July 13, 2020 by Angela

Your tax-free gift from an IRA helps people stay healthy and connected!

When planning your IRA withdrawal strategy, you may want to consider making charitable donations through a QCD. A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is a distribution of funds from your IRA account directly to a qualifying charity, like Schurig Center. IRA owners 70½ years of age and older are eligible.

Because the gift goes directly to the charity without passing through your hands, the dollar amount of the gift may be excluded from your taxable income up to a maximum of $100,000 annually, with some exceptions. These distributions can satisfy all or a part of your required minimum distribution (RMD). To learn more about QCDs, please visit IRS.gov or consult with your financial advisor.

How do I make a qualified charitable distribution to Schurig Center?

Your QCD must be made directly from your IRA custodian to Schurig Center on your behalf. Each financial institution has its own process for initiating a QCD. The IRA owner may take a check from the IRA custodian made out to the charity and deliver it, but cannot, at any time, have access to the funds.

Use this information when requesting a QCD:
Legal Name: Marin Brain Injury Network
Tax ID #: 68-0105213
Address: 1132 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur, CA 94939

Make your gift by December 31 for your gift to qualify in this current year.

Common Questions

I am turning age 70½ in a few months. May I make a QCD gift now?
No. Legislation requires you to reach age 70½ by the date you make a QCD gift.

I have two charities I’d like to support. May I give $100,000 from my IRA to each charity?
No. Per legislation, you may only give a maximum of $100,000 in total. In this example, you might consider giving each charity $50,000 or any other combination that totals $100,000 or less. Any amount above $100,000 in one year must be reported as taxable income.

I have several retirement accounts. Does it matter which type of retirement account I use?
Yes. Direct rollovers to a qualified charity may only be made from an IRA. If you have a pension, profit sharing, 401(k) or 403(b) plan, you must first roll over all or a portion of that plan to an IRA. You may then use the funds from the IRA to complete a QCD to a qualified charity. Speak with your plan administrator for guidance regarding your specific situation.

Can I use a QCD to pay for tickets, item purchases, or a sponsorship?
No. Donors cannot receive any benefit for making a qualified distribution to a charity. For example, a QCD cannot be used to purchase something in a charity auction or purchase tickets for a charity golf tournament.

We’re here to help!

For additional questions or assistance, please contact either Executive Director Patricia Gill or Development Manager Angela Abbey at (415) 461-6771.

This information is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult your financial advisor or tax advisor.

July 3, 2020 by Angela

Thanks to you, people heal from the safety of home!

A Message from Executive Director, Patricia Gill

Three photos of participants Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you and your loved ones healthy and well. I write today filled with mixed emotions. I imagine you may be feeling the same way. These are challenging times for so many in our community. It’s hard to see and hear about the great difficulties people are facing in their lives right now. Yet, I find there is still much to be grateful for. I remain inspired by the resilience of the human spirit and the healing power of a caring community.

I am grateful for you! With your help, we are still providing essential connection and care for people living with a brain injury.

A crisis, like coronavirus, can cause stress and uncertainty for all of us. For people with a brain injury, it can exacerbate challenges they already face. Isolation, depression, anxiety, disabilities, and a decline in overall health are common side effects. Social distancing can also result in a backslide of abilities due to lack of stimulation; added stress in domestic relationships; and, an increased need for support.

By supporting Schurig Center, you provide the only place in our area picking up where the healthcare system leaves off to help people adjust to life changes and thrive after brain injury.

While our doors are closed and our clients are at home, our hearts and services remain open.

I’m pleased to share our team was able to adapt most services to be offered remotely within a week of shelter-in-place. Speech therapy, computerized cognitive classes, art therapy, communication classes, support groups, concussion education groups, and resource referrals continue to be offered online or by phone. We’ve also provided home deliveries, helped clients access community resources, and supported caregivers. This ‘virtual’ offering of life-enhancing services would not be possible without you.

Thanks to you, people continue to heal from the safety of their home!

Photos of participants on zoom call You help improve the health and well-being of your fellow community members like Brandon, who suffered a traumatic brain injury from a car accident. With you by his side, Brandon is able to continue to recover and feel hopeful while sheltering-in-place.

