It's Giving that Grows Our Hearts
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In This Issue: 2023 Edition
Philanthropy Impact
Excellent Care Sparks Desire to Give Back
Inspired by excellent care at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, this couple shared a passion for supporting their local healthcare community.
Gift to Help Patient Care in the ICU
A legacy gift to Cleveland Clinic Medina Hospital's ICU was made by an Ohio man to express his gratitude for the care he received there before his passing.
Funding Joy One 'Tail' at a Time
A gift to support Cleveland Clinic Children's was inspired by the hospital's facility dogs and the positive impact they have on pediatric patients.
Ways to Give
Following Dad's Advice to Make a Difference for Others
A friend's recommendation led Gene Berman to Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, where he became a grateful patient, committing a significant gift through his estate plans.
Feature
A Second Opinion for a Heart Built for Giving
Bill Wortzman's life-changing second opinion for a heart issue at Cleveland Clinic led to a deep commitment to giving back, inspired by his lifelong dedication to charity.
Gift Planning Insights
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Gift Planning at Cleveland Clinic
We Can Help You Create Your Legacy
We are deeply grateful for the incredible impact of our legacy donors who help us continue to provide exceptional care and advance medical research.
Charitable Giving
Why Should I Share My Gift Intentions with Cleveland Clinic?
Find out why sharing your legacy gift intentions with Cleveland Clinic can help us ensure your gift is impactful, personalized, and aligned with your wishes.
Tax Planning
Choosing a Beneficiary = Tax Advantages
Learn how significant tax advantages can come from naming a charity such as Cleveland Clinic as a beneficiary of your retirement account.
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The Pyramid Legacy Society honors those who have made planned gifts to Cleveland Clinic, expressing deep gratitude for their commitment to advancing medicine and inspiring others to support our mission of the highest-quality patient care, research and education.
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Cleveland Clinic’s future Neurological Institute will feature the most advanced technology and house care teams in various neuroscience subspecialties to enable a new level of clinical collaboration and individualized treatment planning, including expanded digital distance health services to reach tens of thousands of patients dealing with neurological disorders.
Donor generosity has helped develop Cleveland Clinic's art collection.
Jan P. Jones and the late Dr. Shelly Artz honored with 2023 Crile Award
2023 Edition
FInancial, estate and gift planning insights
The Pyramid Legacy Society honors and shows appreciation for our friends and supporters whose commitment to the future of medicine has led them to create planned gifts to Cleveland Clinic.
Learn more
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Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> It's Giving that Grows Our Hearts
Her style of philanthropy and volunteerism often is grassroots and organic. She volunteers at her church as a Sunday school teacher and at the library, the Valley Art Center in Chagrin Falls and the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre. “I have happiness in my heart because of my Catholic faith, because of my family, because of my good health — I love spreading that joy.” At the end of the summer, she wrapped another Front Yard Players talent revue and fashion extravaganza. “We put on a show in front of the garage,” explained Jones Artz, an Ohio Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Famer, who runs the show like any professional production — costumes, rehearsals, interviews, props — even a green room. “This year, we have singers, dancers — oh, my gosh, my musicians. One little boy wants to do magic this year. Every year, I have kids say to me, ‘Mrs. Jones, I thought of my act for next year’s show,’ which to me is hysterical because every year I wonder if I’m going do the show again.” The performance isn’t just entertainment. “The most important thing is they have fun while they’re learning about responsibility, teamwork, respect, creativity, helping each other — and not being afraid to be in front of people,” she said. “It’s a sweet, old-fashioned thing.” This year, the show’s theme — “You Gotta Have Heart” — celebrated Cleveland Clinic being the No. 1 heart hospital in the world. “Through volunteerism and philanthropy, the community has an opportunity to be part of Cleveland Clinic’s mission of medical excellence and part of the healing process, whether it’s through a legacy gift, a smile or giving directions in the concourse,” Jones Artz said of the Crile Award, which honors Pyramid Legacy Society members for their commitment to the mission of Cleveland Clinic. “It’s giving that grows our hearts.”
Jones Artz hosts the Front Yard Players talent revue and fashion extravaganza in her yard each summer.
