Guide to Giving

Whether your gift is outright or planned, we believe your stewardship should be regarded in the same vein as other forms of worship and obedience. Every gift is one step toward the Kingdom He envisioned and should be valued as such.

 

Outright Gifts

Cash

As simple as it may seem, writing a check is the most efficient way to make an immediate impact. Cash gifts provide instant liquidity for charities and create a charitable income tax deduction for you in the year the gift is given.

Securities

For greater tax benefits, consider giving stocks or bonds. If you own securities for over a year and their fair market value increases since the date of purchase, you can disregard the capital gains tax and receive a charitable income tax deduction equal to the fair market value.

Real Estate

Similar to securities, a gift of real estate held over a year also negates the capital gains tax upon appreciation and provides a charitable income tax deduction based on the fair market value.

Real Property

Examples of gifts of personal property that could potentially make appropriate gifts include, but are not limited to, selected artwork, books or antiques. Discuss any tangible items you’re considering as a gift with your estate planner to determine if it qualifies for a favorable charitable tax deduction.

Planned Gifts

Planned gifts refer to specific investments that, in most cases, offer immediate benefits to the donor and future benefits to charity. If you’re thinking about a planned gift, consider these two compelling motives:

Special planned gifts can help you take advantage of the U.S. tax code by directing funds in gifts and thereby potentially reducing significant estate taxes.

Planned gifts allow you to tithe in your will, meaning you can support your church and other ministries you care about now and after your death.

By designating a qualified charity as the owner and beneficiary of a paid-up life insurance policy, you will receive a charitable income tax deduction that, in most cases, is equal to your cost basis in the policy.

A variety of planned gift options are written into tax code and have the ability to provide lifetime income to you as a donor in addition to benefitting a ministry and/or your family. Others are designed to allow you to decide when the gift is accessible to your family or the charity after your passing. This is particularly helpful if you have heirs you wish to reach a certain age before they can access your gifts.

Want to explore your planned gift options? We’re here to help.

First, we encourage you to read through our site and linked resources to gain an understanding of your possibilities. Next, make a list of your assets or use our “My Estate Planner” section for help. Begin to pray about God’s purposes for what he has entrusted to you. Our “God’s Purpose” section is a good place to start.

Whether you choose to make an outright or a planned gift, LegacyWay offers a full range of services to assist believers in providing for their families and their favorite Christian organizations either during one’s lifetime or by Will. It gives us great joy to help individuals and families discern the purposes God has laid on their hearts and develop a plan to fulfill those goals.

 
 

Consider a Donor Advised Fund

Through a Donor Advised Fund, your donations have the ability to grow tax-free prior to allocating grants to the Kingdom-building causes you care about. That means more for you to give, and more for your favorite Christian charities to get.

Learn More