Yacht Donation Programs Big Hit With Owners

Stories of redemption typically inspire those who can help to dig deep. Such is the case for a long-running, Florida-bred non-profit that launched back in the late ’60s. 

AMIkids started with humble beginnings in Boca Raton, before opening schools in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Jacksonville, and now serves 5,000 kids across the nation annually – with more than 125,000 having completed its program in the last five decades. The organization “strongly believes that a child’s troubled past does not have to dictate his or her future.” That’s why AMIkids has been committed to developing at-risk boys and girls’ potential for nearly 50 years. 

But the non-profit has also taken a unique approach to funding much of its school program, starting the AMIkids Boat Program right from the beginning. Since then, the organization has accepted more than 6,000 boat donations to benefit the kids, families and communities it serves. In that time, AMIkids has continued its mission to provide its donors with “an alternative to the time and expense involved in selling their boats or yachts.”

Dudley Savage, a marine specialist and facilitator of the AMIkids Boat Program, put it like this during a recent chat about the success of the organization’s efforts with yacht owners over the years.

“The boat donation aspect might seem like a small part of the program,” he explained. “But it really does allow us to help transform lives. I can tell you that 100 percent of the revenue from these donated boats goes directly to our schools. And we put a great deal of emphasis on protecting the owners.”

AMIkids staff has decades of experience in the yachting industry, and work hard to ensure that the donation process is streamlined and effective. The organization currently has yachts available for both lease or purchase, due in large part to the list of repeat donors. 

“We have had multiple donors give us several boats,” Dudley noted. “It ends up being a win-win for them, and it really becomes less about the tax deduction and more about transforming lives.”

With such benefits available for owners to explore, Denison had the fortunate opportunity of helping one of its clients recently donate a 82′ Lyman Morse Motoryacht 2004 to the program. They call her INSIGNIA (pictured mid-page), and she’s the third and largest launch ever in the Lyman Morse “Magpie” series. 

In addition to vessels, AMIkids accepts various types of contributions, including real estate, vehicles, airplanes, marketable securities, i.e., stocks, bonds, etc. To learn more about the organization’s boat donation program, visit the AMIkids official website.