Ways to Give

Maranatha is very grateful to have many generous donors whose gifts have helped to sustain the school’s mission to provide strong Christian and academic environment for our students. 

Thank you for considering a gift to Maranatha! One important thing to remember is that there are a variety of ways to give and there is no single "best way" to contribute. Contributions are very personal decisions and can be structured to meet your individual circumstances.

By considering the wide array of options, you may discover ways to make a gift that can actually increase the amount that you otherwise thought was possible. While the information below is not a complete list of giving possibilities and does not include all the technical tax information needed to make a giving decision, it is our hope that the list will educate you on the many forms gifts can take. All donors are advised to consult their tax advisers.

Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you. Deuteronomy 16:17

Below are ways to give to Maranatha High School:

Outright Gifts

Cash, Check and Credit Card Gifts. Gifts may be given by cash, checks, or credit cards. All checks are made payable to Maranatha High School. Maranatha now accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards through our secure online donation page. Please click here to donate now

Direct Debit Gifts

Donors can make arrangements to have specified amount debited from their accounts monthly, quarterly, or annually.

Corporate Matching Gifts

Many corporations have matching gift programs for schools. Please inquire to see if your employer has a matching gift program. Matching gifts apply toward your overall gift total.

Appreciated Securities Gifts

Gifts of appreciated securities to Maranatha entitles donors to a charitable deduction for its full current market value offering a two-fold tax savings byalso circumventing the tax due on the capital gain at the time of the gift. Stock certificates may be physically given to our Advancement office or stock may be transferred electronically through DTC for shares that are currently held at a bank or brokerage house. Instructions for transferring stock are located on our website for both physical delivery (HERE) and electronic DTC transfers (HERE).

Deferred Gifts

There are a number of gift arrangements available that provide special benefits to donors and may help them achieve their overall estate planning goals as well as their philanthropic goals. Deferred gifts will not help renovate our facilities, but they can make a significant contribution towards our endowments, which will help secure Maranatha's future.

Planned Giving Through Bequests and Estate Plans

Including Maranatha in an estate plan can be easily accomplished.

• In a will or living trust, a bequest of a specified amount or percentage can be identified.
• In a retirement plan, Maranatha can be named as beneficiary or a contingent beneficiary after family members.
• In a charitable remainder trust, beneficiaries receive income during their lifetime or for a number of years, after which Maranatha would receive the trust.
• Maranatha can be named as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy.

Please consult your personal advisor for details or contact our Associate Director of Advancement, Patrice Cablayan to further discuss your options at (626) 817-4070.

Instances where a deferred gift might be considered include:

• An individual can only make a small current gift to the expansion program, but adding a deferred gift would bring their total commitment to an amount more consistent with the level of the donor’s interest in Maranatha.
• An individual is not interested or able to make a current gift to the building program but is interested in supporting our endowments.

Bequests. The simplest way to make a deferred gift is to include a provision for a bequest in one's will.

Life income plans. These gifts, the most common of which is a Charitable Remainder Trust, allow a donor to give assets to Maranatha but retain an income for life or over a set number of years. Similarly, donors may designate that the income goes to children, grandchildren, relatives or friends.

Example: John and Barbara, long retired and grandparents of Kay, age 16, want to support the building program but are worried about giving up assets that produce the income on which they now live. They give $100,000 in appreciated stock to establish a charitable remainder trust and receive an immediate income tax deduction for their gift. They avoid paying capital gains tax on the stock's appreciation, and the trust pays them 7% of the value of the trust's principal for the rest of their lives. After their deaths, the assets of John and Barbara's trust are distributed to Maranatha.

Life Insurance. Many people own some form of life insurance. Often these policies were purchased to provide protection that is no longer needed. Children have grown, financial circumstances have changed, yet the policy is still in force and may have significant cash value.

An individual can use an insurance policy to fund a gift to Maranatha in two ways:

• Make Maranatha the primary beneficiary. The donor retains ownership of the policy and has access to the policy’s cash value.
• Make Maranatha the owner of the policy. The donor relinquishes all rights to the policy.

Other Arrangements

In addition to the options described here, there are other ways to make a charitable gift that may work well for you. Maranatha Advancement staff would be happy to meet with you to further discuss or explain giving opportunities. Thank you in advance for your generosity to Maranatha High School!

For more information, please contact:
Maranatha High School Advancement Office
advancement@mhs-hs.org
Maranatha High School
169 South Saint John Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91105