Types of Charitable Giving
One way people offer support to specific organizations or causes is through charitable giving. Though works of charity, people support projects that are close to their hearts.
Different people have different giving abilities. The size of their private estates, the amount they dedicate to charity work and the kind of difference they hope to make are factors that dictate how much they devote to charity.
There are different ways of giving. Each method has its benefits. Depending on your needs, you can choose one or a few types of charitable giving to support a worthy cause.
Donor-advised funds
This is a type of charitable giving where the donor gives a non-refundable amount. This can be in the form of cash or securities. Donor-advised funds make up more than 3% of all charitable funds in the USA. With this type of charitable giving, the donor can work closely with their charity of choice and even have a say on how their donation will be used. You can set up this type of fund to continue your charitable work even after you die.
Donor-advised funding is tax-deductible. You receive maximum tax benefit the next time you file your returns.
Real estate donations
If you on a real estate property that is not in use, donating it to charity may be a better option as compared to selling it. It is possible to give you current home to charity. You can put orders in place to have the deed changed to a charity of choice after you die. When this is done, the real value of your house is taken out. This lowers your estate taxes. There are also great tax benefits for donating real estates.
In some cases, donors are eligible for tax deductions equal to the market value of their donated real estate.
Stock donations
If you are looking for the most tax efficient way of donating to charities, transfer of long term appreciated securities might be your best shot. When you donate stocks, you do not need to worry about capital gain taxes since Ou are no selling your shares. Also, the more the stock value appreciates the higher your tax relief. Any stocks you bought over a year ago with a value higher than original cost are eligible to tax deductions if you donate them to charity.
Asset donations
When you donate your assets such as life insurance or retirement funds, your estate is recognized as a gifted income which gives you a break from estate tax. When you leave tax-deferred accounts to your beneficiaries, you give them a tax-free inheritance.
Cash donations
This is one of the simplest forms of charitable giving. You get tax relief equal to the amount you donated. For instance, if you are a member of a non-profit such as Yad Ezra charity foundation, your membership fee I considered to be a cash gift. The advantage of cash donations is that they are simple to do, and they do not come with confusing tax deductions.
There are numerous ways to give to charity. Whichever way you choose you can be sure at it benefits you as much as it helps your definition recipient.