This feature explores Bravo Zulu House, a groundbreaking sober living facility in Minnesota dedicated to helping Veterans heal from PTSD and addiction through community, stable housing, and specialized care.

War brings immense hardship and loss, and its impact is traumatic for everyone. For soldiers returning home with PTSD, the challenges can feel overwhelming. Since 9/11, 7,500 active military members have lost their lives in combat or training-related incidents. Heartbreakingly, approximately 120,000 veterans—about 20 each day—have died by suicide, often struggling with the combined burdens of PTSD and addiction. This is a serious and urgent crisis that deserves our collective attention and action.

Bravo Zulu House – the first all-Veteran sober living facility in the U.S. for vets dealing with addiction and PTSD – offers another alternative.

Each resident has a private room in a beautiful new home in Winnebago, Minnesota, living with other Vets who have experienced some of the same traumas. They receive outpatient medical and mental health services from the Mayo Clinic, as well as individual counseling, dog therapy and hydroponic farming opportunities. In addition, they work part-time jobs for 20-30 hours per week and pay rent of $600 per month. It is expected that residents will stay for an average of 18 months. At the recent Grand Opening Ceremony, Dr. Karthik Ghosh, Mayo Health Systems Medical Director for Minnesota, stated that “Mayo Health Systems believes in the Bravo Zulu House. It will be a vital resource offering a safe and supportive environment where our Veterans can heal and rebuild their lives.”

In the fall, Bravo Zulu House will begin fundraising for a house for women Veterans. This is a perfect example of saving lives by turning an extremely negative event into a positive result.

Learn more about this charity at: Bravozuluhouse.org

“As a soldier who served for 39 years and now as a veteran, I have seen firsthand how troops and veterans have struggled with, succeeded against, or tragically lost their lives to PTSD and addiction challenges. It is a toll that seems not to end. I joined the Board of Bravo Zulu House a little over a year ago, driven by the factors mentioned above and the continuing heartbreaking stories of veterans with whom I have served taking their lives. The need for Bravo Zulu House has never been greater than it is today.” – 4-Star General (ret.) Joseph Votel

The post Legacy Spotlight: Bravo Zulu House appeared first on Stablish Foundation.

While the Donor of the DAF is alive, he or she serves as the Advisor to the fund to recommend the annual charitable gifts. The Donor may also designate their children to serve as Advisors to the Fund upon the Donor’s death. There-fore, by continuing to make annual periodic payments to charities that meet the donor’s stated philanthropic goals, the individual is creating a LEGACY for themselves and their family.

How is this accomplished? Working with the staff at the Stablish Foundation, the donor creates a Statement of Charitable Intent indicating the charity or charities they wish to support. The Statement of Charitable Intent can be general or a specific. For example, the donation could be given to the Stablish Foundation with the stated charitable intent of support for the University of Minnesota General Fund, to be spent wherever the Trustees feel the need is the greatest; or, the stated charitable intent could be the specific support of brain cancer research at the University of Minnesota. Furthermore, the Statement of Charitable Intent can be added to or modified at any time as the Donor’s interests change.

Donors often have very specific philanthropic desires. Actual examples include:

• A DAF set up to create college scholarships for high school seniors with a C average.
• A DAF created at the death of a Donor whose wife and children died from Cerebral Palsy to fund Cerebral Palsy research and to aid families dealing with the disease.
• A DAF set up to provide operating (as opposed to program) support for the Donor’s church.

The funds in each DAF are in a segregated account, not combined with other DAF assets. Usually, the annual charitable contributions from the DAF equal 5% of the value of the fund at the end of the previous year. For instance, if the previous year’s value of a DAF is $100,000, the subsequent year’s contributions would total $5,000 paid to the proposed charities. Stablish Foundation is very proud to be involved in the gifts we manage for our Donors. Annually, Stablish Foundation distributes approximately $800,000 to charities from our Donor Advised Funds. We want to take this opportunity to thank our current and future Donors who are creating their LEGACY through the Stablish Foundation.

For more information on Donor Advised Funds, go to https://stablish.org/how-it-works or call (952) 854-9188

The post What is a Donor Advised Fund? appeared first on Stablish Foundation.

A DAF is a charitable account held by a sponsoring non-profit organization such as Stablish Foundation. With a DAF, you can receive an irrevocable current income tax deduction while deferring decisions on which charities will ultimately receive the donations. This flexibility makes Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) increasingly useful under the new tax landscape.

Understanding the New Charitable Deduction Rules

The new 2026 rules change how charitable contributions are deducted, depending upon your filing status:

• Itemizers (New Deduction Floor): If you itemize your deductions, you can only deduct the portion of your total charitable contributions that exceeds 0.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). For example, with an AGI of $200,000, the first $1,000 of your charitable giving is not deductible.
• Non-Itemizers (Exclusion): A new “universal” above-the-line deduction allows non-itemizers to deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 for joint filers). However, contributions to a DAF are excluded from this deduction. You may still benefit from not having to pay capital gains when contributing appreciated assets.
• Deduction Cap for High Earners: For taxpayers in the top 37% tax bracket, the tax benefit of charitable deductions is capped at 35%.