"Through volunteerism and philanthropy, the community has an opportunity to be part of Cleveland Clinic’s mission of medical excellence and part of the healing process. It’s giving that grows our hearts.”
“If it can happen to Jan Jones, it can happen to anyone.” That’s what family, friends and fans have been saying since April 24, 2023, the day of Jones Artz’s heart attack — because, they say, they know no one healthier, more active, better informed or more glass-half-full than Jones Artz, who was honored earlier this year along with her late husband, Dr. Sheldon “Shelly” Artz, with Cleveland Clinic’s George W. Crile Sr., MD, Award. Until April, the 77-year-old had never been prescribed a regular medication regimen. Early that morning, Jones Artz’s shoulders ached, which she attributed to being hunched over her computer for four hours the previous evening. The retired teacher-turned-actor-turned-Cleveland TV personality had been writing a 26-page script for her church’s 60th anniversary fashion show fundraiser, which she was to emcee a few days later. In addition to muscle soreness, Jones Artz felt a warming in her chest and noticed a sore throat might be coming on. When she got up to get a throat lozenge, she started dry heaving. She called a good friend who is also an emergency physician, who offered to take her to an emergency room, but Jones Artz declined, agreeing to rest and call if her symptoms didn’t subside. “When I hung up, I realized the dry heaving wasn’t coming from my stomach,” Jones Artz said. “It was up in my chest, and it got kind of violent. And then it clicked: I needed to get to the ER.” She didn’t think to call 911. “I put on a cute outfit, grabbed a box of Kleenex and a plastic bag, got in my car and drove myself to (Cleveland Clinic) Hillcrest Hospital,” she said. On the way, she left a voicemail for her daughter. “I got an EKG, and then they immediately put me in a wheelchair and took me back to where Dr. Scharfstein was waiting,” she said. “Dr. Scharfstein held up the EKG result, and the spike is off the top of the page. He looked me dead in the eyes and said, ‘You are having a heart attack, and every minute counts. Let’s go!’” It surprises no one that Jones Artz is sharing her personal experience. She’s emerged from her life-threatening episode grateful and even more committed to helping others. Her message: Women’s heart attacks don’t always happen the way you would expect. Jones Artz’s husband, a plastic surgeon and philanthropist, died in 2017 after receiving heart care at Cleveland Clinic for decades, repeatedly volunteering to participate in novel treatments and research. That history provided comfort to Jones Artz during her stent procedure: “I knew I was right where I needed to be,” she said. With support from good friend Robert “Bob” Sanders, Jones Artz and her husband founded the Artz for Hearts Fund. Through Artz for Hearts, Jones Artz was introduced to Transplant House of Cleveland. “It all feeds into the same marvelous rhythm: You have your science, your medicine, and then you have people who realize there are human beings at the heart of it, and you care for those human beings on so many levels.” In 2022, Jones Artz pledged a memorial gift of $1.6 million to Cleveland Clinic to support research in heart disease and transplantation. In memory of her husband, Jones Artz also supports one of his favorite organ transplant nonprofits, Lifebanc of Northeast Ohio.
— jan jones artz, 2023 crile award recipient
We Can Help Your Create Your Legacy
Cleveland Clinic continues to exceed expectations as one of the world’s top hospitals. Through patient-centered care and a focus on research, our dedicated experts provide the highest-quality care to ensure excellent outcomes. We are grateful for our patients, supporters and caregivers throughout Cleveland Clinic’s worldwide enterprise who continue to make Cleveland Clinic the best place to receive care anywhere and the best place to work in healthcare. This publication recognizes the generosity of our legacy donors, who have made a lasting difference in the lives of our patients and their families. We sincerely thank you. Cleveland Clinic’s Gift Planning Team can help you explore charitable giving options that make a lasting impact at Cleveland Clinic in an efficient and beneficial way for you and your family. We hope the following pages will inspire you to consider including Cleveland Clinic in your charitable plans.
Click to watch: Jan Jones Artz shares her personal story and her commitment to philanthropy and volunteerism, giving back to the community and supporting medical excellence.
