IRA Rollover and DAFs

Make St. Louis Center the recipient of your IRA RMD Rollover or consider supporting the Center through your DAF.

Become a Monthly Sustainer

Give the ongoing gift of a secure home, quality care, and fun activities. Set up your recurring donation schedule.

Set Up a Planned Gift

What will your legacy be? Learn about the ways to make a planned gift through bequests, endowment, charitable trusts, and more.

Three areas of need

Learn more about St. Louis Center’s three areas of greatest need.

BENEVOLENT CARE

Supports the day-to-day operational needs of the Center, including resident care services not covered by SSI or other benefits.

THE LEGACY PROJECT

The Legacy Project supports all capital needs of the Center, including maintaining and renovating existing buildings, and construction on the future of St. Louis Center: St. Louis Guanella Village.

ENDOWMENT

Donations to the endowment for St. Louis Center are invested in perpetuity to ensure that the organization has a steady source of income into the future.

79% of donations received go to the care of the Center’s residents.

According to the 2023 audit, St. Louis Center administrative and overhead expenses were only 21%, in line with well-managed nonprofit best practices. You can be confident that your donation to the Center is going to good use.

St. Louis Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Federal Tax ID: 38-6038121

 

 

$357 – Provides a DAY of CARE
$21,280 – Provides A YEAR of CARE

A great opportunity for a club, church or organization to care for a resident for one year!

Contact St. Louis Center Development Office
734-475-8430 to learn more

 

Your donation has immediate impact.

It’s easy to donate, whether online, by check, as a monthly sustainer, or with in-kind gifts. Every donation serves the St. Louis Center residents by providing basic needs for our growing community. Click below to donate today, and don’t hesitate to contact us by phone or e-mail with any questions about the services we provide.

Benevolent Care

SLC has always proclaimed the dignity of life of any person, especially of people with I/DD. This proceeds from the heart of St. Louis Guanella, founder of the Servants of Charity, his vision has inspired more than 60 years of loving service to the most vulnerable people in our community, without regard to their economic status.

Depending on the level of care, the cost of services to a person living at SLC ranges from $4,000 to $8,000 a month. A social security supplement (SSI/A) covers only room and board, which is about 20% of the total. Some residents do have support from their local Community Mental Health organization and a Medicaid waiver program. Many residents do not qualify for this governmental benefit, and apply instead for a small Personal Care Supplement (less than $10 per day).

The average daily cost of one adult to live at SLC is $357. Given the limits of financial support from the government, together with the reality that very few families can afford the total cost of care, SLC strives to offer Benevolent Care to cover the difference. More than half of the total costs must be fundraised to provide a dignified level of care, which includes 24/7 supervision, protection, transportation, meal preparation, medication administration, community involvement, and assistance with other activities of daily life.

Your faithful support is what allows us to continue providing the loving care to God’s special children. Thank you!

The Legacy Project

In 2010, St. Louis Center embarked on the journey to build an intentional community for people of all abilities on its rural Chelsea, MI campus. Through the Legacy Campaign, we have raised more than $10 million and taken the first step of making that dream a reality.

The population of adults age 60 and older with I/DD is growing dramatically, growing to an estimated 1.4 million individuals in the next 10 years. Those with I/DD begin the aging process early, leaving them and their parents facing the issues of aging at the same time. There are very few residential care facilities designed for their care. It is because of this urgent need that St. Louis Center is continuing work on its ambitious goal to create St. Louis Guanella Village, where those with I/DD can live a safe and fulfilled life, and where their families may also reside.

