Maximize Your Impact
When you gift stocks/securities or IRA Rollovers directly to a charity, you make an outsized impact without taking money directly out of your bank account. Plus, neither you nor the charity will be taxed on the gains for appreciated assets you donate.
Meet your giving goals, enjoy potential tax benefits, and contribute to the change you want to see. That’s a triple-win.
Benefits of Donating Stock/Securities to Charity
- Avoid Capital Gains Tax
Gifting stock avoids federal capital gains tax and most donors can also claim an income tax deduction for the stock’s full market value (state & local income tax deductions may also be available in some areas).
- Make a Bigger Impact
When you give appreciated stocks directly to charity, your gift can be up to 20% larger because you avoid the taxes you’d incur from selling and donating the cash. This means more money going to the work that you support.
How It Works
Select which securities to donate.
- You’ll need your brokerage name, account number, stock name, and number of shares you want to donate. Donors generally incur the greatest tax benefit when donating appreciated stock that has been held for more than a year. (Please contact your brokerage if you have any questions.)
- Make your gift over the phone or by mail.
Contact us to access the account number, brokerage name, DTC info, and additional information needed to make your gift of appreciated assets. Call 559-233-7722 x 108 or email donations@ccspca.com.
- Or ask your financial advisor to initiate a gift for you.
Financial advisors can contact us to request a securities transfer on behalf of their clients. Call 559-233-7722 x 108 or email donations@ccspca.com.
Make a gift tax-free with an IRA
A tax-saving way to help Central California SPCA
If you are 70½ years old or older, you can take advantage of a simple way to benefit Animal Humane Society and receive tax benefits in return. You can give any amount up to $100,000 per year from your IRA directly to a qualified charity such as ours without having to pay income taxes on the money. This popular gift option is commonly called the IRA charitable rollover, but you may also see it referred to as a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD for short.
Why consider this gift?
- Your gift will be put to use today, allowing you to see the difference your donation is making.
- You pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your deductions.
- Beginning in the year you turn 72, you can use your gift to satisfy all or part of your required minimum distribution.
- Since the gift doesn’t count as income, it can reduce your annual income level. This may help lower your Medicare premiums and decrease the amount of Social Security that is subject to tax.
Read more about RMDs on the IRS website
IRA Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I’ve already named Central California SPCA as the beneficiary of my IRA. What are the benefits if I make a gift now instead of after my lifetime?
A. By making a gift this year of up to $100,000 from your IRA, you can see your philanthropic dollars at work. You are jump-starting the legacy you would like to leave and giving yourself the joy of watching your philanthropy take shape. Moreover, you can fulfill any outstanding pledge you may have made by transferring that amount from your IRA as long as it is $100,000 or less for the year.
Q. I’m turning age 70½ in a few months. Can I make this gift now?
A. No. The legislation requires you to reach age 70½ by the date you make the gift.
Q. I have several retirement accounts—some are pensions and some are IRAs. Does it matter which retirement account I use?
A. Yes. Direct gifts to a qualified charity can be made only from an IRA. Under certain circumstances, however, you may be able to roll assets from a pension, profit sharing, 401(k) or 403(b) plan into an IRA and then make the transfer from the IRA directly to Central California SPCA. To determine if a rollover to an IRA is available for your plan, speak with your plan administrator.
Q. Can my gift be used as my required minimum distribution under the law?
A. Yes, absolutely. Beginning in the year you turn 72, you can use your gift to satisfy all or part of your required minimum distribution.
Q. When do I need to make my gift?
A. We must receive your gift by Dec. 31 for your donation to qualify this year. If you have check-writing privileges on your IRA account, please mail your check by Dec. 18 in order to give us time to process your gift before the end of the year.
Q. Do I need to give my entire IRA to be eligible for the tax benefits?
A. No. You can give any amount under this provision, as long as it is $100,000 or less per year. If your IRA is valued at more than $100,000, you can transfer a portion of it to fund a charitable gift.
Q. I have two charities I want to support. Can I give $100,000 from my IRA to each?
A. No. Under the law, you can give a maximum of $100,000. For example, you can give each organization $50,000 this year or any other combination that totals $100,000 or less. Any amount of more than $100,000 in one year must be reported as taxable income.
Q. My spouse and I would like to give more than $100,000. How can we do that?
A. If you have a spouse (as defined by the IRS) who is 70½ or older and has an IRA, he or she can also give up to $100,000 from his or her IRA.
It is wise to consult with your tax professionals if you are contemplating a charitable gift.