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See the latest stories of how Giving Does Good at Cleveland Clinic and learn about the many ways to give. You can make a difference in helping us transform the future of healthcare for our patients and our communities.
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new 2023 pyramid members
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> Pyramid Legacy Society
"When an estate planning attorney consults with a client who displays charitable intentions, it is the attorney’s duty to discuss potential gift options. For many clients, there is no better place to make a difference than Cleveland Clinic, working with the Gift Planning Team.”
We are deeply grateful to our Pyramid Legacy Society members, whose generosity and foresight allow us to further Cleveland Clinic’s mission of providing the highest-quality patient care and advancing research and education. The Pyramid Legacy Society was established to honor and show appreciation for our friends, patients and alumni who have chosen to make Cleveland Clinic part of their legacy. Our Legacy Society members include those who make a gift to Cleveland Clinic through a will or trust; establish a life-income gift such as a gift annuity or charitable remainder trust; create a lead trust; name a Cleveland Clinic affiliate as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement plan; or confirm a commitment through an estate-backed pledge. By creating a philanthropic legacy, our donors help transform healthcare for generations to come. Together, we can improve the lives of our patients and our communities to make the greatest impact.
— Robert J. Bux, Attorney at Law Williams and Batchelder
Colorful artwork by Eva LeWitt hangs in the lobby of Cleveland Clinic Mentor Hospital, the newest hospital in the healthcare system. Donor generosity has helped develop Cleveland Clinic’s art collection. Today, works of art grace every corner of our campuses and positively impact a patient’s experience.
The Pyramid Legacy Society honors those who have made planned gifts to Cleveland Clinic, expressing deep gratitude for their commitment to advancing medicine and inspiring others to support our mission of the highest-quality patient care, research, and education.
Reach Out
VISIT US ONLINE give.ccf.org
CONTACT Call us: 800.223.2273 Ext. 41245 or 216.444.1245
Be sure to check out our Cleveland Clinic Magazine online at magazine.clevelandclinic.org
Email us: giftplanning@ccf.org
Jeffery Bryan Anderson* Dr. Wendell Arrington* Donald* and Bonita Beagell James Edward Bell III Gene A. Berman Jay W. Blackburn Mark and Kathy Brookshire Thomas V. Connelly Dr. John Alfred Coover* Dr. Dietmar Cordes and Laura L. Cordes Mark and Carolynne Corigliano Dr. Norman Courey and Susan Courey Kendall and Stacey Craft Eva Drnka* Dr. Chester Dybala and Arlene Dybala* Paul O. Elsten* George and Helene Ettelson* Richard C. and Lisa Fedorovich Bette S. Gorman Dr. Maximo Handel* Wanda Hetrick* Jo Ann Hoffman David B. Humphrey Peter J. Inglin and Diane Salistian Inglin Dr. Bijay K. Jayaswal and Pramila Jayaswal Harry T. and Nelda F. Johnston* Alice Kalina* Dr. Peter Kay and Sally Kay John Kronberg Judith Caldwell LaFage Neil and Barbara* Lazar
Dr. Kenneth K. Leung* Marsha Hunt Brian McGrath and Carmen Paradis Dr. Manus Midlarsky and Elizabeth Midlarsky* Gary F. and Donna M. Miller* Wayne M. and Cynthia Mincey Terry A. and Gail I. Moore William E. and Shelley E. Morgenstern Mr. and Mrs. M.B. Oglesby, Jr. Jean Ohlmann* Robert J. Peyser* Michael W. Rooney* David M. Sam Patricia A. Schott Joan D. Shaffer* Greg and Susan Sinatro William J. Sipes Jr.* Bertie Deming Smith Edward Solomon and Cathy Weiss Everne Spiegel* Mary and Ken Potter Norman Thoman* David C. and Daphne E. Thomson Delores Jean Tisdall Dr. Edward Tokar* John J. Trenkle Olga A. Trypniak* Richard H. Vent and Leonor Solorzano Donna Williams Robert J. and Angela A. Zavagno
*Deceased
Bruce R. Abernathy, Jr. Bruce R. Abernathy Jr., PA Dana M. Apfelbaum, Esq. Dean Mead Minton & Moore Kathryn F. Barton, CPA, CFP Offutt Barton Schlitt CPAs Brandon A. Borgmann, Esq. Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP J. Vincent Boyle, CPA Morgan, Jacoby, Thurn, Boyle & Associates, PA Garrick Cashatt Raymond James – The Kanner Group Susan Chenault Northern Trust Marie S. Conforti, Esq. Law Offices of Marie S. Conforti P. Ross Cotherman II, CPA Rehmann Brian J. Elwell, CPA Kmetz, Elwell, Graham, CPAs Rebecca F. Emmons, Esq. Rossway Swan Patrick Alan Farrah, Esq. Wilmington Trust NA Todd W. Fennell, Esq. Gould Cooksey Fennell, PA Michael J. Garavaglia, Esq. Collins Brown Barkett, Chartered Glenn Grevengoed, Esq. Glenn Grevengoed, PA Anthony P. Guettler Esq. Gould Cooksey Fennell, PA
Cleveland Clinic Allied Partners in Philanthropy 2023
New members of Allied Partners in Philanthropy are welcomed for helping clients establish philanthropic gifts to Cleveland Clinic. A special welcome for our new members representing Cleveland Clinic Indian River.
