Abendmusik and You: First in Class!

May 1 through May 29 is our Give to Lincoln 2025 campaign. We can’t thank you enough for your record-breaking support last year — almost $106,600 — and we welcome your support this year more than ever.

Our 2025-2026 season’s ambitious lineup of concerts will be one for the record books:

  • Superb ensembles like the nationally acclaimed ‘Tonality’ and, from England, the international choral sensation ‘Polyphony.’

  • A Monumental masterpiece, Bach’s Mass in b minor, and

  • An audience favorite! We welcome back the nation’s premier collegiate a cappella group, the St. Olaf Choir.

You’ll also enjoy the uplifting Messiah Community sing, the beloved Christmas with Abendmusik, and our New Year’s Eve “Last Blast.”

Thanks to our free concerts and livestreams, everyone can enjoy our inspiring music.

Don’t forget that you’ve been helping us direct funds toward worthy nonprofits. This year you’ve help us raise over $16,500!

All Give to Lincoln Day donations made from May 1 through May 29 earn a share of a $650,000 corporate match, so making your gift now is important. Please help us continue our 53-year tradition of first-class music – music that inspires!

 How You Can Give

1. Online – the easiest way! Use our convenient Give to Lincoln Day donation page. The minimum online donation of $10 can only be made with your credit card. A 2.9% + $.30 transaction fee applies, so please consider rounding up your gift to cover the fee.

2. Checks: Checks must be made payable to “Lincoln Community Foundation” and must specify “Abendmusik” in the memo line. The minimum donation by check is $10. The 2.9% plus $.30 transaction fee also applies to checks, so again, please consider rounding up your gift to cover the fee. Mail your check, postmarked by May 22, to:

Lincoln Community Foundation

215 Centennial Mall S., Ste 100

Lincoln, NE 68508

You can also drop off your check in person on or before May 29 at

  • the Foundation office address shown above between 8am and 5pm, or

  • the Abendmusik/Music Office inside First-Plymouth Church at 2000 D Street (20th & D Streets) in Lincoln between 9am and noon.

3. Lincoln Community Foundation Donor Advised Fund: If you have a donor advised fund administered by Lincoln Community Foundation, you may recommend a minimum $100 grant to Abendmusik. Grant recommendations can be submitted through the Portal Login at www.lcf.org between now and May 29 and are encouraged to be made before May 22.

4. Individual Retirement Account – Qualified Charitable Distribution Gifts: Donors who are 70½ or older can make a minimum $100 qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from their Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Distributions must be received at the Foundation by May 29, so please allow your IRA plan administrator several weeks to process your QCD.

Members of the Foundation are available to answer your questions, help with paperwork and collaborate with your financial advisor, estate planner or local nonprofit to develop a plan that is right for you and your family. Just call (402) 474-2345 and ask for the Charitable IRA Development Team.

FAQs

Qualified Charitable Distributions

Who can make a QCD? Individuals 70½ and older may transfer up to $100,000 annually from an IRA to public charities like the Lincoln Community Foundation without incurring Federal tax.

How will my gift get to Abendmusik? The Foundation will present Abendmusik a check at the end of the campaign that includes your Give to Lincoln Day donation. We will also get a list of contributors showing your individual gift..

Do QCDs add to my income? QCD charitable rollover payments apply toward required minimum distributions and do not add to income.

Can my QCD be used to create a permanent endowment? Your QCD enables you to experience the joy of giving during your lifetimes and allows your gift to be permanently endowed, providing a lasting legacy.

Are there tax benefits to donating through a QCD? Yes!

  • Tax Savers: IRA rollover amounts are not included in your gross income calculations so you may save on Federal income and Social Security income taxes, avoid the Medicare tax, and enjoy other tax savings.

  • Nonitemizers: If you do not itemize deductions and therefore would not otherwise receive a tax deduction for your charitable gift, an IRA rollover gift allows you to enjoy an equivalent tax benefit without requiring you to itemize.

  • Generous Donors: IRA rollover payments are not subject to the annual ceiling on charitable deductions or the phaseouts of deductions for high earners.

Can I create a new fund or add to an existing one? The Foundation can help with adding to an existing fund or creating a new permanent legacy fund bearing your name. Your fund can be tailored to support your favorite organizations, like Abendmusik!

You are encouraged to consult with your personal tax advisor to see how you might benefit by making a charitable gift directly from your IRA.