We even have a complete tax update service for CPAs, attorneys, CLUs, CFPs, ChFCs, trust officers and other professional friends. The GiftLaw services are made available to all advisors as a free service on our professional resources page.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions about how to create a lasting legacy by including the Indiana 4-H Foundation in your gift planning.

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Of the many skills Pris Gerde gained from 4-H, one of the most memorable was learning how to handle defeat. In elementary school, she entered her forestry project at the Morgan County fair, one she had worked on tirelessly.

“My father encouraged me to make it the absolute best I could and I really embraced that,” Pris said. “A leader told my parents that as she looked at my poster and woodblocks, my project was the clear winner. I got a blue ribbon, but I didn’t win. I learned that a judge said, “This couldn’t possibly be her project. The parents had to have helped because no girl could ever have done such a fine job sanding.’”

Though the decision wasn’t fair, Pris knows the lesson she gained from that experience was far more valuable than if she had won. “My parents and club leader helped me understand the bigger picture. People may make mistakes and make assumptions, but it doesn’t diminish your effort or what you accomplished. We all have times in our life when we must handle disappointment and learn from it.”

When Pris’ parents encouraged her to join 4-H in 4th grade, they may have known this was the kind of character-building experience she would gain. Through her club in Martinsville, she enjoyed forestry, sewing, baking, and home furnishing projects.

“The antique walnut chairs (see photo at left) that I refinished more than 55 years ago still sit in my living room to this day,” she shared.

While Pris values the learning opportunities that came along with those projects, it was another aspect of 4-H that held even greater value.
“The hallmark of 4-H for me was the leadership and skill development I gained. Those opportunities helped me become a little less introverted and better at engaging with others. I learned how to lead a meeting, understand parliamentary procedure, speak comfortably in public, and so much more that would help me succeed in college and the workplace,” she said.

Participating in 4-H also allowed Pris to grow relationships outside of her Morgan County circle. “Going to Round-Up, 4-H camp in Shakamak, working at the state 4-H center in Tippecanoe County as camp counselor – those were all terrific opportunities to meet new people and put my leadership skills into practice.”

After high school, 4-H was a driving factor in choosing a college. “I got to Purdue totally because of 4-H. I wanted to go where my 4-H background had led me.”

Though she wasn’t actively involved with 4-H while at Purdue, Pris still felt its benefit. “I would meet other students that had been in 4-H in another county, and that shared experience really helped form a bond.”

After graduating with a degree in political science, Pris worked for the Indiana Department of Commerce under two lieutenant governors. That experience led to her first job at Eli Lilly and Company, where she spent 37 years in various roles, including more than half of that time in human resources.

In 2011, Pris retired – for 23 days. “The Business School at Purdue invited me to coach graduate students in their career services center, and so I flunked retirement,” she laughs.

Fifteen years later, Pris is still using her 4-H-grown guidance skills to advise graduate students as they pursue degrees in human resources and other business specialties.

“4-H will always be a part of who I am, and it’s important to me to pay forward all of the incredible experiences I had,” she said.

To that end, Pris’ support has taken many forms over the years, including volunteering at the Indiana State Fair, becoming a donor to the Indiana 4-H Foundation, and serving on its Board of Directors.

As an annual donor, Pris has enjoyed seeing how her gifts help 4-H programs create meaningful opportunities for today’s members. That experience led her to consider other impactful ways she could support the organization.

“Knowing that my intent is to leave my estate to charity, my financial advisor suggested creating a life insurance policy. By doing so, I was able to designate charitable organizations as beneficiaries, including the Indiana 4-H Foundation.” By making the estate gift now, Pris enjoys staying connected to the organization, knowing that there will be additional funding later.

“By the time the Foundation receives the life insurance gift – which I hope isn’t for a long time – I know that 4-H will have evolved to meet the needs of the next generation. I’m honored that I can help pay forward the incredible opportunities I had.”

As Pris experienced, sometimes those opportunities will come with a bit of disappointment. Thankfully, in 4-H, losing is just a life lesson in disguise.

To learn how you can support the next generation of 4-H members through an annual or estate gift, contact Executive Director Shelly Bingle at shelly@in4h.org.

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Where: Tuttle Orchards, 5717 N 300 W, Greenfield, Indiana 46140

Meeting Agenda:
11:30 a.m. — Registration & Networking

Live music by Parker Hastings

12:00 p.m. — Lunch and Dessert: pulled pork and chicken sliders, cowboy baked beans, and coleslaw prepared by Smokin’ Joe’s Catering; award-winning donuts and caramel apples made onsite by Tuttle Orchards

12:30 p.m. — Business Meeting

1:00 p.m. — 4-H Youth Presentations and Farm Tour

During your visit, you will have the opportunity to visit the Tuttle Orchards Farm Store.

The post You’re Invited! 2026 Annual Meeting appeared first on Indiana 4-H Foundation.

Naming the Indiana 4-H Foundation as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy is a simple and meaningful way to create a lasting impact. This approach allows you to make a significant future gift while minimizing the effect on your current financial needs. By choosing a policy with a premium that fits your budget today, manageable monthly or annual payments will ultimately become a transformative gift that will benefit generations of 4-Hers to come.

Be sure to visit our new gift planning website packed with the most up-to-date information in estate planning, including a no-cost will creation tool, at indiana4hforever.org.

