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Generosity during retirement

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. – 2 Corinthians 9:7

How old were you when the seeds of giving were sowed in your life? The first memory I have of giving was around age 4 when my grandmother would give me a dollar to put in the offering plate on Sunday morning. I remember feeling so proud that I was able to give, even though the money wasn’t mine. It was only given to me to give away.

What if we continued to apply the same principle throughout our life, even into retirement?

Retirement is the time when you leave the workforce to begin a different chapter of life. Some may travel, spend more time at home or buy a condo. While many families enjoy the transition into retirement and the fruits of their savings, there can be a sense of fear or anxiety associated with a loss of regular income. This can lead to decreased giving, which can have a negative effect on your general life output. If you were charitable during your working years, you should be able to continue that generosity until the end of your days!

At the Christian Community Foundation, we recommend several strategies to help people continue giving into retirement. First, we recommend that all of our givers reserve approximately 10% of the donor-advised funds annually. These funds can then be utilized when you reach retirement age and have fewer assets to contribute to your fund. The earlier you start this process, the more you’ll have to dive into during your years outside of the workforce.

Another popular strategy for retired givers is transferring non-cash assets to your donor-advised fund. Through this process, CCF has your non-cash assets appraised and then sold, and the profits from the sale are added to your DAF. If you have property, intellectual property, antiques or other items you don’t need to hold on to, this is a great option to pursue.

Why should you continue to give when you’re in retirement? Did you know that there are health benefits from giving? For example, charitable giving has been linked to boosting self-esteem and life satisfaction, lowering the risk of depression, bettering physical health and prolonging life expectancy. At CCF, we believe that all of the assets we have on this earth are simply borrowed from God. While we want to pass on items to our family and loved ones, we ultimately can’t take anything with us.

If you are a retiree, soon to be, or even in the early years of your professional life, we’d love to help you develop your financial giving strategy. At CCF, we serve as a conduit for giving as well as an active partner throughout your giving journey. Creating a donor-advised fund allows money that is designated for giving to grow tax-free.

If you have any questions about setting up a donor-advised fund or would like to learn more about Christian Community Foundation, please give us a call at (901) 682-6201.

The benefits of donating non-cash assets

At the Christian Community Foundation, we are here to help you start on the path toward generous giving by developing a plan that is right for you and your family. Donor-advised funds are a great way to give strategically, and they can be funded in a number of ways. While liquid-cash assets are a common source of funding, many donors also choose to donate appreciated non-cash assets.

Essentially, non-cash assets represent the value you’ve earned on an investment between the time of purchase and today’s market value. Donors can invest appreciated stock value, appreciated property value, appreciated intellectual property value, and a number of other non-cash assets associated with the appreciated value of many investments.

Why might a donor choose to invest appreciated non-cash assets? First, donating appreciated value from within your investment portfolio does not affect your cash flow. This allows families to donate to charitable organizations they love without impacting their daily operating budget. Second, there are tax benefits many donors experience when they choose to donate appreciated non-cash assets. The Christian Community Foundation always recommends you consult with a trusted financial advisor before making a donation decision with tax implications.

At the Christian Community Foundation, we accept assets of cash, stocks, bonds, real estate or other tangible property. Gifts of non-cash assets are valued and invested in your donor-advised fund, so you can then donate to an organization you love.

There are many options when starting your philanthropic journey, and CCF is here to help you answer God’s call to give. If you have any questions about assets or how you can get started, please contact us at (901) 682-6201.

Where to give in Memphis?

Memphis has a heart for giving – and we also have causes worth supporting. With so many asks coming in on a daily basis, and with a number of worthy organizations tugging at our heartstrings, it can be hard to land on which organization you want to support through your Christian giving. But if you know how much you want to give in a year, then there is an easy solution – create a donor-advised fund.

Creating a donor-advised fund through the Christian Community Foundation affords you time and the opportunity to give strategically. Donor-advised funds allow you to budget, plan and execute your giving in one move without designating a nonprofit. So, when a need arises or your heart is touched, you can immediately make a grant to the nonprofit of your choice from the pool of money you’ve set aside for giving.

Donor-advised funds are a flexible, convenient way for you to donate money when you aren’t sure of where to give. With a donor-advised fund, you receive an income tax deduction in the year that a contribution was made to the account – and you no longer have to keep up with donation receipts for every nonprofit or charitable contribution you make. You also can easily make a grant request online, and we’ll write, mail and confirm donation for you. We do all the leg work! Through CCF, you can also donate assets including cash, stocks, bonds or even real estate. This flexibility allows you to contribute what you want when you want with no extra stress or inconvenience! 

