When giving, it’s important to have all your ducks in a row. The process can be arduous (completing forms, gathering paperwork for tax season, etc.), but by asking your financial advisor the right questions, you can be more prepared to maximize your giving strategy to its full potential.

Here are a few questions to consider asking your financial advisor before beginning your giving journey.

Is it possible to set aside a specific amount for giving purposes?

Absolutely! One option to consider is a donor-advised fund. This type of fund allows you to allocate funds solely for giving – once they’re added to the account, they cannot be withdrawn for any other purpose. It’s like having your own charitable foundation! Additionally, funds added to these accounts can be invested and may appreciate over time, which means you could give more to the causes and organizations you admire most.

Are there any giving options with tax advantages?

While taxes are a part of life, there are options available to make the best use of your funds. One of those being a donor-advised fund. As mentioned previously, funds contributed to a donor-advised fund will appreciate, but its growth is also exempt from tax deductions. In fact, any funds that enter or leave your account are tax-exempt! Plus, your investment in a donor-advised fund is the taxable event – not the individual grants you give out of the fund. This means that you only have to manage a single or small handful of gift paperwork when it’s time to file your taxes.

There’s a lot of paperwork to keep up with when giving. Do I have any options for bookkeeping when it comes to grantmaking?

When you create a donor-advised fund with a foundation, the foundation takes on all responsibility for paperwork. This means you receive receipts at the end of the fiscal year for tax purposes. We also handle the distribution of grants to your designated causes or organizations – all you have to worry about is where and how much to give!

What are my options for donating stock?

With a donor-advised fund, you’re able to grant stock, mutual funds, real estate or other tangible assets. Appreciated stock gifts, both publicly traded and closely held, allow donors to receive a tax deduction equal to the stock’s value without paying a capital gains tax.

Philanthropy is an important part of my personal philosophy. How can I involve my family in my giving practice?

Instilling a giving spirit in children and grandchildren is often at the top of many adults’ lists. It’s a way to pass on your legacy and encourage your family to continue the work you’re passionate about. A great tool to encourage giving among your family is a donor-advised fund. Family members including spouses, children and/or grandchildren can participate in grantmaking as fund advisors. At CCF, we also offer a NexGen Fund, an account created for a child, grandchild or godchild (regardless of age). Once they’re of legal age, they gain full access and are able to begin giving with the funds left for them.

When preparing to give, it’s important to have all the information you need to make an informed decision, so be sure to ask your financial advisor any and all relevant questions. If you’d like more information about donor-advised funds or CCF in general, please feel free to contact us!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

– James 1:17

As Christians, we know everything we have on Earth is God’s. And as he provides for us and blesses us beyond our needs, it’s good to reflect on how we can use his blessings to spread the Gospel. At the Christian Community Foundation, we call that Biblical Stewardship. But how can we ensure we’re good stewards of his blessings, or how can we start if we’ve never looked at giving that way before?

Prayerfully consider your requests.

Giving is a spiritual act of worship. When we give to others, we’re spreading God’s love and good news – so shouldn’t we include Him in those decisions? Before requesting a grant, we encourage you to lift your thoughts to Him in prayer. By incorporating God into your giving, you can ensure your gift giving is Christ centered and heaven minded.

Incorporate the whole family.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

– Proverbs 22:6

Instead of making giving a solitary act, why not include the whole family? The Bible encourages us to set an example for our children, and what better way to inspire them to give than by exposing them to generosity? Before deciding where to give, consider asking your children about causes they’re passionate about and allowing them to be a part of the grant requesting process. This will make your child feel important and a part of the bigger picture. It also demonstrates firsthand the importance of giving back and why we as Christians are called to do so.

Give with a generous spirit.

As Christians, God calls us to give – not out of obligation, but of our own volition.

Think to Mark 12:41-44, the parable of the Widow’s Offering. Many wealthy people came to make an offering at the temple, but Jesus noticed a widow giving just two coins and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

God loves a cheerful giver. He doesn’t care about the monetary amount; He cares about our hearts. When you give with God in your heart, your gifts will multiply tenfold!

If you have questions about CCF or donor-advised funds or want advice about how and where to give, feel free to give us a call at 901-682-6201.

When you think of generosity in the Bible, do any stories come to mind? While you might recall some of those stories to motivate your generosity in life, you can also use them to teach your children, grandchildren, niece and nephews. If you’re looking to talk to the young people in your life about the power of generosity and God’s love, here are three stories that can help. 

The widow’s offering

One of the most well-known stories on generosity comes from Mark 12:41-45. Jesus was at the temple with his disciples sitting across from the place where offerings were made. They had seen many wealthy people come by to put large amounts of money in the treasury, but then the widow came along and placed two coins inside. Compared to the other offerings that were being made, you wouldn’t think that this would catch much attention, but Jesus recognized that woman immediately. He told his disciples that out of all the offerings that had been given, the poor widow put more in than anyone else because she gave everything she had while everyone else just gave because they were wealthy. 

The story of the widow provides a great framework for talking to the children in your life about what they can give. This isn’t just a story to teach them about financial giving and tithing, but it’s also an opportunity to discuss the blessings that God has given them and how they can use those blessings to generously give to others. 

Reaping what you sow

The next lesson you can use to teach your children about giving is from 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. In this story, we are told that those who give generously will receive generously, and those who give sparingly will also receive sparingly. We’re also told that God loves a cheerful giver. He doesn’t want people to give because they feel like they have to, but they should give because they feel in their heart that it’s the right thing to do. 

