Did you know there is a way for you to receive a charitable deduction today and support the nonprofits you love over time and even forever?

Denise Emerson Rau, Certified Financial Planner, guided her clients the last 17 years on making tax smart decisions. Ultimately, she realized that the valuable giving tool, a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), could help her own family avoid capital gains on an appreciated asset while providing a way for them to increase support of their favorite charities.

“I thought ‘Oh my goodness! I can donate these shares of stock from a previous job and avoid taxes!’ I was actually able to give more to a charity that spoke to my heart,” Denise said.        

By establishing a DAF with the Community Foundation SWLA, Denise and her family receive a charitable deduction each time they contribute to their fund. They are able to choose the nonprofits (including 501C3s, churches, schools) they want to support over time. By donating appreciated assets like stock, private business or real estate, donors like Denise avoid capital gains they would incur by selling the assets and receive a charitable deduction at the current fair market value for the assets.

Denise enjoys recommending grants to different organizations, so she appreciates the flexibility of giving through a DAF.

“Giving can change as your passions change,” Denise said. “It can also change as your family grows. It’s just really easy to contribute to a Donor Advised Fund. It really allows you to direct your giving to what tugs at your heart and where you can make the biggest impact.”

Deb and Mark McCormick of Sulphur are also experiencing this firsthand.                 

“One of our family mottos is ‘Emotion Reacts. Compassion Responds.,” Deb said. “We want to teach our boys to be responsive to needs and to recognize that giving back is their God-given privilege and responsibility. Our goal is to be, and raise, consistent and compassionate givers that drive action.”

One of the McCormick family’s priorities is the Sulphur Christian Coalition which they support through their DAF, the McCormick Family Fund.  “Our hope would be that generations of our family continue to support causes that matter through charitable giving. The McCormick Family Fund gives us a central place from which to mobilize this important family value and tradition,” Deb shared.   

Do you want to make decisions based on your family’s values and improve the community at the same time?  Do you want to make tax-smart giving choices and have a full heart?  A fund at the Community Foundation is more than just a charitable checking account. We help our neighbors in SWLA maximize their impact and create a lasting legacy.  At the Community Foundation SWLA, we’re here to help connect people who care with causes that matter.       Contact us to learn how we can connect your philanthropic passion with purpose in Southwest Louisiana.

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Sara McLeod Judson is the CEO of the Community Foundation SWLA. She can be reached at 337-491-6688 or sjudson@foundationswla.org. For more information, visit www.foundationswla.org.