Planned Giving Insights and Information

Less Is Often More – Tax Issues With Charitable Gift Annuities

Less is often more. With a charitable gift annuity, a donor accepting a lower charitable deduction may mean more for the donor in tax savings. That might seem counterintuitive, but a combination of an historically low discount rate and an increased standard deduction can have tax implications for a donor considering a gift annuity for your charity. For gift officers, the message is to illustrate all the tax options and let the donor and their advisor decide which alternative best suits their objectives.

Attracting Gifts From Donor Advised Funds - What's Your Strategy?

The popularity of donor advised funds (DAFs) has resulted in a national movement in charitable giving. In 2017 assets in these funds reached a record $110.0 billion according to a report from the National Philanthropic Trust. This explosive growth presents a tremendous opportunity for public charities to benefit from this pool of assets. However, unlike private foundations, there are no requirements for annual distributions from DAFs. Charities expecting to maximize DAF gifts cannot sit passively by waiting for DAF grants to arrive in the mail. Those charities that implement a proactive strategy to acquire DAF gifts will develop another stream of income likely to increase over time.