The Choice of What to Give to the Jane Goodall Institute or Other Charities

Cash: A Popular Gift

Charitable gifts are most often made in the form of cash and checks. Cash gifts are convenient for many people and are easily recorded through canceled checks and receipts. Remember that it is important to save all receipts to assure maximum tax savings.

Non-Cash Gifts: Enjoy More Savings

Donors often choose to make their gifts in forms other than cash. Examples include:

• Securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds)
• Real estate (unused property, vacation homes, timeshares, etc.)
• Retirement plans
• Life insurance policies (both unneeded current policies and naming JGI beneficiary of an existing policy)
• Other items of value (jewelry, paintings, collections, antiques, etc.)

After considering the properties you own, you may find giving something other than cash to be an appealing alternative. Giving non-cash property enables you to make a meaningful gift while conserving cash for other uses and enjoying what may be greater tax savings than those provided by gifts of cash.

Giving Appreciated Property

If you have non-cash property, such as stocks and mutual funds, that has grown in value (appreciated) and been held long-term (more than one year), you can generally enjoy greater tax savings from giving such property than from giving an equivalent amount of cash. That’s because a gift of appreciated property lets you bypass capital gains tax that could be due if you sold the asset. You are also entitled to a charitable deduction based on the property’s current value, including the “paper profits” you have earned since you have owned it.

Giving Property That Has Depreciated or Dropped in Value

If you have stock or other property that has decreased in value, you will normally save more in taxes by selling it and giving the proceeds. You may then be able to claim a capital loss on your tax return. You can also deduct the cash proceeds you give as a charitable gift. This can result in tax deductions that amount to more than the current value of the asset. The tax deduction for gifts of depreciated property will be based on the current value, not what you originally paid for it.

For any planned gift, please consult your own financial advisor. For more information concerning your estate planning and JGI, please contact Jessica Lindenfelser, Director, Gift Planning, at 703-682-9292 or jlindenfelser@janegoodall.org.