Troy B. Hafner, Esq. Gould Cooksey Fennell, PA Todd Heckman Estate Planning Advisors Beckett C. Horner Block & Scarpa Mike Kanner Raymond James – The Kanner Group William N. Kirk, Esq. Gould Cooksey Fennell, PA Michael L. Kmetz, CPA, PFS Kmetz, Elwell, Graham, CPAs Keith Lambert Raymond James – The Kanner Group Justin K. Larson, Esq. Gould Cooksey Fennell, PA E. Steven Lauer, Esq. E. Steven Lauer, PA Ronald Keith Lawn, JD, LLM Lawn & LeBlanc, Attorneys at Law Stephanie M. LeBlanc, JD, LLM Lawn & LeBlanc, Attorneys at Law Thomas C. Lee, Esq. Gunster Lawrence Y. Leonard, Esq. Campione, Campione & Leonard, PA Robin A. Lloyd Sr., JD Robin Lloyd & Associates Melissa Medlock, CPA Melissa Medlock, CPA, PA John E. Moore, III Dean Mead Minton & Moore
Scott Nuttall Nuttall, Donini & Associates CPAs David L. Osgood, AWMA Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Jennifer D. Peshke, Esq. Law Offices of Jennifer D. Peshke, PA Dean C. Phillips, AAMS Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Dillon L. Roberts, Esq. Gould Cooksey Fennell, PA Matthew Rundels Northern Trust William F. Schlitt, CPA Offutt Barton Schlitt CPAs Brian M. Shambo, CFP Merrill Lynch – Shambo, Schwibner & Associates Jeffrey J. Spina-Jennings, Esq. Gould Cooksey Fennell, PA William J. Stewart, Esq. Rossway Swan Michael J. Swan, Esq. Rossway Swan Andrea B. Thurn, CPA Morgan, Jacoby, Thurn, Boyle & Associates, PA Sue Tompkins Warren Capital Management David H. Walker, CFP Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Mark C. White, Esq. Andrew W. Williams Colton, Williams, & Reamy CPAs
A legacy gift to Cleveland Clinic Florida will help South Florida residents for years to come
Following Dad’s Advice to Make a Difference for Others
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> Following Dad's Advice to Make a Difference for Others
In recognition of Berman’s planned gift, Cleveland Clinic celebrated the dedication of the Gene A. Berman Lobby in Weston Hospital’s emergency department and welcomed him as a member of the 1921 Society and the Pyramid Legacy Society. “My mother was a volunteer with many organizations when I was growing up and was always sought out for leadership positions,” recalls Berman. “My father was a decorated World War II veteran and loved to volunteer at the veterans hospital in Long Beach after he retired.” Their example has lived on through their son. “As my father was fond of saying, ‘Any day I can wake up and do something nice for others is a good day’ — a philosophy we should all subscribe to,” says Berman.
