Learn more about giving vehicles

Charitable Bequest

A charitable bequest is an official statement in a will,  a trust or an estate plan that designates a gift to a specific charity.  Gift amounts are stated in three main ways: a specific amount of money that a donor will give; a percentage of what the donor will give (such as a percentage of their estate); a remainder amount is the leftover funds received once the donor has paid their other bequests.

Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

A qualified charitable distribution allows individuals who are 70½ years old or older to donate up to $108,000 total to one or more charities directly from a taxable IRA instead of taking their required minimum distributions. As a result, donors may avoid being in a higher income tax bracket.

Life Insurance

With a charitable gift of life insurance naming a charity as the beneficiary, the policyholder pays the premiums, and the charity receives the death benefit. There are tax benefits, depending on the type of policy donation and how its donated. In most cases, donating a life insurance policy isn’t subject to taxes, probate costs or estate debts. Gifting a life insurance policy to a nonprofit can greatly reduce the donor’s taxable estate because it reduces the total amount of taxable assets upon death.  

Retirement fund

Donors can designate a charity as a beneficiary in their retirement assets such as their IRA, 401(k), or pension.

Appreciated Securities

Appreciated securities are securities that have increased in value since they were purchased. They can be stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Gifts of long-term appreciated securities are the most popular type of non-cash gift. Because of the tax benefits, donors may be able to make gifts in a more cost-efficient manner than by making cash gifts.