Donors have a variety of giving options to consider when creating a new charitable fund or adding to an existing fund. We accept a range of assets to make giving a convenient and simple process. Our Policy and Guidelines govern the acceptance of gifts and provide guidance to current and prospective donors and their advisors when gifting to the Foundation.

Gift Acceptance Policy and Guidelines

Cash, usually in the form of a check, is the most common form for charitable gifts. Cash gifts enable you as a donor to claim a current income tax deduction of up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income in the year of the gift with a five-year carry-forward if needed. Actual savings from gifts of cash depend on your tax bracket—the higher the tax bracket, the lower the cost of the gift. All checks are made payable to The Columbus Foundation with the name of the specific fund on the memo line of your check.

A gift of appreciated securities (such as stock, bonds, and mutual funds) can be used to establish a fund or add to an existing fund. Appreciated securities held long term often provide important tax advantages, as their full market value is generally deductible as a charitable contribution up to 30 percent of the donor’s adjusted gross income. Like gifts of cash, deduction amounts that exceed the limit can be carried forward for up to five additional years.

Securities Donation Instructions

Gifts of real estate include a gift of a house, personal residence, farm, commercial building, or income producing or non-income producing land. We accept most unencumbered real property, which can allow you to contribute more than you may have thought possible. When gifting real property, you can avoid capital gains on the sale of the property and can take a charitable tax deduction for the fair market value of the real property.

Guidelines for the Acceptance of Real Estate Gifts

Mutual funds can be contributed outright to establish a fund here at The Columbus Foundation. Donors generally receive a deduction based on the value of the mutual fund at its public redemption price. Completing the gift transaction may take two to six weeks. However, in some cases, electronic transfers via wire to a broker are possible and may be completed within a few days.

Closely held stocks are shares in a privately owned business. The stock can be contributed outright to a public charity, and as a donor you are generally entitled to a deduction for the appraised fair market value—up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income. If the claimed value exceeds $10,000 a “qualified appraisal” is required. The Foundation can sell the stock to any potential buyers and is not legally bound to sell the donated shares. Special rules apply to shares of sub-chapter S corporation stock.

Investment Options and Guidelines

Gifts of tangible personal property such as jewelry, artwork, collectibles, antiques, vehicles, and boats may be donated to establish a fund here at The Columbus Foundation. This type of gift must be evaluated individually by the Foundation for suitability before being accepted.

Charitably-inclined individuals and their professional advisors can discuss making various types of oil, gas, and mineral interests as charitable gifts, including royalty interests. The Foundation reserves the right to review and evaluate proposed gifts on a case-by-case basis.

Credit card gifts are accepted and can be given to any of our existing funds, central Ohio nonprofits listed in The Giving Store, or to The Columbus Foundation.

Make a Credit Card Gift

Choose how your contributions are invested on your own, by working with your professional advisor, or by partnering with us. We provide donors with maximum flexibility by offering a wide variety of investment options.

The investment agents charge fees that vary with the investment agent and the investment vehicles used.

INVESTMENT OPTIONS AND GUIDELINES

• AllianceBernstein
• Ameriprise
• Bigby Financial Planning LLC
• Bluestone Wealth Partners
• BNY Mellon
• Capital Asset Management, Inc.
• Columbus Investment Advisory, Inc.
• Corient Private Wealth, LLC
• Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc.
• Edward Jones
• Fifth Third Bank
• Frazier Financial Advisors, LLC
• Gryphon Financial Partners
• Hamilton Capital Management
• The Huntington National Bank
• JP Morgan
• Key Bank
• Merrill Lynch
• Mesirow Financial, Inc.
• Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
• Park National Bank
• PDS Planning, Inc.
• PNC Columbus
• Raymond James
• Robert W. Baird & Co.
• Sequoia Financial
• Stifel, Nicholas & Company, Inc.
• Stratos Wealth Partners
• Thurston Springer Financial
• UBS Financial Services, Inc.
• VELA Investment Management LLC
• Waller Financial Planning Group
• Wells Fargo Advisors LLC
• WesBanco, Inc.
• Windsor Advisory Group

In addition, gifts may be transacted through the following brokerage firms:

• Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
• TD AMERITRADE

• The American Funds Group
• The Vanguard Family of Funds
• Through approved brokers, other mutual fund families may be used