Financial gifts & planned giving
The gift that needs no truck.
Money is the only donation that arrives already the right shape.
Everything else we receive has to be collected, assessed, stored and sold before it helps anybody. A financial gift skips all of that and goes to work the same week. When a family calls because the electricity is being shut off on Friday, this is what answers.
It is also the most flexible. A gift of appreciated stock held more than a year can be deducted at full market value with no capital gains due on the appreciation. A qualified charitable distribution from an IRA can satisfy a required minimum distribution without adding to your taxable income. A bequest costs you nothing during your lifetime. Same generosity, structured well.
We accept one-time and recurring gifts, stock and securities, cryptocurrency, donor advised fund grants, IRA qualified charitable distributions, employer matching, and bequests and legacy gifts. Unrestricted money goes where the need is sharpest that week: direct relief for households one bad month from losing everything — rent, utilities, a funeral, a car repair that stands between someone and their job — and medical assistance for families facing bills nobody budgets for.
Same week
No collection, no sale, no delay.
501(c)(3)
EIN 92‑1162407. Deductible as allowed by law.
Any size
No minimum, and no upgrade calls.
Make a gift
For card and bank gifts you’ll go straight to our secure processor. For anything else, a real person replies within two business days.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (888) 228‑7320
Five ways to give, beyond writing a check
Each of these gets more to the work than the same amount in cash. We are not tax advisors, so check with yours.
Appreciated stock
Held more than a year, deducted at full market value, and the capital gains you would owe on selling it are not triggered. One of the most efficient gifts there is.
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin, Ethereum and major stablecoins. Held more than a year, appreciated crypto is treated like appreciated stock — deducted at fair market value, with no capital gains triggered on the gain.
IRA distributions
If you are 70½ or older, a qualified charitable distribution goes directly from your IRA and can count toward a required minimum distribution without raising your taxable income.
Donor advised funds
Recommend a grant to Giving Center from your existing fund. You have already taken the deduction; this simply puts the money to work.
Bequests and legacy gifts
A line in your will or a beneficiary designation costs nothing now. Tell us if you have included us and we will make sure it is recorded properly.
Questions people ask us about giving
Where does an unrestricted gift actually go?
To whatever is most urgent that week. Unrestricted money is the hardest kind to raise and the most useful kind to have — it pays the utility bill that has a shut-off date on it, not the thing that photographs well. If you would rather direct your gift toward a particular area, tell us and we will do our best to honor it.
Is a small gift worth making?
Yes, and there is no minimum. A modest recurring gift is more useful to us than a larger one-off, because it lets us commit to helping someone next month rather than only this month. Nobody will call you afterward asking you to increase it.
How do I donate stock or securities?
Tell us what you hold and we will send transfer instructions for your broker. Please let us know it is coming — unannounced transfers arrive without a name attached, and we would rather thank you properly and get your paperwork right.
Do you accept cryptocurrency?
Yes — Bitcoin, Ethereum and major stablecoins. Tell us what you intend to send and we’ll provide a wallet address; please don’t send anything to an address you haven’t confirmed with us directly. The tax treatment mirrors appreciated stock: crypto held more than a year is generally deductible at fair market value without triggering capital gains on the appreciation. The IRS treats it as property rather than currency, so above $5,000 a qualified independent appraisal is required — an exchange screenshot is not sufficient.
I’m over 70½. Should I give from my IRA?
It is often the most efficient way to give at that age. A qualified charitable distribution goes straight from your IRA to us, can count toward your required minimum distribution, and does not add to your taxable income the way a withdrawal would. Your advisor can confirm whether it suits your situation.
Does my employer match?
Many do, and it is regularly left on the table. Check your employer’s matching program and send us whatever form they need — it is usually a few minutes of work to double the value of your gift.
How do I leave a gift in my will?
Your attorney will need our legal name and EIN: Giving Center, EIN 92‑1162407. A bequest can be a fixed amount, a percentage of your estate, or whatever remains after others are provided for. You can also name us as a beneficiary on a retirement account or life insurance policy, which is often simpler than amending a will.
More on deductions, paperwork and timing — all donor FAQs
Thinking further ahead?
Bequests, beneficiary designations, gift annuities and gifts of property all take a little more planning and are worth getting right. There is no pressure and no obligation in asking — call (888) 228‑7320 and we will talk it through, or work directly with your attorney or advisor if you would prefer.
Giving Center does not provide tax, legal or financial advice. Please consult your own professional about your circumstances.
Every gift is at work within the week.
Give once, give monthly, or ask us how to give more efficiently.