3 strategies for smart year-end giving

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“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

— 2 Corinthians 9:8

Your generous heart and desire to see the Lord’s church grow in depth and maturity is a blessing to our brothers and sisters around the world!

As you partner with Langham and God’s people in the Majority World, we want to help you maximize your impact while you provide for your family and take advantage of potential tax savings.

Here are three tax-wise year-end giving strategies, along with a calendar of key deadlines.

Give from your IRA

If you are 70 ½ or older, giving from your IRA is one of the smartest ways you can give. These gifts not only satisfy your required minimum distribution but also reduce your taxable income.

Give stock, real estate or other non-cash assets

Appreciated assets like stock, real estate or other non-cash assets are a smart way to make a substantial gift. Receive a fair market value deduction at the time of your gift, and reduce the tax bill you would have faced by selling.

Streamline your giving through a donor-advised fund

If you support several ministries, you may be able to streamline your year-end giving by setting up a donor-advised fund (DAF). There are many places to go to set up a DAF, including our trusted ministry partner, Barnabas Foundation. Like a charitable giving account, you can give all of your appreciated assets into a single fund and receive an immediate tax deduction. Then, you can choose when and how to recommend grants to Langham Partnership or other ministries.

What’s my deadline?

Remember, December is incredibly busy — not only for you, but also for the post office, your financial advisors and the ministries you support. By giving appreciated assets sooner than later, you can multiply the impact of your generosity and eliminate hassles. 

We encourage you to build in extra margin for your gifts to be received and processed.

Specifically, by December 31 …

• Cash gifts must be delivered in-person or mailed in an envelope postmarked no later than December 31. Note that this year the 31^st falls on a Sunday, so you will want to make arrangements to mail your gift early.

• Online credit-card gifts must be made by midnight in your time zone to be eligible for a 2023 tax deduction.

• Gifts of non-cash assets (such as appreciated stock, real estate, business interests and commodities) must be transferred.

• Any check you write from your IRA account must be received and processed by Langham Partnership or any other charitable recipient. Unlike other checks (including those sent directly from your IRA administrator) it is NOT enough that personal IRA checks are postmarked or even hand-delivered by December 31.

• Gifts made into a donor-advised fund must be transferred into the account. You can decide later how to distribute these funds.

“Our Gracious God is a generous God, and He is at work in His people to make them generous too.”

— John Stott

We would love to serve you

If you have questions about any of these options, or would like to discuss other charitable giving strategies such as gifts in a will or gifts that can provide you with a lifetime income, we would love to help. 

Kevin VandenBrink serves Langham donors as a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy and would love to discuss wise stewardship strategies that might fit your specific goals. We can also provide you with access to Christian charitable planners and attorneys who are happy to serve you by providing confidential planning counsel free of charge. For more information, reach out to Kevin, at kevin.vandenbrink@langham.org or 314-488-0256.

If you have already included Langham in your will, trust, or beneficiary designation, we would love to welcome you to our Cross of Christ Legacy Fellowship. Sharing your gift plan allows us to care for your future gift, and also provide you with special ministry updates and opportunities to connect with Langham leaders from around the world. Contact Kevin with any questions or to share your plans.

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