Checks should be made out to the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area (CFHZ) and delivered to our office at 85 East 8th St, Suite 110 Holland, MI 49423. Please include the name of the fund you would like the gift applied to. Gifts received without designation will be applied to the Community’s Endowment.

Gifts of appreciated securities (stock, bonds and most mutual funds) provide tax advantages generally greater than a cash gift of the same amount. If you have held the securities for one year or longer, you can generally take a deduction for the full market value and avoid paying tax on your capital gain.

If you are 70 1/2 or older, you can give up to $100,000 per year to the Foundation as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Amounts distributed as a QCD can be counted toward satisfying your RMD for the year and is excluded from your taxable income. Donor Advised Funds are not qualified to receive IRA QCDs.

By gifting private or closely held stock you may receive a charitable deduction for the appraised fair market value and avoid tax on the capital gain. Later, the company or another shareholder may buy back the stock at its fair market value.

When you give homes, land, personal property and other assets, you eliminate the capital gains tax liability you would have incurred had you chosen to sell your assets.

A transfer of all or some assets to the Community Foundation can offer private foundations tax advantages, flexibility, privacy, and administrative savings while allowing you to retain its name and purpose.

Bequests are made through your will or trust. They are easy to establish and revocable. You can state your bequest as a set amount of cash, securities, or other assets; or as the “residue” or a “percentage of the residue” of your estate.

By naming the Foundation as your plan’s beneficiary or partial beneficiary, you can ensure that your IRA or 401K assets will fully benefit your community and avoid potential income and estate taxes to your heirs.

A charitable gift annuity is a simple, guaranteed fixed income vehicle that provides immediate tax savings in exchange for cash, securities or real estate. Payments are based on your age, the size of your gift, and the number of beneficiaries.

A CRT lets you convert a highly appreciated asset like stock or real estate into lifetime income. It reduces your income taxes during your lifetime and estate taxes when you die. You pay no capital gains tax when the asset is sold. Payments may be made to you or another beneficiary for life, or a specified number of years. The eventual distribution to the Foundation will only take effect upon the death of the trust’s income beneficiaries, or at the end of the specified number of years.

A CLT enables you to make significant charitable gifts now while transferring substantial assets to beneficiaries later. A trust is set up from which the Foundation receives annual payments for your life or for a specific number of years. When the trust terminates, the principal is returned to you or distributed to others you designate. The trust assets pass to the recipients at reduced tax cost—sometimes even tax-free.