Giving long-term (owned more than a year), appreciated securities may provide greater benefits to you.

Making your gift to Impact 100 in the form of appreciated securities allows you to reduce the cost of your gift both in terms of your cash outlay, and through tax savings. Here's how it works:

The comparison is based on the idea that when it comes to making charitable gifts, individuals will either gift appreciated securities outright, or make their gifts in cash. Donors making cash gifts will either sell securities now to fund their gifts, or sell those securities at a later date, to generate cash for living expenses or other investment.

Whether you sell your stock now to fund a gift, or sell it later for another purpose, you will incur a capital-gains tax liability. You can avoid this liability altogether by gifting appreciated securities outright. Making your gift in appreciated stock will thus not only earn you a tax deduction for the amount of your gift, but will further earn you back the tax dollars you would have to pay the IRS on the sale of your securities.

Giving gifts of appreciated securities generates three major benefits for the donor:

• A tax deduction, in most cases on the full value of the stock given, for the amount of the gift;
• Avoidance of the capital gains tax that will be payable upon the sale of those securities at a later date;
• A low cash cost of making a donation based on the smaller amount of cash spent on the securities at the time of their purchase.

In short, making a gift of appreciated securities allows you to increase your gifting power, while delivering a substantial tax deduction.

This information is for illustration purposes only; for tax advice, please obtain the services of your own tax advisor.

Electronic transfer is the easiest method of gifting stock when a donor maintains holdings in a brokered account. DTC, or Depository Trust Company, is the clearinghouse for electronic security transfers. Each brokerage firm has a specific DTC number. All brokers acting on the Donor's behalf are to code their account for delivery of a stock gift that is DTC eligible. Simply print and complete our Stock Gift Form (found by clicking on the link at the end of this paragraph) and send or fax it to your broker. If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to contact us.