The Foundation can help you give in a way that matches your intentions.

Every donor is unique and has goals he or she wants to accomplish. Many donors give during their lifetime or create a bequest in their will. The Community Foundation of Shreveport-Bossier has many different options to help donors accomplish their charitable goals. Donors giving through the Foundation can use a full range of giving methods to establish or add to

· Unrestricted Community Funds
· Donor Advised Funds
· Designated Funds
· Field of Interest Funds
· Agency Endowment Funds
· Scholarship funds

The minimum gift to begin a fund is $5,000. "Acorn" funds can be established with a lesser amount but must reach the $5,000 minimum within three years. There is no minimum amount of giving to an established fund.

Outright Gifts

An outright gift allows the donor to transfer cash or property to the Foundation. Such gifts may be deducted on federal income tax returns to the extent allowable by law. For gifts of appreciated property, the donor also avoids capital gains tax. Outright gifts may include cash, publicly traded securities, closely traded securities, tangible personal property, real estate, insurance and retirement assets, such as IRAs.

Gifts of Interest Income

A Charitable Lead Trust can be described as a “gift you get back.” It allows a donor to give the income from assets placed in a trust to the Foundation for a term of years, while retaining the principal for the donor, heirs or a third party when the trust terminates. The charitable lead trust is often a “tax-smart” method of passing on assets to heirs.

Gifts of Remainder Trusts

Charitable Remainder Trusts make it possible for the donor to establish an irrevocable gift of cash or property, while retaining an annual income stream from the trust. Donors using this form of giving are allowed a federal income tax deduction equal to the present value of the remainder interest.

Gifts by Will

Donors often make charitable gifts by will. Whether as an outright bequest, or on a residual or contingent basis, a gift from your estate can be a simple and effective way to realize your giving goals.


Gifts of Retirement Plan Assets (IRA, 401(k), 403(b))

Qualified retirement plans can be subject to both an estate tax and an income tax when left to heirs More and more donors are choosing to designate undistributed assets in qualified retirement plans to a charity, while leaving assets subject only to the estate tax to heirs.

Gifts of Insurance

Donors may use insurance to fund a giving program at the Foundation. Life insurance is a great way to leverage your charitable giving dollar! When a policy is given outright to the Foundation, the donor is allowed a charitable deduction equal to the cash surrender value of the policy. The premiums paid by the donor after the policy is assigned to the Foundation are also deductible as charitable gifts. The Foundation can also be named as a contingent beneficiary under the policy.

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