos I paid for my tall drip but cost was not a deterrent. I am 14 hours into my tip.

Another Flight: My short flight to Guatemala City departs at 8:15am. I think it was a two our flight but I fell asleep long before take-off. We landed at the airport at 9:20am (8:20am in Seattle).

Another customs: Bienvenidos a Guatemala. Entry was easy, but the drug sniffing dogs were thinking my snacks smelled good. They need to feed those dogs. But wait, I am not to my destination yet.

By Micro: Think old mini van with extra seats and worrisome rattles. I find my driver, Juan Carlo, outside the airport. We load my stuff and off we go traverse the crowded streets of Guatemala City (5 million people will do that). The usual 45 minute drive takes an hour, but traffic was not too bad.

Check in: Arrive to my hotel La Merced at 11am and get checked into my favorite room - cinco. I enjoy the comfort of a familiar place and people.

Travel time stands at 21 hours from the time I left the house.

I guess when I was asked that one simple question, the person was not expecting such a blow by blow account.

For those of you who know me, you will not be surprised to learn I actually skipped all the words and answered; “I traveled from Seattle via Aeromexico with a connection in Mexico City”. The end

Guatemala Election 2019

June 18, 2019

Guatemalan presidential election

I thought I would share an article about the presidential primary election that took place in Guatemala this past Sunday. 19 candidates were on the national ballet. The two candidates who received the most votes will square off in the final election on August 11th. I think you will find this interesting background to the political climate in Guatemala. Voter fraud and corruption are frequently the subject of conversation. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-48621524

The lead candidate is former first lady Sandra Torres. Ms Torres says she will provide "comprehensive solutions like development, fight against poverty and job opportunities" to try to convince Guatemalans to stay in the country rather than migrating to the United States.

The other candidate is Alejandro Giammattei. He is a trained doctor who was named director of the Guatemalan prison system in 2006. He says that if he is elected, he will build "a wall of prosperity" to keep Guatemalans from migrating to the US. 

Both candidates are talking about addressing the mass migration from Guatemala to the United States. AP News reported that “an estimated 1% of Guatemala’s population of 16 million people has left the country this year!” That would be 160,000 people. That seems hard to believe, but none the less a major issue facing the candidates. Of course the politicians have an eye toward the north as the US has threatened cutting aid if the problem is not addressed – perhaps an added incentive.

June 20, 2019

Guatemala to hold vote recount over fraud allegations

Even before the polls closed there was talk of voter fraud taking place. I read various post on social media of instances that were getting people riled up. Some ballots were marked ahead of time. Some voters needing language assistance and unable to read or write were having the wrong candidate checked. I heard that in one rural community they discovered six boxes of uncounted ballets “stashed” up on the roof of the voting house. Prior to the election, a CID Gallup Poll found that nearly one third of Guatemala adults surveyed believed the election would be plagued by fraud.

So - Guatemala will perform another manual count starting on Monday (June 24^th). Stay tuned.

The people would like to see a crackdown on corruption amongst the politicians. And it is no wonder, with 3 of the last 4 presidents having been arrested and jailed post presidency on corruption charges.

I had a conversation with a local Guatemalan businessman about the US cutting aid to Guatemala. He smiled and said “most people in my country really don’t care about that aid. The people never see the money because it is in the pockets of the politicians. That money would be much more effective in the hands of the non-profit organizations who are actually helping the people.”

Magnetic North

May 6, 2019

I had a video call with Felipe and Carolina. We covered a lot of ground in our conversation, including Carolina’s trip to Seattle to be part of the fundraiser. They are really in the thick of things in Cotzal.

One of the Horeb teachers, Catarina, delivered a stillborn baby yesterday. I could tell that this grieved them greatly. We had been told in March that her baby was not showing signs of brain activity. Which I do not totally get – but she carried the baby full term in hopes of a miracle. But the baby was dead at birth. They also were excited about a neighbor who delivered a baby in her home over the weekend. She did not want to go to the hospital because she was afraid the doctors there would tie her tubes. 

F&C shared news about a boy in second grade named Brandon Enrique. I have known Brandon since he started at Horeb 4 or 5 years ago. A real character and a very intelligent kid. A few months ago, his dad took off to the States with his younger brother. I understand that he took the younger brother not out of love for the boy but to use him as a pawn to enter the states. 

Mom learned that the father made it to the states but is drinking heavily – not taking care of her young boy. So, she sold their house/property in Cotzal and took Brandon to head for the States. Most likely she used the proceeds from the home sale to pay for the trip. She did not tell anyone she was leaving. Reyna, Brandon’s teacher, went to their house to find out why he had not been to school last week. She was informed that Mom had left for the States, taking a crying Brandon with her. Their fate is unknown at this time.

I have never before witnessed such a strong magnetic pull toward life in the States. Fathers used to go sometimes to provide economic support for their families. Now children are accompanying family members on the exodus. Claiming “asylum” and getting processed into the States to await a court date. Children are really being used as a ticket for admission.

On a side note, I am frustrated that Felipe was turned down last week for a tourist visa to travel to the US for our fundraiser. The US embassy told him it was because he lacked possessions which would compel him to return to Guatemala. For the indigenous poor, their lack of hope of travel to the US, by legal means, is dismal.

I don’t know the answer to immigration policy, but I know of the consequences for a small school in Cotzal. The long-term answer is building a life-giving economy where they can find hope, thus eliminating the magnetic pull of the land to the north.