Gene Berman, third from left, celebrates his planned gift with the dedication of the Gene A. Berman Lobby in Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital’s emergency department in 2023.
"Blended giving provides our clients a lot of flexibility in how they choose to support organizations. Gene appreciated being able to provide both immediate and future financial support through his donor-advised fund, and the Gift Planning Team at Cleveland Clinic made it such an easy process.”
A timely recommendation by a good friend took an unexpected turn for Gene Berman and Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital. The retired senior corporate real estate executive and Fort Lauderdale resident was introduced by his friend to Nabil Tadross, MD, an internal medicine specialist with Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Concierge Medicine Program. Shortly after, Berman became a Cleveland Clinic patient and learned what it means to have convenient access to high-quality care close to home. “I was in a sales and service business before retiring, and I’m attuned to customer service,” says Berman. “I’ve never before experienced the level of care and consistently great service that Cleveland Clinic provides.” Berman’s successful real estate career, spanning more than three decades, has taken him far from his modest roots in southern California, but it’s provided the means in retirement to apply important life lessons he learned from his parents. While Berman now volunteers with several South Florida organizations, he also supports worthwhile causes financially, including Cleveland Clinic. Through a donor-advised fund, he has made annual gifts to Cleveland Clinic in Florida, and more recently, he made a commitment for Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital to receive a gift of $1 million after his lifetime through his estate plans. It will support the hospital’s strategic priorities, including patient care, education and capital needs.
— Lisa A. Spada, CFP(R), CRPC(R) Senior financial advisor, Senior vice president, Investment officer Wells Fargo Advisors
Crafting Your Legacy Through a Donor-Advised Fund
Gene Berman was able to make his gift to Cleveland Clinic by taking advantage of a donor-advised fund (DAF). Through his DAF, Berman designated his gift to Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital’s emergency department through a quick and easy process. A DAF is a personal philanthropic fund that allows you to donate to multiple charities and causes over a period of years while receiving an income tax deduction at the time the fund is established. DAFs can be established with financial services companies as well as community foundations. Donations to Cleveland Clinic can be made in the form of recommended distributions from an established DAF using cash, securities or other assets. Here’s how it works: • When you’re ready to discuss your philanthropic goals and objectives, contact the Gift Planning Team at Cleveland Clinic. • The Gift Planning Team will prepare a recommendation agreement for you to review. The agreement records your gift amount and ensures that your donation is designated to the medical area of your preference. • You can recommend grants to Cleveland Clinic from your DAF on a one-time or multiyear basis. • After your lifetime, your DAF can continue to operate and make distributions, or the remaining assets in your fund can be distributed to Cleveland Clinic if you name Cleveland Clinic as the final beneficiary or designate Cleveland Clinic to receive a portion of the remaining funds.
A timely recommendation by a good friend took an unexpected turn for Gene Berman and Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital.
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> Following Dad's Advice to Make a Difference...
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> We Can Help You Create Your Legacy
Cleveland Clinic continues to exceed expectations as one of the world’s top hospitals. Through patient-centered care and a focus on research, our dedicated experts provide the highest-quality care to ensure excellent outcomes. We are grateful for our patients, supporters and caregivers throughout Cleveland Clinic’s worldwide enterprise who continue to make Cleveland Clinic the best place to receive care anywhere and the best place to work in healthcare. Cleveland Clinic’s Gift Planning Team can help you explore charitable giving options that make a lasting impact at Cleveland Clinic in an efficient and beneficial way for you and your family.
Get Inspired
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> We Can Help to Create Your Legacy
If you have decided to include Cleveland Clinic in your estate plans, you may be unsure if you should share these arrangements with the Gift Planning Team. Learn why sharing your goals can help our team ensure that your gift intentions are fulfilled to make the most impact.
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> Why Should I Share My Gift Intentions with Cleveland Clinic?
WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON WAY THAT PEOPLE MAKE LEGACY GIFTS TO CLEVELAND CLINIC? A bequest is a common and simple way to include Cleveland Clinic in your charitable plans. A bequest is a testamentary arrangement in which the charitable gift to Cleveland Clinic comes after a person’s lifetime. A bequest can be made in many ways such as a will or a simple trust or by naming Cleveland Clinic as a beneficiary on any type of eligible asset, such as a life insurance policy, a retirement account or an investment account. HOW DOES IT WORK? An individual can include a bequest to Cleveland Clinic in their plans by working with their attorney or tax advisor to name Cleveland Clinic in their testamentary arrangements (through a will or trust). Another common approach is to leave specific or percentage bequests to family members or other individuals and then leave a residuary charitable bequest to Cleveland Clinic. With this approach, your loved ones receive exactly the amount or items you wish to leave them, and Cleveland Clinic can receive any funds that remain. In all cases, a bequest can be personalized to support the area or program of your choice at Cleveland Clinic, leaving a legacy that is important to you. Our Gift Planning Team can work with you and your attorney or tax advisor to provide simple language to include in your estate documents to ensure that your philanthropic goals are carried out in the most efficient and impactful way. IF I SHARE MY GIFT INTENTIONS, WHAT’S THE BENEFIT TO ME? There are many reasons it is helpful to share your intentions with the Cleveland Clinic. First, we will understand your wishes, your directions, and how you want your gift to be used. It also enables us to thank you now. We would love to say thank you and hear the reason Cleveland Clinic is your charity of choice. Also, as the medical field changes through innovations and research, your interests and goals may change, too. With the lines of communication open, we can share new discoveries and needs as they emerge, and you can keep Cleveland Clinic abreast of your own new interests and philanthropic priorities. WILL MY INFORMATION REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL? Yes! Confidentiality is an important concern for many people who are interested in making a gift. We can assure you that any information shared with us remains strictly confidential and will not be shared with any other institutions.
Where do I begin?
The Gift Planning team at Cleveland Clinic is available to answer your questions about bequests and other forms of charitable giving. Call 216.444.1245 or send an email to giftplanning@ccf.org. We look forward to assisting you.
See the latest stories of how Giving Does Good at Cleveland Clinic and learn about the many ways to give and how you can make a difference in helping us transform the future of healthcare for our patients and our communities.
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> Why Should I Share My Gift Intentions...
For
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> A Second Opinion for a Heart Built for Giving
Wortzman’s commitment to giving goes back further than his recent years of treatment at Cleveland Clinic. He credits his experience with charitable organizations throughout his life for instilling in him the importance of giving back. “I grew up living in the projects with my mother; we didn’t have any resources,” he said. “We were very fortunate to have several charities that helped us. These organizations helped us at a time when we didn’t have anything, so I feel obligated to the community to repay that obligation through my charitable work.” Wortzman, who is 79, serves on the boards of several organizations and says it drives him forward. He is a self-taught day trader, a skill he learned for the sole purpose of raising money for charity. “I am in a leadership position for three different charitable organizations, and I thoroughly enjoy my work, which has now expanded to raising funds for Cleveland Clinic,” Wortzman said. “It makes my day when I receive a gift from someone; it doesn’t matter how much it is. It could be $10, or it could be $1 million — and I’ve had both. I probably spend at least 20 to 30 hours a week working for charity.” Wortzman, who has “had every sort of heart incident you could think of,” says he gives to Cleveland Clinic because of his lifesaving care and the promise that new research will help others with heart-related conditions. He hopes his legacy will be his lifelong commitment to helping others: “At the end of the day, making gifts is probably as rewarding as anything I do.”
W.H. Wilson Tang, MD in his research lab.
For Bill Wortzman, a second opinion for a heart issue was a turning point. His father and uncles having died from cardiac disease, Wortzman was aware of his risks. When a heart-related issue brought him to Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion, he found himself having open heart surgery just days later. He has since been under the care of a world-renowned cardiologist, W.H. Wilson Tang, MD, who has also become a dear friend. As a patient, Wortzman learned of Dr. Tang’s research and has made several gifts, including outright and estate gifts, to support it. Now, Wortzman is leading a matching gift campaign to draw new donors to Dr. Tang’s research. “Dr. Tang’s research has addressed the problem from a DNA perspective,” Wortzman said. “When he shared what he was doing with his research, it meant a lot to me because me and my entire family have had cardiac problems, so we know it is being passed from one generation to another.”
