What to Give

Common donations include checks or money orders made payable to the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. These contributions are generally deductible up to 50 percent of an individual’s adjusted gross income.

Gifts of appreciated securities or real estate often allow you to make a substantial contribution while receiving valuable income tax advantages. Generally, a donor may deduct the fair market value of the gift up to 50 percent of their adjusted gross income with a five-year carryover for any excess. Most important, the capital gain from the donated asset passes tax-free to the Community Foundation.

You can designate a specific amount of money, or specific asset, to a fund at the Community Foundation through your estate plan, which can then be used to support the causes you care about for many years to come.

Gifts of real estate can be an excellent choice if you would like to use illiquid assets to support your charitable giving.  The Community Foundation makes the process easy, selling the property and in some cases managing it until it is sold.

For a truly significant tax savings, you can deed your home and retain the right to live in the property  for as long as you and your spouse live.  A life estate gift reduces capital gains, inheritance and estate taxes while offering an immediate income tax deduction as well.

Charitable trusts provide immediate tax benefits and can generate an income to either you or your favorite charity during your lifetime.

When you name the Community Foundation as a beneficiary, the IRA avoids taxation on that gift to your estate.

Additional gifts could include life insurance policies, stock in privately held companies, limited partnerships and company stock options, with the exclusion of employee stock options.