Through this story, you will be able to teach your children about the power of God and how everything we have comes from Him. He so generously gives to us, so we should generously give back in return. However, it’s important that we teach children to give out of a place of love. Your gifts should come from the heart — not because you feel like you have to do it. 

Feeding 5,000

In Matthew 14:14-21, Jesus and his disciples find themselves in a remote area with a crowd of people around them. His disciples told Him that He should send the crowds away to surrounding towns to find something to eat because it was getting late. Jesus told them not to send the crowds away, and they should give them food. The disciples said that they only had five loaves of bread and two fish. They brought what they had to Jesus, he thanked God for them and the disciples started handing out food. God performed a miracle and made five loaves of bread and two fish fed that huge crowd — and there were leftovers!

While this story doesn’t directly relate to financial generosity, it’s a great story for teaching children about what God can do with the things that he is given. Whether it’s a meager portion of bread and fish or your child’s money from the tooth fairy, God can take what He is given and bless others abundantly. 

The children in your life look up to you. They want to be like you when they grow up. When they see you giving to others, it’s important to be able to explain to them why you choose to give. We give because God tells us to, and we give because we feel in our hearts that it’s a good and righteous thing to do. Make sure your children understand the power of generosity and God’s love. 

In 2019, we launched our NexGen Fund – a vehicle designed to create family conversations about giving. By teaching the next generation about the importance of philanthropy, we can work together to establish a legacy of generational giving.

Since our NexGen Fund is the newest addition to our fund lineup, you may have a few questions about how it operates. This powerful tool is flexible, affordable and fun!

You can use the NexGen Fund to create a giving account for a minor.

As its name alludes, the NexGen Fund raises a new generation of givers. To get started, you or a family member can create a fund in a child, grandchild or godchild’s name regardless of age. Upon telling them about their fund, use this opportunity as a time to share the importance of giving and discuss causes and organizations that are important to them to gain insight into their future giving.

The fund-holder gains full access once they’re of age.

After you’ve created an account, the fund is available for use at any time. Depending upon the amount you’ve invested, the fund could appreciate as the child ages. Once they’re of legal age, they gain full access to their fund and are able to give as they desire. One idea if you’d like to make giving a family affair is to sit down at holiday dinners or birthdays and discuss recent gifts you’ve given to local organizations or causes. This can inspire giving and possibly spark new ideas in your loved one for giving recipients!

You don’t have to hit the same giving threshold.

Another bonus of the NexGen Fund is that there is no threshold to start the fund. For example, our usual investment threshold to create a donor-advised fund is $2,500. However, there’s no minimum to create a NexGen Fund!

With these perks, what are you waiting for? Give us a call at 901-682-6201 to establish a NexGen Fund and begin fostering your giving legacy today.

When you create a plan to give strategically, oftentimes, you’re creating systems to streamline and regulate your giving. These efficiency strategies help you give more money to organizations that need it by automating your giving. While you are giving generously, you may forget that you’re even doing it because you’re rarely writing a check or even thinking about where your money is going. We’ve talked about this before on our blog – sometimes, we go into giving autopilot.

To make giving something you’re thinking about regularly, we recommend evaluating your giving regularly. We don’t answer the “Where should I give?” and “How much should I give?” questions, but there are more things to evaluate when it comes to philanthropy! Here are several ideas to get you started:

Do I want to designate my gifts?

When you disburse a grant to a nonprofit organization, it most often goes to the organization’s general donation pool. The organization can use those funds at its discretion. But, some nonprofits allow donors to invest in more specific programs so they can better understand how their donation is making an impact. There are a few common types of donation pools:

1. Programmatic initiatives – Some organizations allow donors to specifically invest in their longstanding programming. Instead of giving to an organization overall, you might be able to choose one of their specific support programs and invest in that work.
2. Seasonal campaigns – Nonprofits sometimes provide seasonal services like summer camps or holiday meals. You can support these specific efforts seasonally.
3. Specialty campaigns – Sometimes referred to as a capital campaign, specialty campaigns help nonprofits meet specific, timely needs. For example, many nonprofits will run a capital campaign to make essential building repairs or renovations. You can help a nonprofit continue its work by investing in these efforts.

Connect with the team at CCF to learn about how to designate your grants for a specific purpose.

Do I want to adjust my giving cadence?

Most donors request grants at a certain rhythm – and when that rhythm is automated, it’s easy to forget you’re doing it! No matter how often you make donations, taking time to evaluate your cadence is an easy way to reconnect with your philanthropic journey. Depending upon the organizations you donate to and your family’s personal financial circumstances, it may make more sense to donate smaller amounts frequently or to donate one large amount at one time. While we will never advise our donors on how much to give, our team can help you time your giving in a way that will make the most impact.

Can I be more impactful by adjusting my donation timing?

It’s always our goal for our family of givers to use their accounts frequently to bless organizations in need. Oftentimes, this means that you are budgeting an amount for charitable donations, placing that amount in your donor-advised fund, and doling it out during the course of a year. One way to keep this process more engaging is to look back at the last year and see when you received the most requests for donations from nonprofits you love. Depending upon the organizations you support, you might field more requests as school restarts, as the holidays approach, as winter sets in or as the summer starts to heat up. This can help you reserve excess funds to meet in-the-moment needs throughout the year. As you respond to requests throughout the year, you are becoming a more active giver!