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> A Second Opinion for a Heart Built...
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> Gift to Help Patient Care in the ICU
Ronald L. Parton, a 50-year resident of the Medina, Ohio, area, was the owner of General Maintenance & Service Corp., a fixture in the local community. When Parton needed critical care, he spent time in Cleveland Clinic Medina Hospital’s intensive care unit. Following his stay in the ICU, Parton bought lunch for about 80 hospital caregivers as a thank you, but those who knew him well said he wanted to make a more impactful gift after his passing. When Parton died at age 78 in August 2022, the hospital learned that he had left an estate gift of just over $310,000 to the hospital’s ICU. “Ron knew he was very ill, and he wanted to help people,” said Robert Bux of the law firm Williams and Batchelder, which represented Parton. “He would be very pleased to know that these funds have been distributed.” Parton’s caregivers were touched by his generosity.“We are so grateful that Mr. Parton remembered us and the care he received here with such gratitude,” said Medina Hospital President Richard Shewbridge, MD. “The entire team appreciates the generous gift enormously.”
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> Excellent Care Sparks Desire to Give Back
Former New York resident Emilie Brady and her late husband, John, have a long history of contributing to their community through volunteer work and philanthropy. Their support of Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital was inspired by a visit to its emergency department more than 20 years ago after John suffered an allergic reaction from a bug bite. “The caregivers took such fantastic care of him that I thought, ‘I want to get involved with this hospital,’” said Mrs. Brady. Mrs. Brady joined the hospital’s volunteer organization and became its membership chair. Likewise, after his retirement in 1993, Mr. Brady donated his time to several organizations including the Indian River Shores Public Safety Department and Habitat for Humanity before his passing on August 16, 2023. In addition to the Bradys’ shared passion for volunteer work, they decided to contribute to Indian River Hospital’s mission through charitable gift annuities. Since 2012, the Bradys have given six charitable gift annuities to the Indian River Hospital Foundation. “We give from our heart,” said Mr. Brady. “It’s important to support your local hospital because donations allow the hospital to grow and attract the best doctors. Best of all, the whole community can reap the benefits of receiving quality care.”
Funding Joy One ‘Tail’ at a Time
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> Funding Joy One 'Tail' at a Time
Through a blended gift — a combination of a current gift and a legacy gift — to Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Children’s, Gerry and Diane Wendel have been able to share their passion for finding creative ways to improve the lives of children. Most recently, during a stay at Cleveland Clinic, the Wendels met Kid and Trotter, Cleveland Clinic Children’s golden retriever facility dogs. “It was love at first sight,” said Diane. Upon seeing the joy the dogs brought to the kids receiving treatment, they decided to contribute to the facility dog program too. "A child who is going through an infusion sitting and petting a beautiful golden retriever and as a result not being concerned so much about the infusion — you can see that result,” Gerry said. “You can see that you’re making a difference in people’s lives, and that’s where we get the most joy. A true act of giving is to be able to give and ask for nothing in return but that joy.”
Pyramid 2023 Newsletter >> Choosing a Beneficiary = Tax Advantages
Significant tax advantages can come from naming a charity such as Cleveland Clinic as a beneficiary of your retirement account. The funds you put into your retirement account are not taxed at the onset, which means they are typically taxable to your heirs upon receipt. With Cleveland Clinic as a beneficiary of the retirement plan or IRA, funds are paid directly to Cleveland Clinic, not to your estate. As such, neither the estate nor any beneficiary of the estate is subject to income tax attributable to the retirement plan. Here is an example of how the math works:
Why Make a Testamentary Gift of Retirement Account Assets?
Check with your legal or financial advisor or call Cleveland Clinic’s Gift Planning Team to see if this gift vehicle is right for you and your family. Cleveland Clinic’s Gift Planning Team is available to assist you with a gift to Cleveland Clinic to support any aspect of our patient care, research and training mission. Call us at 216.444.1245 or email giftplanning@ccf.org. We look forward to assisting you.
QUESTIONS ABOUT DESIGNATING CLEVELAND CLINIC AS A BENEFICIARY?