The Eyrie Society - Creating a nest for the future of Carolina Raptor Center

The Eyrie Society recognizes those individuals and organizations that have the foresight to plan ahead for Carolina Raptor Center's future. Individuals and organizations may qualify for the Eyrie Society by making or notifying CRC of their intent to make a significant gift to the endowment program or toward a capital expansion project. For more details contact Jim Warren.

Endowment funds can be directed in several ways. Only the interest from a donor's gift will be spent. The principal from your gift will be held and managed by the Greater Charlotte Cultural Trust for the benefit of Carolina Raptor Center. Choose any of four funds. Undesignated funds will be placed in one of the funds at the discretion of Carolina Raptor Center.

1. Carolina Raptor Center Raptor Care Fund, Account A2106C

   Income from the Carolina Raptor Center Raptor Care Fund, Account A2106C will support efforts to improve clinical care for raptors, training and educational opportunities focused on medical programs at Carolina Raptor Center.

   Since 1979, Carolina Raptor Center has accepted injured hawks, eagles, owls, vultures and falcons for rehabilitation. By 2007, over 12,000 patients had been received and the release rate exceeded sixty percent of those birds surviving the first 24 hours. Each year Carolina Raptor Center receives between 600 and 800 injured raptors. Many require medical attention while they are in intensive care. In 2006, the average patient cost was $500. Additional funding is needed to provide more advance levels of care for our patients and updated equipment. Lola's Story

   Healing injured birds is important, but we also realize that sharing this knowledge with others is equally important.

   Veterinary students share their stories

   Carolina Raptor Center's volunteer program has a significant impact on hundreds of participants that have chosen to work in the field of rehabilitation. Many have pursued careers as biologists, animal trainers, veterinarians and technicians. Your contribution to this endowment will support a veterinarian and supplies so that veterinary students can receive college credit during their time spent at Carolina Raptor Center.

   Carolina Raptor Center offers unique and meaningful, hands-on experiences for those students that can afford to support themselves or have relatives in the area. Your support can provide opportunities for financially challenged students to have an unequaled hands-on experience. Your support may also support students conducting research during their internships at CRC.

2. Food for Raptors

   For over a decade Carolina Raptor Center was the beneficiary of an anonymous donor that provided enough food to feed the resident and rehabilitating raptors. That relationship began to change in 2005 with a reduction in the availability of food. By 2006 the food supply was on the verge of disappearing, requiring Carolina Raptor Center to make a choice between funding education programs or feeding rehabilitating owls, hawks, eagles and falcons. The estimated annual cost to feed 100 resident raptors and several hundred rehabilitating birds is $45,000. Your support will insure that rehabilitating raptors receive enough food to rebuild their strength before returning to their homes.

3. Education Programs and scholarships

   Carolina Raptor Center uses the magic of raptors to capture people's attention. A number of curriculum-aligned programs - centered around raptors - have been created to support teachers. Other programs are designed to educate the public about the importance of a healthy natural environment. There are many more programs just waiting to be developed. Tracking eagles after their release provides many opportunities for unique programs. The data collected from this research would represent the only data on migrations of bald eagles in the mid-south. The eagles' journeys could be used to excite children about tracking methods and factors that influence their journeys. Funding is needed to purchase transmitters and support tracking services for eagles born or rehabilitated at CRC. This information would also allow CRC to more accurately track the survival of eagles after their release.

   In addition to creating education programs, funds from the education endowment will be used to provide scholarships for financially challenged participants and to keep program costs low.

4. Operating Endowment

   Contributions to the general operating endowment fund will be used to maintain existing facilities, provide support to special projects and underwrite assorted daily costs.

Planned Giving - Next steps

Make a difference by including Carolina Raptor Center in your long-term estate plans. To explore the various means of making a planned gift, we recommend that you contact your financial advisor or consult with Chris McLeod, J.D., The Greater Charlotte Cultural Trust at Foundation For The Carolinas, 217 S. Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28202, 704-973-4521, or Email: cmcleod@fftc.org.

IRA Charitable Rollover - A Special Tax-Saving Opportunity

For 2007 only, the Pension Protection Act allows IRA holders 70½ years or older to transfer, tax free, up to $100,000 per year from an IRA to a charitable organization. The qualified IRA charitable rollover can fulfill all or part of the minimum distribution requirement for those 70½ and older. Those who take the standard tax deduction for charitable giving can benefit from a direct IRA-to-charity gift.

Gifts of Stocks

Thank you for your interest in making a stock gift to Carolina Raptor Center’s general endowment fund, A2106F, for the benefit of Carolina Raptor Center.