In our city, the opportunities to donate seem endless. And it’s amazing that we have a nonprofit landscape so committed to tackling our community’s most challenging issues. We want to empower you to use the gifts you’ve been entrusted with to impact the community. You can do this most effectively with a donor-advised fund.

We know that the giving process can be overwhelming at times, which is why we are here to help every step of the way. If you need assistance in setting up a donor-advised fund or with any donating needs, feel free to contact us at (901) 682-6201.

How to cultivate a giving spirit when donations are auto-drafted

In this digitally run world where donations are often auto-drafted, it can be hard to remember why you started donating in the first place. With almost 54% of donors giving online, forming real-life relationships with the organizations you support can be more difficult. At times, it can feel as if the giving spirit is lost in the transaction. With a few small reminders, and by trying some new things, you can cultivate a giving spirit, even if your actual donation requires little action on your part.

Volunteer with organizations you support financially
Most nonprofits need volunteers year-round. Volunteering can help you see and feel what your donation does. Getting some up-close-and-personal experience with your chosen organization could highlight the reason why you give and why your continued support is important. This experience can also be extremely meaningful to people in need. Physically serving people you support financially can create a personal bond that cannot be put into words or felt online – it’s a wholesome experience that is sure to rekindle your giving spirit.

Discuss results and impact with the organization’s director of donor relations
Directors of donor relations are equipped to support you in your giving journey. When contacting the organization’s point person, ask how your donations are affecting the cause. Was something done as a direct result of your donation? Were all of the needed materials provided for that health event? All of these questions can be answered when you contact the director. You can learn how your donation helped change someone’s life. When you see a plan come through and impact lives, the spirit of giving can be fulfilled, even if you don’t get to see the behind-the-scenes footage.

Meet up with other donors
Meeting up with those who are giving to the same cause is sure to bring excitement about the common good. When you bond with others who share your passion for helping a community, it creates a sense of commonality and affirms that others see the nonprofit’s work as valuable, too. These gatherings could also bring about other ways you could help the cause that you care for – like volunteering, hosting an event, visiting those in need and more.

There are multiple ways to revitalize the giving spirit for auto-drafted donors! If you just can’t grasp that feeling, contact us and we’d love to help you find meaningful ways to connect with your giving.

What does generational giving look like?

When you take a look at the breakdown of givers, the numbers tell an interesting story. Baby Boomers make up 43% of givers, while Generation X makes up 20% and Millennials 11%. It seems clear that age correlates with generosity, and younger givers appear to be behind. Undoubtedly, younger individuals and families have more expenses – from student loan debt to child care – and are also less established in their careers. Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are likely past most of these expenses, leaving them with more disposable income to give.

While it’s easy to attribute the generational drop-offs to age (and some can surely be attributed to age) there are additional factors, like lack of education on the matter. Younger generations may also be giving in other ways, such as giving their time to causes. No matter the reasoning, the best way to learn about giving is through demonstration. At Christian Community Foundation, our family of givers is comprised of people spanning a wide range of ages. And, we believe that giving isn’t about the amount of money you can contribute, it’s about establishing a practice of generosity. What we can say firmly is this – giving is a learned behavior, and our youngest givers do so because they learned the behavior from people they love.

As a foundation centered on helping others find ways to donate to causes they care about, we aim to provide all routes necessary to help you help others. These efforts are made to aid organizations right in our own backyard. And what better way to help following generations learn about helping our community than through the help of family? We want to bring that spark of helping others back to life – and strategic giving starts with education.

That’s why we’ve created the NexGen Fund. This donor-advised fund was created to start conversations on giving in your family. With the help of more established generations, younger people can learn the values of giving at any age. While most funds require a minimum investment to be established (which is intimidating to some younger donors), NexGen has no such requirement. You or a family member can create a fund in another’s name, and upon access to their own funds, the mentee can continue to give and distribute. Creating a trickle-down effect can help improve your family’s knowledge on giving to those in need. This is a plan of action waiting for family members following in your footsteps.

Creating this type of fund allows future generations to distribute it to organizations in need. Why is this important? Because at the center of Christian faith, giving is the ministry of God at work. We are called to keep hope alive, and we can’t do it without you!