For longtime Interlochen Public Radio donor Ellen Fivenson, it’s the sense of connection and community that she feels on IPR that keeps her listening — and giving.
A listener, volunteer and donor for decades and a monthly donor since 2018, Ellen recently chose to make a major gift to IPR using the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from her retirement savings, turning a tax-savings opportunity into a way to help IPR grow and innovate.
Ellen was inspired by the many ways the station enriches her daily life. “It’s an absolute marvel,” she says about the wide variety of information and inspiration the station offers.
“You can do a small part — but over time, it will make a difference.”
When Ellen streams IPR, she feels connected, both to northern Michigan and to points beyond. She reflects, “You can follow what’s going on any time you listen,” whether through IPR News’ local reporting and its daily broadcast of Michigan Public’s Stateside, or through Classical IPR’s expertly curated playlists and its updates on the growing art and music scene “up north.”
Ellen has observed a renaissance of sorts in local culture since she moved to Traverse City in 1970. In “the great changes that have been made over the years,” she says, IPR’s outreach efforts have made it both a leader and a community resource, bringing people together to strengthen community ties, celebrate the region, and uplift the arts. And as the years have gone by, Ellen says, IPR itself has only improved, such as through its growing partnerships with northern Michigan news and cultural organizations like the Traverse City Record-Eagle and the National Writers Series — and through IPR News’ leadership on regional issues, especially its environmental reporting.
IPR “gives me another viewpoint, which I think is essential up here [in northern Michigan],” she summarizes.
“I’m in awe of the whole institution. It just makes me feel good.”
It also makes Ellen feel good to know that exceptional wealth is not a prerequisite for IPR listeners who seek to make an impact as donors. Monthly, or sustaining, donations of even modest amounts — like the donations Ellen has made since 2018 — add up over time and provide vital support to station programs and initiatives. Her recent major gift was no different. It was a practical decision that made a meaningful difference.
Giving via charitable distributions from an IRA, as Ellen did, is just one of many impactful ways donors can make multi-year commitments to IPR. Other options include:
- gifts of appreciated stock
- donations from a donor-advised fund (DAF)
- cash gifts pledged over periods of up to 5 years
Legacy giving is another way for donors to help IPR flourish long into the future. Planned gifts, like the options below, allow donors to ensure the programming they love will endure for generations:
- bequests through wills or trusts
- making IPR the beneficiary of insurance policies, investment accounts, or IRAs
- charitable gift annuities
Giving via any of these options is a win-win for both the donor and IPR. These contributions may reduce supporters’ tax liability while maximizing their impact to the station; what’s more, a multi-year pledge like the kind Ellen made helps IPR plan for the years ahead, knowing that a donor’s support will be sustained over time.
Like IPR programming itself, the options for making major gifts to IPR are richly varied, allowing an individual, couple, or family to choose what’s best for them. And what all of these giving vehicles share is their flexibility in scaling to however much a donor would like to give.
As Ellen puts it, “you don’t have to be worth millions and millions” to make an impactful gift to Interlochen Public Radio. “You can do a small part — but over time, it will make a difference.”
To make a difference like Ellen did, and to learn more about making a major gift to strengthen IPR’s mission, contact Major Gift Officer Chelsea Morris at chelsea.morris@interlochen.org.