Each summer at St. Thomas More Center, campers find a safe and positive community where they are transformed by dynamic Catholic spirituality combined with the fun and activities of Catholic Youth Camp.
Inability to pay must not be a barrier to attending camp. We strive to keep camp fees as low as possible, even as operating expenses continue to increase. Last summer, of the 1672 campers who had a CYC experience, close to 15% were supported by sponsorship assistance.
We are grateful for the support of parishes and individuals who make camp possible for so many.
Our goal for next summer is to provide $35,000 in assistance directly from our camper sponsorship fund.
We need your help.
"I want to first start by saying THANK YOU for any consideration you give to help my girls go to camp. With the rising cost of everything from groceries, bills, rent, etc., it will be very hard for me to afford camp this year. My girls love going to CYC and continuing to practice their faith that they so deeply love. This camp is phenominal for these kids and provides endless memories and friendships for my girls."
"My boys are foster kids - they have never had the opportunity to experience camp and are new to the Catholic faith. It was an incredible blessing for them to receive the scholarship and be able to attend camp. When I came to pick them up at the closing Mass, one of them was an altar server and my heart melted!"
If you would like to donate online please use this link:
If you prefer to send a check, please make it out to "St. Thomas More Center" and mail it to us:
6177 Panorama Rd
Panora, IA 50216
If you would like to make a major gift and prefer to donate online, please contact Jason Anderson, Executive Director at [email protected], or call 515-309-1936 to find out more about how to make the online gift without any processing fees.
We have compiled a list of supplies needed for CYC 2024. You can support camp by clicking the link below to view the items and purchasing items you would like to donate to camp!
THANK YOU to all who have already purchased from the Wish List. Look what we have received so far:
Click the link above to find out what remains on the list and make a purchase to support CYC!
If you would like to donate to the St. Thomas More Center Equipment Wish List or would like additional information about items on the Equipment Wish List, please contact Jason Anderson, Executive Director at [email protected], or call 515-309-1936.
Floor Scrubber | $5,000 |
Sidewalk Snowplow with Brush | $24,000 |
New Confidence Course Elements | $20,000 |
4WD Pick-up Truck |
If you are a farmer, a gift of grain or other crops, instead of a cash contribution, can be a very tax-efficient way for you to support St. Thomas More Center (STMC). Contributing grain directly to charity, rather than selling the grain first and then making a cash contribution from the proceeds, can provide significant tax savings for you. By contributing the grain itself, you avoid income tax on the sale of the commodity but can still deduct the costs of producing the grain. In addition, you may reduce your self-employment tax and state taxes, too.
It is important to make certain that your contribution is a gift of the grain commodities, not just a receipt for grain in storage. In addition, you need to avoid directing when or how STMC sells the commodity after you have made your gift. A simple letter from you to STMC telling us that you are making the contribution, describing the commodity and amount, and asking us how we want it delivered is usually sufficient to establish what the IRS calls “dominion and control” of the grain by STMC. We can help you prepare a letter and make certain that your contribution is well documented showing that STMC became the owner of the commodity.
For example, if you were to make a $10,000 cash contribution to STMC you would receive an income tax charitable deduction which would reduce your taxable income provided that you itemize your deductions (if you are among the 90% of taxpayers who claim the standard deduction, you receive no tax benefit from the charitable deduction). If, instead, you give 2,000 bushels of corn when the market price is $5.00 per bushel, your taxable income for the year will be reduced by $10,000, the amount you would have received had you sold those bushels. In addition, you may avoid self-employment and state taxes and still enjoy the tax benefits of deducting the expenses involved in the production of the commodity.
Your contribution of grain can be made at any time during the year, and you can make your gift in the year of production or any subsequent year, as long as you have neither sold nor made a commitment to sell prior to your contribution. Also note that you must be a farm operator or a materially participating landlord. Crop share landlords are not eligible because shares of crop are considered to be rental income for income tax purposes.