The Greater Charlotte Cultural Trust, a supporting foundation of Foundation For The Carolinas, invests and manages the endowments of Carolina Raptor Center and other cultural organizations in the Charlotte Mecklenburg region.

The staff of Foundation For The Carolinas accepts and sells all stock gifts, and then transfers the money to the Cultural Trust for the benefit of the intended cultural organization.

Please alert Susan Nelson at the Foundation For The Carolinas of your intentions to transfer securities or mutual funds to one of its brokerage accounts in advance or concurrent with the transfer. Brokers are not always able to identify the source or purpose of donations, and this slows down our ability to allocate the gift appropriately and acknowledge your donation.

Susan P. Nelson
Accounts Receivable Specialist
Foundation For The Carolinas
217 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Email: snelson@fftc.org
p:(704)973-4505
f:(704)973-4984

To donate stock electronically:

Contact your broker and instruct him or her to transfer stock to one of the following brokerage accounts:

Be sure to tell your broker that the stock is to be transferred into the Foundation For The Carolinas’ account for the benefit of (FBO) your intended fund at Carolina Raptor Center.

To donate stock in certificate form:

Notify Susan Nelson at the Foundation that you intend to either hand deliver or mail your stock certificate to us. Susan Nelson, email: snelson@fftc.org

Stock certificate transfers require the completion of specific paperwork with special signatures that must be completed before our brokers at Scottrade will accept and process the transfer. The Foundation will work with you to ensure your stock is transferred, sold and processed as quickly as possible.

Special Offer:

The McIntosh Law Firm, located in Davidson, has offered to provide a free simple will package (including a Minor's Trust and Guardianship provision for children), to include a Living Will, Durable Power of Attorney and Healthcare Power of Attorney for any person who will make a minimum gift in their will or to the endowment fund for Carolina Raptor Center of $1,000.

This offer must comply with all issues of a conflicts of interest check with The McIntosh Law Firm.

Contact: Amy Isaacs at
The McIntosh Law Firm, P.C.
Post Office Box 2270
Davidson, NC 28036-2270
(704) 892-1699 ph
(704) 892-8664 fax
www.mcintoshlawfirm.com

Examples of bequests that have made a difference.

Carol Sue Bubb had a special interest in animals. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she investigated ways to pass her estate on to loved ones. By choosing a charitable remainder trust, she was able to provide funds for her parent's living expenses during their lifetimes with the remainder of the trust being distributed to predetermined individuals and charities. Carolina Raptor Center was one of two named charities that benefited from Ms. Bubb's planned gift. The board of directors decided to use the funds to establish a cash reserve account, update the organization's information technology systems, complete construction of an entranceway sculpture and several other projects. Ms. Bubb's foresight and generosity made a meaningful difference to growth and stability of Carolina Raptor Center. Contact your financial advisor or Chris McLeod at Foundation For the Carolinas, 704/973-4521, Email: cmcleod@fftc.org for information on trusts that may support your charitable needs.

Lola Brown-Sen Gupta volunteered at Carolina Raptor Center for twelve years. She had an impact on thousands of injured birds. Her professional career as a medical technician grounded her in a study of human blood and fluids. She could recognize parasites, viruses, white blood cells and other indicators in human blood. Her vast knowledge of medical research and blood-borne pathogens was new to Carolina Raptor Center in the early 1990s. Lola figured out ways to apply that knowledge for the benefit of the birds. Director of Rehabilitation Mathias Engelmann said, "It was a regular occurrence to hear Lola talk about the effectiveness of certain antibiotics as she reviewed blood samples under a microscope." We feel that our highly successful treatment and release program is directly related to all the knowledge that Lola brought to Carolina Raptor Center. Executive Director Alan Barnhardt noted, "Not only did Lola pioneer new research and treatment methods, but she left us a legacy by sharing her knowledge and expertise with our staff and volunteers what she learned."

Lola passed away in 2006 after a courageous battle against cancer. As a tribute to Lola, the Brown - Sen Gupta family named Carolina Raptor Center as a recipient for memorials. The family also made a special gift to facilitate the purchase of equipment to improve the medical care for patients that will allow the Carolina Raptor Center to expand the educational opportunities to other rehabilitators, veterinary students and biologists. Mathias Engelmann said, "We are honored to remember Lola as one of our family members and to be able to honor her memory through these wonderful gifts."

Individuals interested in making a difference at Carolina Raptor Center through a restricted gift should contact Jim Warren, Chief Operating Officer, at 704-875-6521 x 112 or Email: jimwarren@CarolinaRaptorCenter.org.