Gifts to UUCDC are gratefully accepted at any time.

While many members support the church and pay their pledges through direct payments from their checking or savings accounts or via credit or debit cards, the church also can accept donations through several other charitable means.

These additional giving options include donating shares of stock, making a gift from an Individual Retirement Account (for those who are at least 70.5 years), and making a contribution from a donor-advised fund.

As always, it’s wise to consult your financial advisor or accountant before taking action to discuss your particular tax situation.

How to Give Stock

It’s easy to make a gift to UUCDC by donating shares of stock. This option can be an especially attractive way to transfer appreciated assets, because you are credited with the full current market value, usually without paying any capital gains tax.

To receive gifts of stock, UUCDC uses the gift processing service at the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). It receives the shares, manages the sale of the shares, then distributes the cash to UUCDC per your instructions. The UUA does not charge a fee for this service, but will gratefully accept whatever donation you feel is appropriate. To use this service, donors need to complete the UUA’s Stock Gift Notification Form, then submit it to the UUA.

Before donating stock, please let the Income Steward on the Executive Team know as a first step. They can walk you through the UUA form and show you how to designate UUCDC as the beneficiary for your stock donation. Also let us know how you wish to allocate your donation to UUCDC (e.g., to the Annual Pledge Drive, Capital Campaign, etc.).

Please note: If you donate appreciated stock, do not sell the shares first, which may constitute a taxable event. Also, understand that transferring stock may take a few days to a few weeks after the initial request and a tax deduction is applicable only on the day of the transfer (not the day of request). We recommend that you discuss the tax implications of stock gifts with your financial planner or accountant as you make your decision.

How to Give from Your Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

If you are 70½ years old or older and have an IRA, you may want to consider a simple way to benefit UUCDC that may provide tax benefits in return. You can make a donation from your IRA directly to UUCDC (or other qualified charity) without having to pay income taxes on the money. This gift option is called a “qualified charitable distribution,” or QCD for short. You can use a QCD to satisfy your “required minimum distributions” from your IRA. (Required minimum distributions generally are minimum amounts that a retirement plan account owner must withdraw annually, starting with the year that he or she reaches 70½ years of age.) With a QCD, you may give up to $100,000 during a tax year.

Please note the donation must go directly from the IRA to UUCDC. If you withdraw the money and then give it to UUCDC, the income is taxable, although it may be claimed as an itemized deduction. Making a QCD requires some advance planning, so consulting your tax or financial advisor is wise when considering this option.

If you do not have and IRA, but are taking required minimum distributions from a 401K or 403B, you may be able to rollover part of the plan to an IRA, then make a QCD from that IRA. As a first step, consult your plan administrator to check to see if the rollovers are permitted. If so, you would need to set up the IRA first, transfer funds into it, then make the distribution to UUCDC directly, as indicated above. Check with the financial institution where you would be making a rollover to make sure the process is convenient and allowed.

How to Give from a Donor Advised Fund

If you have a donor-advised fund, you may make a charitable gift to UUCDC from your fund. Donor advised funds—such as those managed by Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, Vanguard Charitable or Schwab Charitable—allow donors to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction and then recommend grants from the fund over time. Donor advised funds are also administered by community foundations, such as The Philadelphia Foundation. To make a gift from your donor-advised fund, please contact your fund administrator to request a distribution or beneficiary form or download the appropriate form(s) from your administrator’s website.

If you plan to make a gift to UUCDC from your donor-advised fund, the church’s legal name and federal tax ID are:

Legal Name: Unitarian Society of Delaware County
Address: 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media, PA 19063
Federal Tax ID Number: 23-1598122