Once STMC has received your gift of commodities, we will arrange for the sale and then direct the net proceeds to your fund of choice. You will have made a generous contribution to support the work of St. Thomas More Center and secured significant tax savings for yourself. Please contact us at (515) 309-1936 for more information.
Volunteers are vital to St. Thomas More Center. They allow us to serve as many youth and their families as possible in a beautiful place. We are very thankful to our staff, campers, alumni, and neighbors that give their time to St. Thomas More Center and volunteer in their own communities.
No matter your skill set or amount of time you can provide, your support is appreciated and makes an impact. Contact us today to explore our volunteer opportunities.
There are many ways to make a meaningful gift to further the mission of St. Thomas More Center – and many gifts that offer benefits to you as well. It would be our pleasure to talk with you further about extending your impact through planned giving.
Make an impact with monthly gifts! Spreading your gift out over the course of the year reduces the impact on your budget, and for many people, makes giving less stressful and more manageable. It also means fewer emails and letters from us asking for support.
St. Thomas More Center receives a gift provided for in a donor’s will. The gift may be a percentage of a donor’s estate, a specific dollar amount, the residual of the estate, or a certain piece of personal property. The gift reduces estate tax obligations.
When St. Thomas More Center is named as the beneficiary and owner of a life insurance policy the donor receives an immediate charitable income tax deduction. If the policy is not paid up, this tax deduction is approximately the policy’s present cash surrender value. If the donor chooses to continue paying the premiums, they will receive a charitable deduction(s) for the amount paid. The full face value of the policy is removed from the donor’s taxable estate.
Individuals who are at least 70 1/2 years of age are able to make tax-free gifts from IRA funds that would be subject to tax if withdrawn voluntarily or withdrawn under mandatory requirements. Donors may choose to make charitable contributions in any amount up to $100,000 per year. Couples with separate IRAs can each give up to that amount.
If you have not yet taken your required minimum distribution for the year, your IRA charitable rollover gift can satisfy all or part of that requirement.
When you make a donation to an endowment fund, you are giving a gift with both immediate and long-term benefits. Donations to endowment funds are invested with a portion of the annual income from the investment used to address immediate needs at St. Thomas More Center. The remaining funds are reinvested to ensure indefinite support.
If you have a loved one who has been impacted by St. Thomas More Center or Catholic Youth Camp establishing a memorial or tribute gift is a meaningful way to honor them while supporting our mission to build a stronger community.
Real Estate
Want to make a gift to St. Thomas More Center without touching your bank account? Consider giving us real estate, such as a personal residence, vacation home, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land. Such a generous gift helps us continue our work for years to come. And a gift of real estate also helps you. When you give St. Thomas More Center appreciated property you have held longer than one year, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction and you may minimize or eliminate capital gains tax. And you no longer have to deal with that property's maintenance costs, property taxes or insurance. Another benefit: You don't have to hassle with selling the real estate. You can deed the property directly to the Catholic Foundation or ask your attorney to add a few sentences in your will or trust agreement.
If your stock has appreciated, there are some great tax advantages. You would receive the full current value of the stock at the time of donation (in the form of a fixed regular payment for your life and/or that of your spouse or friend) as a tax deduction plus you do not have to pay any capital gains taxes. You benefit from an immediate tax deduction and part of each payment is tax-free for a number of years.
Leaving a future gift by naming St. Thomas More Center as beneficiary though your estate planning or through other means creates a legacy of life-changing experiences for youth and families for years to come. The All Seasons Giving Society is an organization of people who desire to show their long-term interest in and support of St. Thomas More Center by either direct contributions of as little as $5,000 or by including St. Thomas More Center in their estate plans. It is this commitment that is the basic factor for qualifying as an All Seasons Giving Society member.
We invite you to join in this amazing work – to develop your skills, to realize your leadership potential, and positively influence youth. LEARN MORE
We seek partners with like-minded values and goals. We welcome the opportunity to talk about how we can work together to make a real and lasting impact.
To start the conversation, please contact us.