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Published Aug 28 2002 6:45:00:000PM
Small towns forgotten in wills, rural poll says BY DAVID HENDEE WORLD-HERALD BUREAU LINCOLN - Volunteer time and donated money are keeping many small towns alive, but few rural Nebraskans plan to leave assets to community organizations or causes when they die, according to the Nebraska Rural Poll. "In rural areas, there's a strong tradition and expectation that you'll give something back to your community," said John Allen, the University of Nebraska rural sociologist who heads the scientific poll. Although most rural Nebraskans consider community involvement important to their towns' futures, apparently not enough people understand how to structure their estates to benefit both their communities and their families, Allen said. The poll found that 87 percent of rural Nebraskans donated money to community improvement efforts in the past year, 84 percent belonged to community groups, and 74 percent volunteered time to local groups or organizations. In addition, 43 percent had leadership roles in organizations, and 15 percent held public office or served on a board or committee. Kirk Enevoldsen of Potter said his village of 390 in the Panhandle is a place where people understand the importance of working together. Potter twice in the last decade has won a Nebraska Community Improvement Program award as the state's No. 1 small town. "It's not a very long step to go from being a viable community to one that ends up with storefronts boarded up," Enevoldsen said. "It takes involvement to keep it going in a rural community." Ninety-five percent of respondents said that volunteering and taking leadership roles in the community are important to their community's future. Eighty percent said financial contributions from residents are important. However, only 4 percent already included a community cause in their will, 8 percent said they planned to, 48 percent weren't sure, and 27 percent said they would not. The remaining 12 percent didn't have wills but said they would consider a gift to the community. The low percentage of those who had left money to their community surprised Allen, but he said the 48 percent undecided tally is promising. It represents the opportunity to educate people about how best to keep their wealth at work locally while caring for their families. Keeping assets in rural communities is a pressing concern, Allen said. "We're talking about the potential for millions of dollars leaving these rural communities" as longtime residents die and estates are settled. The Nebraska Community Foundation estimates that $94billion will pass from one generation to the next in rural Nebraska during the next 50 years. When farms, ranches and businesses are sold after their owners die, the resulting money typically is left to family members who often no longer live nearby. "The community loses that wealth," Allen said. "But if we are able to recycle some of it through a local community foundation, then local people get to use it on issues important to the community." Jeff Yost, executive vice president of the Nebraska Community Foundation, said there is an opportunity for people with a legacy of generosity to give gifts of any size through their wills to protect and nurture their towns and make it easier for future generations to afford community improvements. "This is a great way for communities to capitalize their futures and control their own destinies," he said. The Nebraska Community Foundation helps communities establish local nonprofit foundations so towns have the structure in place to accept donations. This was the first year that the poll included specific questions about estate planning. Most poll respondents also said that they would encourage others to move to or remain in their community. The scientific survey is mailed in March to randomly selected rural residents in 87 counties. This year's results are based on 2,841 responses. The Nebraska Rural Poll is the largest annual survey of rural Nebraskans' perceptions on quality of life and policy issues. This year's response rate was 44 percent. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. Complete results are available online at: http://cari.unl.edu/ruralpoll.htm ---------- End of Story ---------- |
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Nebraska Community Foundation PO Box 83107 Lincoln, NE 68501 Phone: (402) 323-7330 Fax: (402) 323-7349 E-mail: webmaster@nebcommfound.org |
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