Providing for family and community in Norfolk

Kent Warneke covered countless stories in his three decades reporting for and helming the Norfolk Daily News, but it’s not the fires, crimes, or contentious city council meetings he remembers most. The most lasting memories are those of community generosity.

“It was those stories where someone or some organization was either doing something charitable for someone else or they were making a gift to someone else,” he said. “The opportunity to visit with those folks, whether they were the giver or the recipient, and to see the heartfelt emotion and genuine joy in being involved in that kind of situation, those are some of the stories and the anecdotes and the incidents that I remember the most because they reflect the nature of Nebraskans as a whole and certainly Norfolk.”

For Tammy Day, philanthropy is also a highlight of her work at transportation solutions company Daycos, where she and her husband hand the reins of company giving over to employees.

“Giving in all forms is important to us as a company but I really think there’s a lot of potential around having the giving that businesses do be employee-led,” she said. “Because not only is the money working you also now have engaged all of these people really directly in doing the work of community-building.”

It’s not surprising, then, that planned giving holds a prominent place in their charitable minds. The Warnekes opted to put 60% of their estate into a Charitable Remainder Trust upon their passing. The arrangement affords their two children—Sarah and Alex—the opportunity to receive income from the interest off the principal for 15 years, giving Kent and Susan the peace of mind that their family is taken care of.

“When it comes down to family vs. charity, it’s not a choice,” Warneke said. “Everyone can be accommodated.”

The Days, too, are working to leave a legacy in the community while ensuring their children have a strong foundation.

“We decided we would raise our kids and give them the things they needed to get started,” Day said. “After that we’re more focused on what we can leave back to the community and how can we do that in a way that makes sense.”

Having gone through the process themselves, Day and Warneke plan to use their stories to bring the transfer of wealth down to earth in Madison County.

“Continuing to gather that information and condense it in a way that people can easily understand is really important because this is not a topic that most people are familiar with,” Day said.  “Helping connect the dots really clearly around what the data is and what it could mean for a community, to me, is really important.”

 

Reach out to your professional advisor to learn how you can give and consult Nebraska Community Foundation’s Planned Giving resources for more information. You can also contact NCF’s Office of Gift Planning by calling 402-323-7330 or sending an email to info@nebcommfound.org.

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