Strategic Approaches for Charitable Giving

The following are various advantages and strategies for 2026 to use charitable giving in income tax planning:

~Bundling: Many taxpayers can maximize their deductions by “bundling” multiple years of contributions into a single year – often using a DAF. This strategy helps you exceed the standard deduction threshold, while allowing you to support your chosen charities over several years.

Bundling provides the following advantages:

• Ability to navigate the 0.5% AGI floor
• Ability to surpass the Standard Deduction to itemize your deductions. Optimize the tax benefits of your charitable gift
• Avoid capital gains taxes
• Maintain flexibility on the timing of your charitable gifts

~Gifts of Appreciated Property: Donating appreciated properties, such as securities, directly to a DAF eliminates capital gains on the appreciation. Your charitable deduction is based on the current value of the donated property, not the original cost.

~Combining Strategies: For many taxpayers, combining bundling and gifts of appreciated assets to a DAF provides the greatest tax benefit. This approach provides a source for future charitable gifts, while avoiding the capital gains from the sale of appreciated assets.

Professional Guidance

Charitable giving strategies should be tailored to your individual circumstances. Consult your income tax advisor to determine which approach is right for you. Stablish Foundation has been assisting Donors and their advisors, for over 30 years in navigating the income tax implications of charitable giving, including the use of Donor Advised Funds.

The post Donor Advised Funds: a Powerful Tool in 2026 appeared first on Stablish Foundation.

The post Legacy Digest Issue 14 – Donor Advised Funds: a Powerful Tool in 2026 appeared first on Stablish Foundation.

(PDF 307KB)

The post Legacy Digest 4Q 2025 – 30 Years of Creating Legacies appeared first on Stablish Foundation.

Read Issue 12 of the Legacy Digest below:

The post Legacy Digest 3Q 2025 – 30 Years in the Making appeared first on Stablish Foundation.

At Stablish Foundation, we’ve witnessed how individuals and families have found hope and healing by transforming personal loss into meaningful, positive change through legacy charitable giving.

Here are just a few stories of how Stablish Foundation donors have turned hardship into hope:

1. One family lost their beloved daughter to suicide. She had been the goalie on her college soccer team–a bright, promising young woman. In the midst of their grief, her family reflected on what their daughter would have wanted. Instead of focusing on her loss, they chose to honor her memory by working to prevent similar tragedies. They recognized the unique pressures faced by female athletes and decided to help alleviate some of that stress by providing financial support. Through Stablish Foundation, they created a Family Charitable Fund in her name, raising money for scholarships for female soccer players and supporting education about suicide prevention among young women in sports. Their generosity is now making a real difference, offering both hope and opportunities to others.
2. The loss of a loved one is always difficult, and when there are no immediate family members left, such loss can feel especially isolating. One father, after losing his wife and both children to cerebral palsy, found himself alone. In his grief, he made the profound decision to leave his entire estate to the Donor-Advised Fund with Stablish Foundation. His goal: to support research for a cure for cerebral palsy and to assist families affected by the disease. His and his family’s legacy now lives on, offering help and hope to countless others facing similar challenges.
3. Sometimes, negative experiences are deeply personal. Years ago, a donor who struggled academically in high school dreamed of becoming a college professor. With limited financial aid available to students with average grades, she faced significant obstacles. Yet, through determination, she achieved her goal and became a professor. Upon her passing, she established a Donor-Advised Fund to provide scholarships specifically for high school students with C averages–those who, like her, might otherwise be overlooked. Her gift not only honors her own journey but also opens doors for others, turning her personal struggles into opportunities for future generations.

For nearly 30 years, Stablish Foundation has been privileged to witness countless stories where adversity has inspired extraordinary generosity. Through each donor’s motivation is unique, the outcome is always to same: lives are improved, and hope is renewed.

The post Turning Loss into Legacy appeared first on Stablish Foundation.

To view the PDF full screen, click the button below the embedded viewer.

The post Turning Loss into Legacy – Issue 11 appeared first on Stablish Foundation.

Read this quarter’s newsletter to learn more and discover ways that you can create Your Legacy.

To view the PDF full screen, click the button below the embedded viewer.

The post Assisting Communities Through Charitable Giving – Issue 10 appeared first on Stablish Foundation.

Stablish does not provide a “cookie cutter” approach. Every DAF is specifically tailored
to the interests and objectives of the Donor.
Stablish Foundation is “Big Enough to Serve You, Small Enough to Know You.”
 

To view the PDF full screen, click the button below the embedded viewer.

The post What Makes Stablish Unique? Q42024 Issue 9 appeared first on Stablish Foundation.