Planned Giving

"It is my great hope that other individuals who have been touched by Audio-Reader - as a volunteer, a listener, a family member, a friend - or who simply believe in our mission of making printed materials accessible to the visually impaired, will join me in making a planned gift to this wonderful service. I speak from experience when I say that it's quick, it's easy, and it's one of the most meaningful things you may ever do."
-D. Frederick, Lawrence, KS 

Thank you for considering a planned gift to Audio-Reader. As a non-profit agency serving the blind and print-disabled, Audio-Reader depends on charitable donations, planned giving, memorials, and other private gifts. Your bequest or other planned gift will assure that Audio-Reader's services will continue to be available after your lifetime, leaving an important legacy for those who follow. A planned gift of any amount is important to Audio-Reader. Your gift will bring the printed word to life for thousands of individuals for many years to come. 

There are many types of planned giving options that will benefit you, your family, and your friends, as well as your community, Audio-Reader, and the University (Audio-Reader is a public service of the University of Kansas). Here is a general overview of a few of those methods:

  • A bequest in a will or living trust for a specific amount or percentage of the estate to Audio-Reader.
  • An income-producing trust that allows family members to receive income for life from a trust with the trust assets going to Audio-Reader at the trust's conclusion.
  • By entering a charitable annuity with Audio-Reader, an individual may receive both an immediate income tax deduction and income for life at favorable market rates.
  • With a retained life estate contract, people who transfer the title to their home, second home or farm over to Audio-Reader, while retaining the right to occupy the property, receive a charitable tax deduction equal to the property's fair market value.
  • Audio-Reader can be named the beneficiary of a whole life insurance policy that no longer is needed for family or business security. The cash surrender value of the policy may then become a tax-deductible contribution.
  • A retirement plan death benefit can be arranged so that the assets remaining in an IRA or other qualified plan will be left to Audio-Reader with significant tax advantages to the donor.

If you would like more information about any of these giving options, please consult your attorney or financial advisor. You may also contact Beth McKenzie at bethmckenzie@ku.edu, Development Director, at 785-864-5336 or toll free at 1-800-772-8898, who can talk more with you about becoming a member of the Petey Cerf Legacy Society. 

Thank you for helping Audio-Reader share the gift of sight through sound. 

Petey Cerf Legacy Society

When you designate a planned gift to Audio-Reader, you will become a member of Audio-Reader's Petey Cerf Legacy Society, and a member of KU's Elizabeth M. Watkins Society---a double honor that acknowledges the importance of your own legacy. A longtime community philanthropist, Petey Cerf founded Audio-Reader in 1971 and was instrumental in funding the service during its first several years. When Ms. Cerf died in 1996, she remembered Audio-Reader in her will and hoped that others would, too.

Headshot photo Petey Cerf

"My mother would be very honored to have the Society named after her because her enthusiasm for Audio-Reader was so great."
--William Dann, son of Audio-Reader founder Petey Cerf. 

Membership in the Petey Cerf Legacy Society includes a certificate of appreciation and acknowledgment in various Audio-Reader and KU publications, with your permission. You may also request anonymity if you prefer. As a member of these planned giving societies, you will be invited to special gatherings that honor individuals who have included Audio-Reader in their estate plans. 

An estate planning form is available for your convenience, in addition to other printed information about making a planned gift to Audio-Reader. If you would like copies of these print materials, please contact Beth McKenzie at bethmckenzie@ku.edu, Development Director, at 785-864-5336 or toll free at 1-800-772-8898. 

People give for many reasons. To be remembered. To honor their beliefs. To give back blessings. To change the World. Leave a Legacy.