Legacy Capital Projects – Phase I Completed

  • 2011 – Family Welcome & Orientation Center Site Improvements
  • 2012 – Renovations of Bathrooms at St. Joseph Hall
    Installation of new Windows in Residences
  • 2013 – Special Needs Playground/Park
  • 2014 – Renovation of Fr. Guanella Hall for Assisted Living
  • 2017 – Waste Water Treatment Facility
  • 2018 – Four Village Cottage Homes for 20 residents

Legacy Capital Projects – Phase II 

  • Retaining Wall Repair

    2020

    • Retaining Wall Repair (Main Building)
    • Gym and Lobby HVAC System Replacement (Main Building)
    • Asbestos Removal (Main Building)
  • 2021
    • Six Bedroom Cottage Home for Adult Residents
    • Four Bedroom Cottage Home for Adult Residents
    • Single Family Home for lease
    • Duplex Family Home for two families for lease
    • Administration Building
    • Martin Hall Renovation (Main Building) for new Social Work Offices

Future Phase II Construction Plans

  • 2021-2022 Kitchen Renovation (Main Building)
  • Knights of Columbus Hall Renovation (Main Building)
  • Additional Cottage Homes for Adult Residents
  • Additional Homes for Lease to Families
  • Wellness Center
  • Village Chapel
  • Retail Center providing training and employment opportunities for residents
  • Housing for Servants of Charity religious community

We will soon be launching the next phase of the Legacy Campaign to ensure future development of St. Louis Guanella Village so that we can serve the needs of persons with I/DD well into the future.

Help fulfill these lives… and this dream.

The Legacy Project has fulfilled Phase I with residents enjoying the bright horizons of their new homes. Help us serve the needs of persons with I/DD into the future by contributing to Phase II. Call us at phone, e-mail, or set up a lunch appointment or tour at St. Louis Center. We are here to answer all of your questions!

Endowment Gifts

Make a lasting gift

If you would like to make a lasting gift to St. Louis Center that will live on into the future, a gift to one of the Center’s endowment funds might be the right option for you. Endowments are permanently invested funds that earn interest and dividends that can provide a steady stream of income to St. Louis Center in the future. The principal is permanently restricted and will never be touched, making an endowment a wonderful reserve that will create a financial bedrock for the organization.

St. Louis Center has set an ambitious long-term goal of establishing a $40 million endowment in the next 12 years. A gift to one of the Center’s endowment funds, whether through an outright or a planned gift, will help us meet that goal and help provide a more secure future for the organization. The Center has three current or planned endowment funds to best meet the needs and values of its donors:

  • Endowment Fund at the Catholic Foundation of Michigan
  • Endowment Fund at the Bank of Ann Arbor
  • Endowment Fund at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (This endowment fund is planned for the future; your gift may be able to help us establish this new fund.)

Your donation to any of these endowments is tax-deductible. Most importantly, you have the satisfaction of knowing that your contribution will live on in perpetuity, creating a lasting source of support for St. Louis Center.
If you would like to discuss making an endowment gift, contact St. Louis Center’s Development Director, Wendy Zielen, at 734-475-8430 or via email.

Team at an event

Talk to us!

Every generous gift of someone’s time or funds is of value to St. Louis Center. Often individuals would like to contribute in some way but would prefer guidance to more completely understand their options. We can help. It all starts with a conversation. Whether it is via phone, e-mail, lunch appointment, or a meet-and-greet visit at St. Louis Center, our Development Department is ready to hear from you!

 

 Give Here Icon Fundraising News

Learn about recent fundraising news including events, grants, seminars, and supporter of St. Louis Center by clicking on the story links below.

Come visit usWe welcome you to visit us in person.

There is no better way to feel the warmth of the St. Louis Center community or to see the beauty of our surroundings than to meet us on site.

Have you considered a lasting gift?
Come talk with us about planned gifts that will make a difference in the lives of our residents for years to come. If you are interested in becoming a donor or for answers to any questions you may have, contact Wendy Zielen, Development Director.

Do you or your group have an interest in community service or volunteer hours?
There are many opportunities available in programs, gardening, fundraisers, and other activities or programs. Learn more about volunteering at St. Louis Center here, or use the form to schedule a visit to see first-hand ways to be involved.

Note that this form is for visits other than tours of SLC facilities in consideration of possible residency. If you are seeking a home for your loved with I/DD please schedule a facility tour with a Social Work Specialist here: Village Facilities & Homes.