The donor programs and giving opportunities administered by the Diocese of Paterson help to support our parishes, seminarians, retired priests and countless others who depend on us for social and spiritual support.
No matter how small, your legacy gift can make a BIG difference!
Whether you choose to support our parishes, Catholic schools, Catholic Charities agencies or other vital ministries, your assistance is always needed and always appreciated. If would like to learn more about the different ministries you can support, please contact the Development Office.
Cash: a popular gift
The Diocese of Paterson commonly receives gifts in the form of cash, checks, and direct deposits. Cash gifts can be convenient for many people and are easily recorded through receipts and bank records. Remember that it is important to save all receipts to assure maximum tax savings.
Non-cash gifts: enjoy more savings
You can also choose to make their gifts in forms other than cash. Popular examples include:
- Securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds)
- Real estate
- Retirement plans
- Life insurance policies
After considering the properties you own, you may find giving something other than cash to be an appealing alternative. Giving non-cash property may enable you to help the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, your parish, school or other Catholic organization while conserving cash for other uses and enjoying what may be greater tax savings than those provided by gifts of cash. See Example
When property is worth more
If you have non-cash property, such as stocks and mutual funds, that is worth more than you paid for it (appreciated) and it has been held long-term (more than one year), you can generally enjoy greater tax savings from giving such property than from giving an equivalent amount of cash. That's because a gift of property that is worth more than it cost lets you bypass capital gain tax that could be due if you sold the asset. You are also entitled to a charitable deduction based on the property's current value, including any "paper profit."
- Example
- Jordan is in the 35% tax bracket and a 15% capital gains tax bracket and would like to make a $10,000 gift to the Church.
- Jordan gives appreciated securities with a cost basis of $2,000 instead of cash. the Church sells the securities, pays no capital gains tax, and receives $10,000, less expenses, from the sale.
- Jordan receives a charitable income tax deduction in the amount of $10,000 and pays no capital gains taxes on the sale of the securities, saving $1,200. The cost of the gift net of all tax savings has been reduced to $5,300 ($10,000 - $3,500 - $1,200), a savings of $1,200 over cash.
NOTE: This calculation is provided for educational purposes only. The type of assets transferred, the actual date of the gift, and other factors may have a material effect on the amount or use of your deduction. You are advised to seek the advice of your tax advisors before implementing a gift of this type.
Planning Tip: If you have owned a security for more than a year, it has increased in value, and you think it may be worth more in the future, it may be best to give the stock and at the same time repurchase the same number of shares with the cash you otherwise would have used to make the gift. This will increase the basis in your stock to 100% of its current value and save you capital gains taxes in the future should you sell the stock. This may also make it possible to benefit from a loss deduction should the stock decline in value before it is sold.
Giving property that has declined in value
If you have stock or other investment property that is worth less than it cost, you will normally save more in taxes by selling that property and giving the proceeds. You may then be able to claim a capital loss on your tax return. You can also deduct the cash proceeds you give as a charitable gift. The result can be to enjoy tax deductions that actually total more than the current value of the asset, while making a meaningful gift.
The information presented in this website is meant for educational purposes only and is not presented for the purpose of financial advice. We urge you to consult fully with your professional financial advisor(s) for the purpose of developing your charitable gift plan. We are happy to work with you and your professional financial advisor(s) in order to develop a charitable gift plan that will benefit both you and your family, as well as your Church.
Print
Share
PDF
Help