NRCA Resources

NRF news

The National Roofing Foundation (NRF) introduced a planned-giving initiative in 2002 during NRCA's 115th Annual Convention and Exhibit in San Antonio. The initiative allows roofing industry members to use one of several planned-giving instruments to include the foundation in their personal retirement and estate plans. Options available to individuals include gifts of appreciated property, collectibles, retirement assets or cash.

An individual may select The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress or scholarship initiative as the named beneficiary of a planned gift. The planned gift also may be made without any designation with the value applied to programs or projects selected by the foundation's board of trustees.

Following are various planned-giving options:

• Real estate—Property donations offer several tax-saving benefits. When you contribute real estate, you can claim the full fair-market value as an immediate tax deduction and avoid capital gains on the sale. Your contribution also immediately removes the asset from your estate, reducing exposure to estate taxes.
  
  
• Securities—Because capital gains taxes on securities affect your market gain and profits, you can avoid these taxes completely by contributing assets you have held for at least a year. Your deduction then is based on the asset's full fair-market value of your gift.
  
  
• Life insurance—You can use life insurance as a gift by contributing a fully paid existing policy you no longer need, which provides a tax deduction based on the policy's current value. You also may choose to set up a new policy and name the foundation as owner and beneficiary. You then would make an annual tax-deductible contribution to the foundation that pays the policy's premium.
  
  
• Cash—Cash gifts offer you direct tax benefits. The tax deduction offsets up to half your adjusted gross income in any one year. The carry-over provision enables you to carry forward any unused portion of the gift deduction for an additional five years.
  
  
• Charitable trusts—Charitable trusts are easy to establish, and you are able to name the income beneficiary and select the amount of income you want to receive each year. The amount is stated either as a fixed dollar amount—the annuity trust—or upon the value of the trust-the unitrust. Charitable gifts also can be in the form of charitable lead trusts or pooled income funds.
  
  
• Bequests—A bequest is a personal declaration in your will instructing that a fixed dollar amount or percentage of your assets be given to an organization you have chosen. There are several types of bequests. With set-amount bequests, a certain number of dollars, shares of stock or parcel of real estate property is transferred to the organization. Residual bequests specify an amount equal to a certain percentage of the net value of an estate. Event-triggered bequests transfer the assets to the named organization only if an individual's designated beneficiary predeceases you.

For more information, visit www.nationalroofingfoundation.net, or contact Bennett Judson, NRF's executive director, at (847) 299-9070, Ext. 7513; fax (847) 299-1183; or e-mail bjudson@nationalroofingfoundation.net.

Call for design entries

NRCA has announced a call for entries for its 2006 Excellence in Design Awards program.

The program honors energy-efficient and environmentally friendly roof systems that have been designed according to accepted industry practices and are expected to last for a long period of time. Architects, specifiers, roof consultants and roofing contractors who are responsible for the design of a nominated roof system are eligible for the competition. Nominated roof systems must have been designed and installed after Jan. 1, 2003. Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 16, and judging will be conducted by a panel of roofing industry experts selected by NRCA.

Up to five finalists will be selected in early January 2006. A winner will be announced during NRCA's Oscar Night on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2006, at NRCA's 119th Annual Convention in Las Vegas Feb. 13-16. The winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize, publicity during the convention, and acknowledgement in Professional Roofing and NRCA's Web site, www.nrca.net.

For an official entry form and more information about the awards, visit www.nrca.net, or contact Ambika Puniani Bailey, NRCA's director of communications, at (800) 323-9545 or (847) 299-9070, Ext. 7555; fax (847) 299-1183; or e-mail abailey@nrca.net.

Manuals, videos and CD-ROMS

NRCA offers the following products for sale. For more information or to place an order, visit shop.nrca.net; fax (847) 299-1183; or call InfoExpress at (866) ASK-NRCA (275-6722).

