For members of the CMD ommunity who are charitably inclined, one giving option is donating
shares of appreciated securities.
Donating shares of individual stocks, or mutual funds can be a good strategy to support Cure CMD while eliminating capital gains taxes that would be due if you sold the shares and donated the proceeds. If your shares have a low-cost basis, those capital gains savings can be significant, and normally, charitable deductions are limited to 50%; 30% or 20% of the donor’s adjusted gross income.
Another option for giving is donating appreciated securities to Cure CMD via a donor-advised fund (DAF). This is a charitable investment account you can open with a community foundation or financial institution where you can contribute cash, securities, or other assets. The money is professionally invested until the account holder recommends a grant to Cure CMD or another IRS-approved nonprofit organization.
Generally, contributions to the DAF are deductible in the year that they are made, and grant recommendations can be made in any year or subsequent years. This can be a good option if you want to spread your gift over several years. Most DAFs have rules as to minimum transfers into the fund and amounts donated. Also, the recipient organization must be approved by the DAF.
Donating appreciated securities directly, or to a DAF can be useful philanthropic tools, no matter what market conditions currently exist, and can be a tax-efficient way to contribute to your favorite causes.
- Andrew Mantione, Cure CMD Individual & Corporate Giving Director