One Person Can Make A Difference!
Your generosity will help us come one step closer to the ultimate goal: finding permanent, loving homes for the homeless, abandoned, and unwanted pets in our care.
Many who support our mission say they derive great satisfaction from their generosity and would like to do more. We can suggest creative ways to support the R-H SPCA that you might not have considered. If you are interested in any of these ideas, please feel free to call us to discuss them in greater detail.
Some old favorites:
Cash
Nothing could be easier than making a gift of cash to the R-H SPCA. It is the most common gift and the one you probably think of first. Cash donations are tax deductible, if you itemize in the year of contribution, up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income. Any excess deductions can be carried forward for the next five years. You can make year-end gifts, or make a gift in memory or honor of a friend or loved one, perhaps on the occasion of a birthday, graduation, anniversary, or other special day. It is the perfect gift for someone who has everything.
Life Insurance
Do you have life insurance policies that are no longer needed? You may either donate the life insurance policy to us or simply name us as the beneficiary.
Bequests
Have you made provisions in your will to benefit us? Bequests are the most popular type of planned gifts. Anything you leave R-H SPCA will reduce the size of your taxable estate while helping a good cause. You can leave to us a bequest of a specified sum of money or a particular piece of property. Other options are to leave a percentage of your estate or a percentage of the residue to use after making provisions for family and friends.
Securities
Stocks and publicly traded securities are easy to give and offer great tax advantages. The best stocks to use for charitable giving are those that have increased greatly in value, particularly those producing a low yield. If you have held them for more than one year, you will pay no capital gains tax on this transaction and you can deduct the full fair market value.
Bank Acccounts and CDs
Are you aware that you can name us as the “payable-on-death beneficiary” of your bank accounts or on certificates of deposit? You own the assets for your lifetime and have them available for your use. Upon your death, the assets pass directly to us without going through probate. Simply visit your bank and request the necessary forms to name a beneficiary on your accounts or CDs. You can change beneficiary designations at any time.
Retirement Plan Assets
Because our tax laws often subject retirement plan assets to the highest combined income and estate taxes, charitable donations of these assets may be the most efficient estate planning option. Because of the variety and complexity of retirement plans, you should consult an attorney or tax specialist for a strategy best suited to your situation.
Gifts That Give Back to You:
There are several ways you can make a significant future gift to us while retaining or in many cases increasing the income you receive from the asset. Because you receive income in return for your gift, your charitable tax deduction is limited to the portion of the gift that will ultimately pass to us. We would be happy to discuss any of these methods with you in more detail or share how a life income gift can benefit you first, then us.
Charitable Gift Annuity
This is a simple contract between you and a charitable organization that pays you a fixed dollar amount (an annuity) for your lifetime based upon your age at the time of the gift. The older you are, the higher the annuity. If you use appreciated property to fund the gift annuity, you will escape the capital gain tax on the gift portion of the transaction and the remaining gain will be apportioned over your lifetime. This is a wonderful way to increase income from stocks that pay small dividends and carry heavy capital gains.
Charitable Remainder Trust
A charitable remainder trust is a trust that will pay the donor a fixed or variable income depending on the type of trust selected. The payments are made either for life or a period of time not to exceed 20 years. The annual payments cannot be less than 5 percent of the initial fair market value of the trust. At the end of the trust’s term, the balance in the trust helps support our mission.
Charitable Lead Trust
This type of charitable trust pays income to one or more charitable organizations, typically for a period of years, and then the remaining assets of the trust pass to non-charitable beneficiaries, such as family members. While this type of trust usually does not provide a current income tax deduction, it can effectively pass property to family members at reduced estate and gift tax costs.
Other Considerations
A gift of real estate offers you the opportunity to make a significant charitable contribution with a tax-friendly outcome. There are several ways to donate real estate depending on your situation.
Outright Gift – An outright gift may be the simplest solution if you own property that is not mortgaged, has appreciated in value and that you no longer need to use, such as a second home or vacation property. You can deduct the fair market value of your gift and avoid all capital gains taxes. Plus, you no longer have to worry about the costs of continued ownership, and you have removed that asset from your taxable estate.
Retained Life Estate – Did you know that you can transfer the deed of your personal residence or farm to us now and keep the right to use the property for your lifetime and that of your spouse? You will receive a current charitable deduction in an amount that is based upon your and your spouse’s life expectancy and the value of the property.
Bargain Sale – A bargain sale can generate a gift that is less than the full fair market value of the property. In this scenario you agree to sell the property to a charitable organization at less than its fair market value. The difference between the sale price and the fair market value is your charitable deduction. While the tax rules relating to a bargain sale are somewhat complex, the net result is often more favorable than selling the property at fair market value and making a charitable contribution from the realized capital gain.
For More Information…
The array of gift-giving options and the ways you can incorporate them into your estate plan are as varied as the circumstances they serve. We are always available to provide you with further information and suggestions on gifts that fit with your lifestyle and philanthropic goals. Just give us a call.
R-H SPCA is a not-for-profit organization. It does not receive funding from any national or government program. It does rely on the public for operational support. Gifts are tax-deductible.
Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA 