Abstract
T his is the year of the American Federation of Aviculture Endowment Trust and AFA's 25th (Silver) Anniversary. Here is your Formal Invitation to participate.
Let's Party
But you've got to remember who's writing this article - an accountant. And how does an accountant party best, you got it, with numbers and financial statements (how boring).
The best way I see to celebrate this silver anniversary is to make sure AF A is around to celebrate many, many more anniversaries. So lets get started'
Twenty-five for Twenty-five
Twenty-five Life Memberships for 25 years of AFA. Your AFA hoard of directors came up with this incredible idea, 25 for 25. A lifetime membership in AFA amounts to a one time, one thousand dollars ($1,000."') for which you receive for the rest of your life all the rights and privileges of a membership year after year.
In addition to your membership, you will receive special recognition for your help and assistance with the AF A's 25th year anniversary goal 25 for 25. There's more to it though. When you sign up for a lifetime membership, 70% or seven hundred dollars ($700.m) goes into the AFA Endowment Trust to start the process that can ensure many, many more AFA anniversaries to come.
To make sure everyone has an opportunity to help with the AFA goal, 25 for 25, your lifetime membership can he paid in monthly installments. With a credit card authorization of one hundred dollars ($100.'x') per month for 12 months you can become a Life Member and help in building the Endowment Trust (the additional $200."' covers processing and credit card merchant fees).
The AFA Endowment Trust
The American Federation of Aviculture Endowment Trust is one of the main keys to the future stability and assurance that AFA will be here for many, many more anniversary celebrations.
There have been a lot of questions and misunderstandings about the new AFA Endowment Fund, so here is an explanation of what it is and what it can do.
The AF A Endowment Trust has been established to receive funds, primarily from wills, trusts, estates, and substantial donations. These gifts and substantial donations go into the AF A Endowment Trust but do not come out of it for the operation of AF A. In other words, the monies that go into the trust are held in trust and are not used to run AF A. They are to be invested so as to earn interest and/or dividends. Only these interest and/ or dividends earnings of the Endowment Trust can be used by AFA.
This method of allowing only the earnings to be used in the operation of AFA always leaves the Endowment Trust Funds intact to continue earning.
As the Endowment Fund grows, the annual earnings will grow also - giving more operating funds each year for the AF A while leaving the Endowment Trust Funds in the Trust. This can allow a steady cash flow for the operation of AF A creating an assurance that AFA will be here to continue its aims, goals and programs on into the future.
Think about this concept of the Endowment Fund for a moment. If each member of AF A included in their Last Will and Testament a 10% bequest to the AFA Endowment Trust Fund, in a number of years the Fund could grow by millions of dollars. Think what those earnings could provide for the future programs of AF A and the ability to continue them year after year without the fear of a lack of funding.
There is more. The AF A Board of Directors, in 1998, directed that 10% of all general donations received by the AF A be deposited into the Endowment Trust. This practice is to continue every year hereafter. So keep up the generosity...