Giving cash
Cash gifts are the most popular charitable gift. You
can
deduct cash gifts to AIDB up to 50% of your adjusted gross income, as
long as you itemize deductions on your federal income tax form. Any
deductions exceeding the 50% limit are eligible for a five-year
carry-over.
Gifts may be restricted to a designated program or
project or used in an unrestricted fund, to be applied wherever the
need
is greatest. You can also make a donation
now online!
Giving stock and property
Stocks, many bonds and certain other non-cash
properties can make excellent gifts to AIDB.
Gifts of appreciated property are ordinarily deductible
up to 30% of your adjusted gross income with a five-year carry-over for
any excess. Always check with your tax advisor to make sure that you
understand your tax result.
Planned giving
Planned giving can be an important part of your overall
estate plan allowing you to create a legacy for future generations.
These gifts can reduce income taxes, reduce estate and gift taxes and
reduce the cost of probate on your estate. If gifts are made with
property that has increased in value, you may also avoid capital gains
taxes on the appreciation of the property. You can also make a
long-term
gift to AIDB by donating money or property to us and retaining the
income or other benefits for as long as you live, or for the life of
another beneficiary you name.
We would be happy to talk with you about creating a
planned giving strategy. You might consider one or more of the
following
options:
A charitable remainder annuity trust is an irrevocable
trust that provides you or someone you name with an income stream
determined by you -- not less than 5% -- and that pays the remainder to
AIDB at the end of the trust term.
A charitable gift annuity is a simple agreement
involving a gift to AIDB in return for fixed payments for life. The
payments are determined by age; the older a person is when he or she
establishes a gift annuity, the larger the payment.
Gift annuities can also be structured so that payments
are deferred to a later date. If you defer the beginning of the
payments, the amount of the charitable deduction is increased as well
as
the size of the payment.
A charitable lead trust is yet another way to make a
gift to AIDB using a trust. This trust pays income to charity for the
term of the trust at a rate established by you. At the end of the
trust,
the property is either returned to you or transferred to individuals
you name, as you choose. The charitable deduction and tax results of
this trust are more complicated. You should consult with your tax
advisor to see if a charitable lead trust might work for you.
You can help AIDB beyond your lifetime by remembering us in your will
or
trust. This is a thoughtful and widely-used method of giving that is
appropriate for almost anyone. Gifts to AIDB through your will can be
for a specific dollar amount, an item of property, a percentage of your
estate, or all or part of the residue after providing specific bequests
for other beneficiaries.
When planning a gift by will, please use our legal
name: The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Foundation, Inc.
In some cases, life insurance no longer fills the same
financial need for our families or ourselves as it did when we
purchased
it. If this is the case, you may wish to consider a gift of a life
insurance policy to AIDB.
You may make the Foundation the irrevocable owner and
beneficiary of a policy. This allows you an immediate income tax
deduction based on the market value of the policy. You may also
continue
to pay the premiums on your policy. You would then be entitled to a
charitable income tax deduction for the amount contributed to pay the
premiums.
The average household donates $1,620 annually to
charities, or less than $3 a day. The average adult volunteers
3.5
hours a week.
Endowments
For AIDB, an endowment is similar to any sound
investment and saving plan. The process begins when a friend of the
Institute makes a gift or bequeath earmarked for a specific endowment
such as those listed below. We invest those funds through the guidance
and oversight of the Foundations Finance and Investment Committee,
along
with other gifts and existing resources, to insure the maximum total
return on the investment. The return is a combination of interest,
dividends and capital appreciation.
A portion of the total return of each endowment gift is
then distributed according to our policy each year, and the remainder
is
reinvested. This reinvestment of a portion of the earnings provides
protection against the eroding effects of inflation. Over time, the
endowment should increase in value, thereby providing an increasing
stream of future financial support. As our endowments expand through
new
gifts and prudent investment management, they will help to secure the
future of AIDB by providing strength and stability for our institution.
Behind every endowment gift is a personal motivation --
to honor a loved one, to help students, or to make a positive impact on
society. Donors receive recognition for their gifts, and can even name
their gift. But best of all is the knowledge that an endowment lasts
forever. Since only the income is used and never the principal, you can
know that you've made a positive and lasting difference in the lives of
our students at AIDB.
Endowments for Excellence
AIDB Presidential Endowments for Excellence provide
unrestricted income to enable the President of the Institute to address
important issues on an annual basis wherever the need is greatest.
The Academic Program Endowment provides income annually
to make possible guest faculty and special programs, leadership series,
artists-in-residence, student honors and achievement programs, and
academic research.
The Student Life Endowment makes possible student
participation in field trips, summer camps, special weekend
experiences,
sports and recreation and arts and crafts.
The Learning Resource Endowment makes possible the
purchase of more braille books, talking dictionaries, computer work
stations for students who are deaf and blind, optical scanners and
educational software for sensory-impaired people.
The Institute Outreach Endowment supports AIDB's
regional centers, adult services, publications, seminars and
conferences
and long-distance learning programs.
The Human Resources Endowment funds faculty
sabbaticals, professional development and employee recognition programs.
The Marianna Greene Henry Special Equestrian Center
Endowment funds support of the therapeutic and recreational activities
provided by the arena.