Why To Think About Donor Advised Funds This Time Of Year

As we approach the end of the year, many individuals are considering their charitable giving strategies. One powerful and flexible tool gaining popularity is the Donor Advised Fund (DAF). This innovative approach to philanthropy not only simplifies the giving process but also offers substantial tax incentives and benefits for those who are charitably inclined.

What is a Donor Advised Fund (DAF)? A Donor Advised Fund is a philanthropic vehicle that allows donors to make contributions to a fund, receive a tax deduction, and then donate stock from the fund to their favorite charities over time. Essentially, it’s like having a charitable savings account that can be strategically managed to giveback to causes near and dear to the donor.

As tax planning season is winding down, you want to ensure you are thinking about all your options to mitigate and strategize your tax liability. With a donor advised fund, you are typically eligible to take an income tax deduction of the full fair-market value of the asset, up to 30% of your AGI. Furthermore, there are several strategies to mitigate or eliminate capital gains tax on long-term appreciated stock, if they’ve been held for more than a year. This is a strategy that many charitably inclined individuals with long-term appreciated stock like to implement into their tax and charitable giving strategy.

Some other benefits DAF’s provide is flexibility, because donors can take their time in recommending grants from the DAF to qualified charitable organizations, meaning they do not have to donate the grants right away or at any particular time. This flexibility allows for strategic, thoughtful giving, especially during times of urgent need or for long-term projects. DAFs provide an opportunity for family involvement in philanthropy, it is a great way to continue generational contributions and get your children involved in charities they want to support. For those who prefer anonymity, donors have the options to remain anonymous when making grants from their fund as well.

Donors can invest the funds within the DAF, potentially allowing them to grow over time, allowing the potential donation to grow in size as well. Lastly, donor advised funds are a great way to streamline the record-keeping process of charitable giving, allowing them all to stream through the DAF and simplifying tax records and documentation. While these are only a few of the many advantages donor advised funds provide, discuss with a financial professional on the account opening process and if it makes sense for you.

Given the time of year and holiday season, we like to discuss financial strategies as it relates to charitable giving. As the end of the year approaches, contributing to a DAF becomes a particularly prudent strategy for those looking to maximize their charitable impact while optimizing tax benefits for the current year. If you have any questions on donor advised fund and their process, email info@shermanwealth.com.

Here’s Why To Consider A Donor Advised Fund

With the holidays and Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s a great time to discuss giving back to those in need. At Sherman Wealth, we are very charitably inclined, so we want to discuss how setting up a donor advised fund could be a good option for you and your family. For those who don’t know, a donor advised fund is a charitable investment account that you can open for the purpose of supporting organizations and charities of your choice and that you care about.

Donor advised funds allow you to be very creative in making your tax-deductible donation. You can donate cash, stocks, RSU’s, or non-publicly traded assets. Once your money is in your account, you do not have to donate it right away, you can let that money grow within the account, tax free, until you are ready to donate it.

Interestingly enough, we read an article stating that Fidelity Charitable and Schwab Charitable donors gave record amounts of money to support non-profits in 2020, inspired by a desire to help those suffering during the pandemic.

Fidelity Charitable said its donors made 2 million grants totaling $9.1 billion to 170,000 charities in 2020, a 24% increase in the amount of money donated and a 31% increase in the number of grants compared to 2019. According to the company VPs, the pace and the amount of giving stood out compared to previous years. The pandemic changed giving targets, as donors supported organizations that provided food and other necessities for people who experienced economic setbacks due to the outbreak.

For those who have unique tax situations and are also interested in charitable giving, you can contribute funds into a donor advised fund, which will allow a donor to make charitable contributions, receive a tax deduction and then distribute the money over time. It is a great way to benefit your tax situation while also supporting your favorite charities. It was so incredible to see such an outpouring of love and support to those in need during such a difficult time. If you are in a position to do so, we always encourage others to consider giving back to those in need or setting up a donor advised fund. If you have any questions about setting up a donor advised fund or charitable giving, please reach out to us at info@shermanwealth.com or schedule a complimentary 30-minute meeting.

Launch Financial-How To Make The Most Out Of Your Charitable Giving This Year With Elizabeth Goldstein

With everyone having increasing gains and thinking about giving back to charity given COVID-19, donor advised funds have become increasingly popular. To uncover how donor advised funds can benefit you and better your financial plan, we brought on expert Elizabeth Goldstein from the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington to Launch Financial to discuss donor advised funds. Click here to listen now! 

The United Jewish Endowment Fund (UJEF) is the planned giving and endowment arm of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. UJEF provides you with the opportunity to establish a legacy that will shape and improve Jewish life for generations. Gifts to UJEF can be made outright during the donor’s lifetime or through one of the planned giving vehicles. Your gift can be added to an existing endowment fund or create a new fund to support a specific field of interest, the annual campaign or unrestricted needs. UJEF allows our community to maintain a permanent, self-sustaining source of income to support existing programs of Federation and to develop new approaches to address emerging needs here and overseas.

