One of the AAACF's goals is to help a wide variety of
donors fulfill their philanthropic interests by providing an
appropriate vehicle for giving that is easy, personally
rewarding and cost effective. There are a variety of tax
effective ways to give gifts and donors can contribute to
our General Fund, designate their gift to one of our 300
named funds, including
affiliate funds dedicated to Plymouth and
Ypsilanti, or
create their own
fund.
Cash
Make a Credit Card Gift
Stocks, Bonds & Mutual FundsReal Estate
Tangible Personal Property
Life Insurance
Qualified Retirement Plan Assets
Special Situations
Cash
Cash, usually in the form of a check, is the most common form for charitable gifts. Cash gifts enable donors to claim a current income tax deduction of up to 50 percent of their adjusted gross income in the year of the gift with a five year carry-forward period. The actual savings from gifts of cash will depend on the donor's tax bracket. The higher the tax bracket, the less the cost of the gift.
Make a Credit Card Gift
 For your convenience, the
AAACF accepts credit card donations through
Network for Good.
Network for Good is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using the Web to help people get more involved in their communities - from volunteering and donating money, to speaking out on issues they care about. Donors can view the records of more than 600,000 public charities and make a credit card donation securely online to their charity of choice.
Stocks, Bonds & Mutual Funds
Giving highly appreciated publicly-traded securities is a "tax-smart" way to
accomplish charitable giving goals. Donors avoid capital gains taxes on
the appreciated value and receive a charitable deduction for the full market
value of the stocks or mutual funds (up to 30% of a donor's adjusted gross
income in the year of the gift, with a five-year carry-over).
Real Estate
Donating a parcel of property can yield significant tax savings. Donors
avoid capital gains tax and receive a charitable deduction of the fair market
value. All gifts of property must meet AAACF gift acceptance guidelines.
Once received, the property will typically be sold unless it is to be used in
connection with AAACF's exempt purpose. If land preservation is the
donor's key objective, gifting property to a local land trust may be a better
choice.
Tangible Personal Property
AAACF accepts gifts of tangible property (e.g. art, antiques, rare books,
jewelry, gems, collections, etc.). Some restrictions apply and gifts
valued at more than $5,000 require an independent appraisal.
I
Life Insurance
Gifts of life insurance enable donors to make a future major gift to the Foundation at a relatively modest cost. Donors may name the Foundation as the owner and beneficiary of existing policies that they no longer need. Alternatively, donors may purchase new policies and name the
Community Foundation as the owner and beneficiary. Donors are entitled to a federal income tax deduction for the cash surrender value in the year the gift is made.
Qualified Retirement Plan Assets
Retirement plan assets (such as IRAs) can make excellent charitable gifts. Qualified retirement plans enjoy favorable tax treatment prior to retirement but are severely taxed at the death of the plan participant. Qualified plans may be subject to income tax, estate tax, and an excess accumulation tax, which can total 80 percent or more. In many cases, it may be advantageous to leave other assets to heirs and to name the
Community Foundation as the beneficiary of the retirement plan. Estate tax and income tax can be avoided if the plan participant makes a gift to charity at the death by beneficiary designation. Excess accumulations tax, if applicable, cannot be avoided.
Special Situations
AAACF can also assist you if you are establishing a supporting
organization, closing a closely held business or would like to transfer assets
from a private foundation. Please contact Judi Peters, AAACF Development
Director, at 734-663-0401 or
jpeters@aaacf.org for details.
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