Here’s how to name the Indiana 4-H Foundation or another charitible organization as a beneficiary:

• Choose the policy: You can name a charity the beneficiary of a current policy or a new one. Beneficiaries can be named for term, whole life, and universal policies.
• Decide how much to give: You can make the charity the full beneficiary (100% of the policy) or a partial beneficiary, sharing the benefit with family, other individuals, or charitable organizations.
• Update your beneficiary designation: Contact your insurance company to create a new life insurance policy or to update the beneficiary of a current policy.
• Let the charity know: While not required, notifying the charity allows them to recognize your gift and to ensure your wishes for the gift are clearly understood.

If you’d like to make the Indiana 4-H Foundation the beneficiary of your life insurance policy, please contact us.

The post Leaving a Legacy with Life Insurance appeared first on Indiana 4-H Foundation.

Dr. Jay Arthur is an Educational Consultant and CEO of Imperative Leadership, working primarily with public schools and not-for-profit organizations. He currently serves as the Director of the ASSET, an alternative teacher licensure program. Jay is a former PK-12 public school superintendent, director of special education, and director of student services. During his time with the Indiana Department of Education, he was the Project Manager of the grant overseeing the state’s special education IEP system. Jay graduated from Ball State University with a B.S. in Special Education and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology. He completed his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Curriculum Studies at Indiana University. Jay is a 10-year 4-H Member and lifelong 4-H volunteer, most notably working with youth at the Indiana State Fair each year. He is originally from Monroe County, but now resides in the Indianapolis area.

Brian A. Arwood, DNP, PMHNP-BC, CNE, is a faculty member at Indiana University Kokomo and a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. He is deeply committed to youth development through his service as a 4-H club leader, project superintendent, and camp nurse in Miami County. Brian earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice from Purdue University and holds multiple certifications in nursing education and mental health. In addition to his clinical and academic roles, he has served in leadership positions with the Indiana State Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association, and the Indiana Chapter of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, advocating for professional growth, education, and quality care across the nursing profession.

Sydney Clements is a medical student at the Indiana University School of Medicine. She is a graduate of The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and minors in Global Health and Interdisciplinary Studies in Medicine. Sydney was a 10 year 4-H member in Johnson County, where she was involved with the Clover Power 4-H Club, the 4-H Ambassador program, Honor Group, and Junior Leaders; in youth roles on the Johnson County Extension Board, 4-H Council, and Expansion and Review Committee; and with the Johnson County Fair Queen’s Court. Outside of school, Sydney volunteers with Indiana 4-H and Indiana’s Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership Seminar.

Young Alumni Representative Zach Geleott is a full-time student at Wabash College and a business owner, operating a digital marketing agency. Zach grew up in Northwest Indiana and was a 4-H member in Jasper County. Zach is forever grateful for his time in 4-H, those he interacted with, and the skills he developed as his 4-H club president, a 2022 YES grant recipient, and a Junior Leader.

Young Alumni Representative Mary Fritch is a geography student at IU Indianapolis. She was a 10-year 4-H member in Morgan County and held a variety of leadership roles throughout that time. Her favorite positions include serving as president of the Morgan County 4-H Junior Leaders Club as well as Junior Director for 4-H Camp Shakamak. Mary enjoys assisting her community through volunteer work and is a member of several campus organizations, including Academics for Civic Engagement and the Student Sustainability Council.

Read about all our board members on our Who We Are page.

The post Welcome, New Foundation Board Members! appeared first on Indiana 4-H Foundation.

The Indiana 4-H Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2026 YES Grant (Youth Engaged Service Grant) program, which offers funding for 4-H members across the state to complete service projects in their communities. This year’s YES Grants were made possible by generous gifts from Corteva Agriscience and Rural 1st by Farm Credit.

The purpose of these grants is to assess the need, then create and execute a youth-led project. Group participation is encouraged, including younger children and youth not currently part of 4-H, as long as the youth lead is a 4-H member in grades 7-12. Each application must be digitally signed by an adult lead as well as the applicant’s 4-H educator.

Grant awards up to $1,000 are available for projects that:

• Put the ideas and energies of young people to work to address community needs.
• Youth are communicating, designing, and carrying out with adults serving as advisors.
• Have a realistic budget and a solid plan.
• Have a variety of clearly defined activities and responsibilities for young people.
• Create a wide range of positive impact on the community at large.

Examples include, but are not limited to, serving a community group or organization, starting a community garden, organizing events with a local nursing home, or helping animal rescue efforts. More examples are listed at in4h.org/yes-grants-2025.

The YES Grants application portal will remain open until 11:59 p.m. EDT on March 15, 2026. Projects will be selected by mid-April, and final project reports will be due at the end of the year. The application portal and documents are linked at in4h.org/grants.

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Donor Advised Funds (DAF). A DAF is a giving account established at a public charity. The 501(c)(3) public charity serves as a “sponsoring organization,” which manages and administers individual DAF accounts. DAF accounts allow donors to make an irrevocable charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction and then recommend grants from the fund over time. Donors can contribute to the fund as frequently as they like, and then recommend grants to their favorite charitable organizations whenever it makes sense for them. This allows donors to give when they can, then grant when it’s needed.

Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs). A CGA is a contract between you and a single charity. You irrevocably transfer assets to the charity and in return, you receive a fixed stream of income for the rest of your life (and potentially for a second beneficiary). You may be eligible for a partial income tax deduction for the donation. Upon the death of the annuitant(s), the remaining assets go to the charity.

To learn more, contact Indiana 4-H Foundation Executive Director Shelly Bingle at shelly@in4h.org.

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