American Association of Teachers of German

As chair of AATG’s new Planned Giving Committee I have the happy task of helping to ensure the future of AATG. Like me, you are a faithful member of the American Association of Teachers of German. Like me, you certainly also know the true value of our organization and the myriad ways in which it seeks to strengthen the teaching and learning of German in the USA. Where would we be without it?

Because the cost of aiding our profession has been steadily rising, because the German government is only able to provide a small portion of that aid and because capital expenses, such as a new roof on AATG headquarters, are always looming on the horizon, AATG must look to its friends for additional support. Dues provide less than a quarter of AATG’s operating expenses and cannot be raised beyond a certain level without overburdening members. Thus we turn to friends like you to provide the kind of stability the German profession really needs.

What is planned giving? It is a way to support AATG by assessing your finances and working ahead to provide income for the organization through such methods as bequests or future property transfer. One of the easiest ways to provide a gift is through a provision in your will (bequest) to leave a specific amount of money, a specific asset such as stocks, bonds, works of art, real estate, etc. or a percentage of your estate to AATG.

AATG is establishing an endowment “Friends of AATG” to receive your bequest and to channel it to the many ways in which AATG serves the German teaching profession. This is in addition to the present Endowed Scholarship Fund for sending students abroad. Because you may not be able to support the organization at this time of your life, putting AATG in your will may be your best choice now to help ensure the future of the organization you have worked with and which has served you during your career. Of course, if you would also like to make a monetary gift at this time, we would be glad to place it in either endowment now so that it might begin to work for German immediately. You can also name AATG as beneficiary of your life insurance policies as well as of your IRA or Roth IRA. These do not go through probate but directly to the beneficiary, in this case, AATG.

Other members of the new Planned Giving Committee are Anne Green, AATG president, ex officio, William E. Petig, AATG treasurer, ex officio, Mark Himmelein, former presiding officer of the Chapter Presidents Assembly and Kathy Fegely, president of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter.

Grateful for the generous services and decades of support by AATG, my wife and I have decided to include AATG in our will and hope you will do so too.

Please examine the above giving choices and accept my thanks on behalf of AATG for your consideration of this important new endowment. If you have any questions about the above information, please contact me.