Although we do not know what the coming days may hold, we do know that your generosity is the reason we are able to still provide services. Our programs are being offered in a new way, but the cost to provide them has not changed. And, with 70% of clients living on low income, we rely on community support to be able to offer care to all who need us.

If you are in a position to help, please give as generously as you can today.

I’m confident that with your help Schurig Center will be standing strong for years to come, helping survivors and their families live full and meaningful lives after brain injury. Thank you!

Photo of Patricia giving the thumbs up With gratitude,
Patricia Gill, MS
Executive Director

March 11, 2020 by Angela

A Message from Schurig’s Board Chair

Dear Friends,

On behalf of Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery, I want to remind you that March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. For 35 years, Schurig Center continues to be here ready to help people living with the effects of a brain injury meet their challenges and set new goals and dreams for their future.

This wonderful organization is a model for other communities, but it currently only exists here in the Bay Area. This month is a good occasion to let them know you are glad they are here for you.

Why your support matters…

If you or a family member have suffered a traumatic brain injury, stroke, aneurysm, or other brain injury, you may not have time to think about what month it is. A brain injury usually happens quickly, due to an accident or medical emergency. There is no time to prepare mentally or physically for the resulting impairment or loss of function.

Every brain is different and likewise every brain injury. Your injury might be deemed a “mild brain injury” or a concussion, but it still may have devastating consequences. You may not be able to walk, talk or manage your emotions. Your memory may be impaired or you may have trouble managing your emotions. You may not be able to work. It is often an invisible injury, so you may look fine, but inside, you do not feel fine.

Losing the ability to work or the ability to speak clearly may mean your friends and colleagues drift away. You could be left without a sense of purpose, a sense of self, and you may be lonely. Insurance often only covers the immediate incident and some therapy, not the potential years of rehab and recovery ahead of you. You are likely dealing with medical bills, questions about your recovery and figuring out who you now are. Your loved ones—spouse, children, parents—may be facing their own crisis, unable to cope with the fear, anxiety and cost of this suddenly-altered person you have become.

Our medical system is great at treating the injury or illness that caused your brain trauma, but not so great at handling the long-term recovery process.

We are fortunate to have a local resource where people can turn following a brain injury, and it’s funded by your generosity.

Schurig Center is a place where survivors and their families and caregivers can learn how to understand their new challenges, connect with people who know what they are experiencing and access ongoing services and education to help make life better. It fills a big gap in our healthcare system that otherwise would leave people on their own to research and find therapies for their recovery.

Now celebrating its 35th year, Schurig Center offers 15 different services to people from all over the Bay Area. Schurig Center serves those in the Bay Area whose lives have been affected by brain injury, whether from an accident, stroke, concussion, or illness. The center offers services, including therapeutic and rehabilitative classes, support groups, individual consultations, and resource referral assistance. Scholarships are available for those who live on a low income.

Our active lifestyle comes with risk. Cyclists, skiers, skate-boarders and other athletes now understand the importance of wearing helmets. But while helmets may protect against some injuries, they do not prevent concussions. In recent years, Schurig Center has added innovative concussion recovery classes for adults to its array of services.

As a member of ConcussionSmart Marin, Schurig Center has helped to promote county-wide protocols for tracking, reporting and treating concussions among Marin County’s student athletes. The program (ConcussionSmartMarin.org) helps physicians and schools comply with legislation that specifies “return to play” requirements.

Please join me in helping to ensure this valuable community resource continues to be available. I can assure you that your giving will go far to improve lives and abilities.

Here are some ways you can help:

Donate. You’ll help people in your community who appreciate it greatly. Donate online here.
Fundraise. Start a fundraiser and make a donation that way.
Volunteer. If you have time to give, contact us.
Support BAM Gala. Schurig Center’s annual BAM Gala helps raise scholarship funds that provide access to care for 70% of our clients who live on a low income. Sponsor, attend, buy raffle tickets, or donate an item for the event’s silent auction. Get more info here.
Invite a speaker. We provide speakers for your community group, workplace, or organization to learn more about brain injury.
Tell your story. If you are a survivor, let people know that everybody has a brain and a brain injury can happen to anyone.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Schurig Center and for caring about its mission.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Strub
President, Board of Directors
Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery
Larkspur, CA | (415) 461-6771