A 14-day trial version of ProWriter, NRCA's roofing-specific proposal-writing software program, now can be downloaded for free at shop.nrca.net. The trial version applies to a number of operating systems and is available for 14 days after the installation date.

The NRCA Building Codes Manual, Second Edition, gives you a comprehensive analysis of model building-code requirements applicable to roof systems in the U.S. It also provides detailed analyses of building-code requirements for specific roof system types and contains a list of roofing-specific reference standards required for code compliance, as well as a current analysis of code applicability for all 50 states and more than 50 major U.S. cities.

NRCA Toolbox Talks II, the most recent set of 52 safety lessons, allows foremen and trainers to review an important safety lesson with their crews each week. Each lesson has been structured to allow various presentation styles and includes safety-training tips and key points to stimulate questions and discussion. Topics addressed in this series include electrical safety, equipment safety, fall protection, fire prevention, personal safety, hot-asphalt safety, personal protective equipment, hazard communication and repetitive-stress disorders, among others. A Spanish version also is available.

"Electrical Safety—The Shocking Truth" will help you minimize the risk of injury and electrocution while on the job. This video program provides you with practical methods that minimize electrical hazards such as power lines, ground-fault circuit interrupters, extension cords, power tools and other hidden hazards. A Spanish version also is available.

Upcoming NRCA events

Additional information about upcoming NRCA events can be found on NRCA's Web site, www.nrca.net.

November

7-10
Performance Technology for Roof Systems
Las Vegas
Contact: Janice Davis
(847) 299-9070, Ext. 7505
An interactive roofing technology course

7-12
Batimat 2005
Paris
Contact: Olicia Hinojosa
(847) 299-9070, Ext. 7586
A biennial European construction trade show and NRCA-sponsored study tour

8
Ask the Expert—Tech Talk: Hot Topics on Roofing Technology
Online
Contact: Janice Davis
(847) 299-9070, Ext. 7505
Educational/Q & A session addressing various roofing technology-related topics

11
Maximizing the Life of Your Roof
Las Vegas
Contact: Janice Davis
(847) 299-9070, Ext. 7505
An interactive guideline for implementing a roof asset management program

17
Roofing Safety: OSHA 10-hour Program
Chicago
Contact: Janice Davis
(847) 299-9070, Ext. 7505
A safety course that satisfies the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's construction safety-training program requirements

30-Dec. 3
China Roofing & Waterproofing 2006
Beijing
Contact: Olicia Hinojosa
(847) 299-9070, Ext. 7586
An international exhibit for roofing and waterproofing technologies

December

14
Roofing Safety: OSHA 10-hour Program
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Contact: Janice Davis
(847) 299-9070, Ext. 7505
A safety course that satisfies the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's construction safety-training program requirements

February 2006

13-16
NRCA's 119th Annual Convention
Las Vegas
Contact: Michelle Iniguez
(847) 299-9070, Ext. 7539
NRCA's annual convention held in conjunction with Hanley Wood's 2006 International Roofing Expo

Online education

NRCA will present its next Ask the Expert online learning session, Energy Awareness and Green Roofing, on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 11 a.m. EST. This program will provide updates about the U.S. energy movement and describe the driving forces behind energy programs such as ENERGY STAR,® Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Cool Roof Rating Council and Sustainable Project Rating Tool.

Participants will learn about several emerging building energy movements within the building-code landscape that could affect roofing contractors, such as California's Title 24 and the Chicago Energy Code. NRCA also will share information about energy-conservation efforts, such as green roof systems. The program will conclude with a brief explanation about the new SpecRight energy-awareness program sponsored by NRCA and other industry partners.

Ask the Expert programs are hosted through NRCA's virtual campus located at nrca.universalcampus.com, and participants receive 0.1 continuing education units for the one-hour program. To register, contact Janice Davis, NRCA's manager of risk management, at (800) 323-9545, Ext. 7505, or jdavis@nrca.net.