More information about UJEF funds, gifts and programs.

For more information on opening a Donor Advised Fund at Federation’s United Jewish Endowment Fund, contact:

Elizabeth Goldstein, Esq.
endowment@shalomdc.org
301-230-7228

Sherman Wealth & Launch Workplace’s Sock & Coat Drive To Support So What Else

Happy Giving Tuesday! Do you have a few old coats and socks laying around the house? If so, let’s do some good with them! Join Sherman Wealth and Launch Workplaces in our Sock and Coat Drive to support So What Else and their wonderful mission.

Drop offs can be made at 9841 Washingtonian Blvd #200, Gaithersburg, MD 20878 from today, November 30th, 2021 til December 17th, 2021, so let’s get donating! If you have any questions on other ways to get involved in giveback opportunities or volunteering at So What Else, email us at info@shermanwealth.com and we are happy to discuss and direct you to the right place.

Here’s How the Pandemic Changed Charitable Giving In 2020

Despite the pandemic, do you still find yourself being charitably inclined? Most affluent Americans — about 90% — gave to charitable causes in 2020, with a third of them giving more than in the past to organizations focused on meeting basic needs, according to research from the Bank of America and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

There were some shifts in charitable giving, the bank found. More wealthy donors supported local community needs than usual, and there was an increase in unrestricted gifts — those that the nonprofit can use how it sees fit instead of for a specific purpose required by the donor.

As we continually discuss, donor advised funds are a great way to support your charities of choice and make a strong impact in the world, while also benefiting your tax situation. Check out our recent podcast with Elizabeth Goldstein at the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington as we discuss everything you need to know about donor advised funds. At Sherman Wealth, we are honored to be able to give back to the local community, including organizations such as So What Else, Nourish Now, A Wider Circle, and The Jewish Federation Of Greater Washington. What local charities are near and dear to your heart? Let us know at info@shermanwealth.com.

Together Let’s Help So What Else

So What Else needs your help! 2020 was an unbelievably difficult and challenging year for most of us. Beginning on March, 9 2020, So What Else (SWE) began a tremendous undertaking and started one of the most successful emergency hunger relief and support programs in the Greater Washington Area. Food was donated to us from partner organizations and local businesses without restriction and given to anyone in need, to the tune of 9 million meals from March 2020-March 2021.

Food is continuously being donated from every source imaginable. But, the warm summer months are fast approaching, and the SWE Team is in serious need of purchasing a refrigerated box truck to store perishable food arriving from multiple sources. The need for supplying food has only increased since the pandemic began. SWE is requesting a one time donation in order to purchase a refrigerated truck to store perishables such as produce, eggs, dairy, poultry and other products that need to be refrigerated during transportation in the upcoming summer months. 

Almost every week since the inception of this highly accessible program, the need for free food has increased. The So What Else team feels it is critical to have a refrigerated truck in order to continue to support children and families that are in dire need of food. We are hoping you will agree that this need is critical as is our desire to continue the food donation line to help serve those in need. Will you help SWE by supporting this special request?

Your generous donation means the world to Sherman Wealth and So What Else and will continue to support their mission to help serve our community. We thank you in advance for your donation and support to meet our community’s needs. So What Else has received rave reviews for their service to our community and hope you will see the total benefit to obtaining a refrigerated truck in order to continue to support everyone in need of food donations throughout our community.

Currently SWE serves 68 sites per week with a total of 110,000 meals a week directly to children and families. Again your help means the world, especially to the children who rely on SWE for most of their meals every week. For questions about the donation, email us at info@shermanwealth.com

The refrigerated box truck costs approximately $60,000. SWE currently has $12,500 committed from a generous donor. Will you help us raise the remaining $47,500?

Click here to donate to a great cause to help our community and a wonderful organization. https://www.gofundme.com/f/refrigerated-truck-fund?member=10610365&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_email%2Binvitesupporters

Amid the Crises in 2020, DAFs Continued to Expand

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 was another fantastic and charitable year for donor-advised funds (DAFs). When the markets initially plunged and fundraisers were no longer allowed to happen in person, DAF donors stepped up to support both their favorite charities and others that addressed critical needs.

When markets bounced back, donors continued to give, and year-end giving was again strong, which is something we love to see. 

Charitable Planning

As an advisor, we play a large part in helping our clients plan their charitable giving. Regardless of who donated, it was truly amazing to see that despite a global pandemic, people who were in the position to do so remained charitably inclined. At Sherman Wealth, we always stress the importance of giving back to the community, especially when you are in a financial position to do so. If you are considering giving back or donating to your favorite charity, please reach out to us with any questions you may have on going about your charitable giving. We are happy to help in any way or discuss your options in a free 30-minute consultation on our site.