Now is a great time for giving. When you make a donation by December 31st to CCEH, you aren’t just giving money – you’re creating positive impact in our community. Here are five ways to make the most of your year-end giving:

  1. Give early and complete your gift by December 31st. A gift by check is complete when mailed (postmarked) by December 31st. Gifts by credit card are complete when your credit card account is charged. Event if it’s last-minute, you can donate online up until 11:59pm on December 31st.
  2. Review your stocks. Consider a year-end gift of appreciated stock. If you gift stock, you will receive a charitable deduction for the current market value of the stock, which can provide significant savings in capital gains tax. Stock transfers can take several days. Contact your financial advisor soon to take advantage of this giving vehicle.
  3. Give with your retirement plan. If you’re receiving taxable income from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), donors age 70 1/2 or older can donate up to $105,000 through qualified charitable distributions from their IRA without counting the distribution as income; married couples, if both meet qualifications and have separate IRAs, can donate up to $210,000 combined. For those age 73 or older, qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) also count toward the year’s required minimum distribution (RMD).
  4. Give now – decide later. If you need a charitable tax deduction this year but are undecided about which nonprofits to support, consider opening a donor-advised fund. You can claim a deduction for your contributions to your fund now even though distributions from the fund would be made in future years. There are numerous sponsoring organizations, like a community foundation, financial service company, educational institution, or religious institution.
  5. Let a community foundation do the legwork. Working with a community foundation gives you access to their extensive knowledge of the local nonprofit community and the needs of our county and state. Representatives from the community foundation will help you achieve your charitable goals.

Thank you for making a difference in our community!