As a Grand Rapids, Mi estate and charitable planning attorney I am proud of the many wonderful families and businesses in West Michigan that support the great work of charities. We are blessed with charities in our area that serve just about any cause you may support – from education, arts, health, animals, music, various disabilities, and beyond. Personally, I am privileged to serve on the Board of the Southeast Ottawa Community Foundation and the Family Hope Foundation.
Given the short timeframe left (only a few weeks) on some incredible giving opportunities, please check out this blog post before reading on about other contribution opportunities.
Ok, now that we have the urgent opportunities covered . . . moving on. So, you’ve decided that you would like to support a cause through giving to a charity. Whether it is the cause, the potential tax deduction, something else or a combination of one or more factors, the question comes down to “what should I give?” Some will say, “well, that’s an odd question Mike . . . I’ll just write a check.” And that is certainly one of the ways to contribute to a charity, and probably the most common. There are many other ways you can contribute in a way that may increase the benefit to the charity and to you.
Here are some examples of the numerous ways you can give to a charity that supports a cause dear to you:
- Cash (or cash equivalents)
- Gift of appreciated stock
- Gift of closely held stock
- IRA charitable rollover
- Life insurance
- Real estate
- Other items of value such as jewelry, artwork, collections, antiques, automobiles, etc.
- Donor advised funds
- Charitable gift annuities
- Pooled-income funds
- Charitable lead trust
- Charitable remainder trust
- Private foundation
- Conservation easements