Donor Advised Funds

The Foundation offers Donor Advised Funds as a convenient new option for giving to your favorite United Methodist ministries. By establishing such a fund at the Foundation, you can minimize your taxes by making charitable gifts to your fund, but decide later which charities will benefit.

The Benefits of a Donor Advised Fund include:

  • •   You can make a gift to your Fund at the time most convenient for you and receive an immediate charitable deduction.
  • •   You can decide later what charity(ies) you recommend to receive distributions, how much and when.
  • •   Earnings are credited and compounded tax-free so that more money may be available for your favorite charities.
  • •   You can pass on important values of service and caring for others by involving children or other family members in charitable gift recommendations.
  • •   You and others may add to your Fund any time. All gifts will be acknowledged by the Foundation, and you will be advised of contributions received.
  • •   You will receive an annual statement of all contributions, distributions and Fund earnings.

A Donor Advised Fund is especially attractive when you have stock or real estate and:

  • •   You wish to bypass any capital gains tax that would be due if you sold it.
  • •   The value is more than you want to give any one charity.
  • •   You want to transfer the asset all at once and avoid having to accomplish multiple transfers of fractional shares to many different charities.

You can establish a Foundation Donor Advised Fund with as little as $10,000. Gifts may be cash, securities or property, and you may make additional contributions of any size at any time. Each gift represents an unconditional, irrevocable charitable contribution and is not refundable. The Foundation conscientiously invests and administers your Fund, and the money is available for distribution to United Methodist ministries you recommend at any time.

The annual distributions from Foundation Donor Advised Funds primarily benefit charitable organizations that are related to the United Methodist Church. Charities that are unrelated to the United Methodist Church, but that are compatible with the Church’s mission can be considered for a portion of annual fund distributions.

Establishing your Foundation Donor Advised Fund can be as easy as filling out a form and writing a check. For more information, contact the Foundation or phone 800-332-8238.