Donor Stories

Donating their land to charity enabled Ray and Meta Parker to avoid taxes associated with land sales, achieve financial security for their retirement years, and help students realize their dreams.

It's not often that everyone benefits when a transaction takes place. When Ray and Meta Parker donated their land, however, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the UNI Foundation and future students at UNI all benefited from the Parkers' generosity.

The DNR was very interested in acquiring Ray and Meta's farmland to put into their programs for wetlands and wildlife nesting. The Parkers were interested, but they soon realized that they would incur a huge tax burden if they sold their land. In addition, they wanted security for their retirement.

The solution for the Parkers? Donate the land to charity.

With the help of the UNI Foundation, the Parkers set up a charitable remainder trust. They transferred ownership of the land to the trust, then the trustee sold it to the DNR. Proceeds from the sale will provide lifetime income for Ray and Meta. Upon their deaths, the assets in the trust will be transferred to the Foundation's Scholarship Fund to give students from northeast Iowa a chance to attend UNI.

Donating their land to charity enabled the Parkers to avoid taxes associated with land sales, achieve financial security for their retirement years, and help students realize their dreams.

"We talked this over with our three sons, none of whom wanted to farm," said Meta. "As long as we'd considered everything, they told us to go ahead."

"Each person needs to work out his or her own situation, but this certainly has worked well for us. I'd recommend looking into the charitable remainder trust," Ray said. "The annuity provides a reliable income for us."

"This is one of one of those wonderful situations where everyone wins," commented Bill Calhoun, UNI Foundation president and the one who assisted the Parkers. "The Parkers have a secure retirement income. The land is being managed well by the Iowa DNR for the benefit of native plants and animals. The UNI Foundation will ultimately add to its scholarship fund so students from northeast Iowa will better be able to afford college. We are so pleased with the Parkers' thoughtfulness."

In a recent conversation with Jim Jermier from the UNI Foundation, Meta said, "Ray and I continue to be very pleased with how the charitable remainder trust has worked for us."

For more information please select one of the following options:

1. If you would like to view a color presentation of a similar plan, please click one of these buttons.

2. Perhaps you have some stock or land that has increased in value. If you would like to see how this plan could work for you, then click here.

3. If you would like to request a printed illustration of a Retirement Unitrust with your payout rate, then click here.

4. You may print a Retirement Unitrust tri-fold brochure. Click Here.