Affinity for Quality Care Encourages Wards to Give

From birth, Linda Glantz Ward has had a connection to Mary Greeley Medical Center. She was born at the hospital and over the years had her daughter there, received care for herself, accompanied her loved ones as they received care and served in a variety of volunteer roles including the Foundation Board and Auxiliary.

Likewise, her husband Doug has a special appreciation for the medical center and its caregivers. Shortly after moving to Ames in the early 1990s, Doug’s wife at the time embarked on a courageous battle with cancer. The level of compassion she was shown on her journey left a lasting impression on Doug, even after she passed away.

In the years after his wife’s death, Doug and Linda met by chance.

“We both had traveled all over the world and happened to land back in Iowa, just three doors down from one another,” Linda says. Doug is originally from Council Bluffs and a Navy veteran who served as a submarine commander. Linda owned and operated Linda Glantz Interiors in central Iowa. “I always tell Doug that if we had met sooner, I could have made sure he had throw pillows with fringe on that submarine.”

Doug and Linda married in 2000. With a special appreciation for the medical center, they made it a point to give as often as they could. However, since attending a Mary Greeley Foundation program offering insight on different ways to give, Doug and Linda have taken their giving to a new level.

The couple works with their financial planner to make a gift from their individual retirement accounts (IRA) and help satisfy their required minimum distribution (RMD). Once people reach 73 (new age as of 2023), they must begin taking taxable withdrawals from their IRA. However, this innovative way of giving allows them to direct up to $100,000 annually from their IRA to a qualified charity without paying taxes on the distribution.

“This is really a win-win situation, and it is incredibly easy to set up,” Doug says. “Linda and I have both had great experiences at Mary Greeley and we appreciate the role the medical center plays in serving our community. Giving in this way enables us to support an organization we have a true affinity for. In return, we benefit from reducing our taxable income and avoid paying taxes on the RMD.”

“I have learned a lot about charitable giving from Doug,” Linda says. “He is so generous and so focused on supporting the community we live in. We both have a genuine fondness for Mary Greeley, and this allows us to support the ongoing compassionate care we have received and witnessed over the years.”

To learn how you can make a tax-free gift from your IRA as early as age 70½, contact Sarah Heineman at 515-239-2421 or heineman@mgmc.com.