An Opportunity for Thomas County
Transfer of Wealth
Free Estate Planning Services
John Griffin is an estate planner paid by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation to assist Thomas County residents in establishing a transfer of wealth plan for their families. John is an estate planner and major gifts consultant through Stewardship Counseling, LLC. John holds a J.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Law. After practicing law in South Dakota, John joined Stewardship Counseling, LLC in 1991. He is a member of the Kansas Bar, the South Dakota Bar, the Central Kansas Planned Giving Roundtable, and the National Committee on Planned Giving. John is a frequent speaker on the tools and techniques of estate planning.
The Thomas County Community Foundation would like for you to consider us in your planning so that we may continue our mission "To Endow Funds to Improve the Quality of Life for All Citizens of Thomas County." However, an estate gift is not required to utilize John Griffin's estate services. We can arrange for an informational appointment either in person or through Zoom on the internet. Please call the TCCF office at 785-460-9152 or call Barry Kaaz, TCCF Executive Director on cell 785-462-0411 and we can schedule a time that will work for you. Thank you!
The information on this page comes from the Kansas Transfer of Wealth study by Michael Busch of Wichita State University and the Center for Economic Development and Business Research, which can be found in its entirety at www.kansascfs.org. The findings of Michael Busch's research were so extraordinary that the study was done not once, but twice, to verify just how much wealth will be transferred from one generation to another in the coming years. His findings were nothing short of incredible.
How Can Thomas County Benefit?
Transfer of Wealth figures present an opportunity to all Kansas communities for local charitable giving. Even our small county has an opportunity to enhance our neighborhoods, schools, organizations, all of our passions and interests by contributing to the lasting endowment of the Thomas County Community Foundation. For over 20 years, Thomas County Community Foundation has given grants and scholarships to benefit our community and is the only non-profit organization that supports every non-profit, civic group, school, and government agency within Thomas County. Our sincerest hopes are that a small 5% of this transfer of wealth stays local, and is gifted to your favorite non-profit organization. This section is to help you understand how your generous contribution to the Thomas County Community Foundation will make a lasting impact, as a lasting family legacy, forever.
From 2021-2030, the transfer of wealth estimate for Thomas County is over $553 million. Using the conservative target goal of 5%, $27.7 million could be realized for our community endowment for local nonprofits. Using a 5% payout rate, a remarkable $1.4 million would be available every year for community betterment projects in Thomas County and that number would continue to grow over time, providing sustainable resources for many generations to come. Think what could be done to help and benefit the people of Thomas County through education, agriculture, arts and cultural events, healthcare improvements, and genesis with our spirit of "Neighbors Helping Neighbors"!
Transfer of Wealth Estimates for Thomas County
Transfer of Wealth
2021-2030
$553,497,367
Our Hopes for Charitable Giving
2021-2030
$27.674,868
Transfer of Wealth
2031-2040
$683,022,742
Our Hopes for Charitable Giving
2031-2040
$34,151,137
Learn About the Shift
The population of Thomas County in 2020 was 7,900. From 2020 to 2029, it is estimated that the population of our county will decrease almost 13%. And from 2020 to 2064, it's estimated to decrease a staggering 58.5%. This overwhelming population change is due largely to the death of our older generations and our younger generations are moving away.
What happens to our family legacies and our estates? Taxes are taken, a small portion is given to charity, and the majority is given as an inheritance to our young family members who have long since given up their small Kansas roots and have moved to the big city. Most of our younger generations are not invested in our farming community anymore, nor are they interested in preserving our schools and churches or our civic groups and neighborhoods. We hope that you'll take this into consideration and commit a small 5% of your legacy to remain at home, here in Thomas County by donating to your favorite charity or to the Thomas County Community Foundation where it can grow in perpetuity and would be available every year forever for community betterment projects.
What Can YOU Do?
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Designate the Thomas County Community Foundation or your favorite charity as a beneficiary of a portion of your retirement account.
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Designate the Thomas County Community Foundation or your favorite charity as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy.
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Ask your professional advisor to add the Thomas County Community Foundation or your favorite charity to your estate plan.
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Start the conversation with your friends and neighbors.
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Be willing to share your own giving story and encourage others to do the same.
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Invite TCCF Director Barry Kaaz or a board member to share the Transfer of Wealth information with anyone who will listen.
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Introduce TCCF Director Barry Kaaz or a board member to your professional financial advisors, and your friends and family who may be potential donors.
A memorandum of understanding on file at the community foundation will provide direction for how you'd like your charitable legacy to be handled and which nonprofit organization or causes you'd like to benefit.
We would certainly appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about how you can join us in securing the future of our community forever. Please call Director Barry Kaaz at the Thomas County Community Foundation, (785) 460-9152.....Thank you!