Charitable contributions of stocks, bonds, and other appreciated securities may provide you a maximum tax benefit. Typically deductible at the market value on the date gifted, your contribution of securities allows you to avoid capital gains tax on any appreciation.

Use your bank’s “Bill Pay” feature to designate St. John’s as the payee and schedule a one-time or recurring transfer of funds for a certain amount. Your bank actually sends us a check by mail and we then process it just like any other check we receive during the week.

In addition to being the most common form of planned giving, a bequest to St. John’s helps to insure our future without affecting your current personal finances. Donors have many options in determining how to leave a bequest to provide for maximum estate tax charitable deductions and benefit to St. John’s.

Bequests to St. John’s Can Take Several Forms:

• an outright monetary bequest
• a percentage of an estate
• a specific asset, such as personal or real property
• a trust created in a will
• a contingent beneficiary, i.e., the church receives the assets if there are no surviving beneficiaries

Donor advised funds and foundations provide flexibility for overall philanthropic activities.

Life insurance is a great vehicle to use in making a planned gift. Naming St. John’s as a beneficiary assures that an intended amount (or percentage) of money will go to St. John’s. As long as the premium is paid up, the face amount will be paid. Insurance can be beneficial to donors with large estates (and trusts) who wish to protect their assets for family and charity.

Many public and private companies match their employees’ contributions to non-profits. While every company’s matching gift guidelines are different, each company normally addresses the matching gift eligibility of religiously based organizations in their program. Checking with your employer could double or even triple the value of your gift to us.

Planned, deferred, and combination gifts offer givers excellent options to make major gifts while retaining some income from the assets. Most of the previously mentioned ways of giving can also fund a charitable trust which retains income for a period of time (usually lifetime), after which St. John’s will receive the assets.

Healthy and vibrant future ministries in St. John’s will be built upon the legacies we leave today. We exist largely because past generations cared so much about the future of St. John’s and expressed that caring by creating planned gifts.

Gifts of property made without restriction as to resale are generally accepted by St. John’s. Tax laws provide that gifts of real and tangible property deemed acceptable by St. John’s receive fair market value. You are responsible for securing a qualified appraisal for all gifts of real estate and tangible personal property. State, federal, and IRS regulations apply.

This can be a vacation home or a principal residence. You may continue to live in the property after giving it to St. John’s and still claim an income tax deduction equal to the present value of the interest given away.

Your retirement assets, accumulated over many years and invested in tax-deferred accounts, could ultimately be a large portion of your estate. You may wish to explore the benefit of designating St. John’s as a primary or secondary (after your spouse) beneficiary on your retirement plans.

Give to ministry from your cell phone with Tithe.ly! Simply text the word “give” to our special giving number 774-298-0388 and follow the instructions, fast and simple.