In response to the current situation, Congress recently enacted several tax law changes. Hope College is here to help you with your philanthropic goals and to offer some ideas for you to consider if you are thinking about making a gift in support of our mission during this time.

The CARES ACT
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a recently passed law that includes several charitable tax provisions to encourage giving. These include:

  • A new deduction for charitable donors who do not itemize when filing their tax returns. If you do not itemize but make a gift to charity, you will be allowed to take a special tax deduction, up to $300, to reduce your tax liability. 
  • An increase in the deduction limit up to 100% of a donor’s annual income for cash gifts (previously the deduction was capped at 60% of annual income). If you make a gift, you will be able to deduct more this year.

Donor Advised Funds
If you have a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) and wish to help us this year, you can make a gift from your DAF to support our work without affecting your personal financial security.

Charitable Gift Annuity 
If you are concerned about your financial security given the ups and downs of the stock market, you may want to consider making a gift to fund a charitable gift annuity. You might be surprised by the benefits. You can exchange your low-performing stock, CDs or cash for guaranteed, lifetime fixed payments. If you make a gift of an appreciated asset, you will not have to pay capital gains when you fund the annuity. You may also benefit from a tax deduction this year and a portion of your payments could be tax-free. 

Visit hope.edu/advisor to connect with Hope and learn more.