Donate Securities &  IRA Distributions

Gifts of Securities

Gifts of long-term appreciated securities are an easy way to make a lasting contribution to the San Juan Preservation Trust, while also taking advantage of charitable tax benefits.

(Our tax ID/EIN is 91-1078355)

Benefits include:

  • Capital Gain Tax Savings: By donating securities to the Preservation Trust that you have held for one year or longer, you can avoid capital gain taxes that you would have incurred had you sold the securities yourself.
  • Income Tax Savings: You may take an income tax deduction for the full amount of the gift.
  • The gift you make to the Preservation Trust is larger than your original cost basis for the securities, so you leverage a larger gift to protect land in the San Juan Islands!

To make a gift of appreciated securities, please download our “Securities Gift Transfer Procedure” form, which provides instructions that your broker can follow to transfer securities electronically to the San Juan Preservation Trust.

Please instruct your broker to notify the Preservation Trust’s office at (360) 378-2461 prior to making a transfer. In addition to assuring that your gift will be handled expeditiously and properly acknowledged for tax purpose, this advance notice alerts our money managers (Northern Trust) to expect an incoming transfer.

Giving Through Your IRA

In late 2015, authorization of the IRA charitable rollover was made permanent. Individuals age 73 or older can make tax-free gifts totaling up to $100,000 from a traditional IRA account directly to qualified charities.

If you:

  • are 73 or older,
  • have an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), and
  • do not depend upon your required minimum distribution from your IRA for living expenses,

then the following information may be of interest to you.

In late 2015, authorization of the IRA charitable rollover was made permanent. Individuals age 73 or older can make tax-free gifts totaling up to $100,000 from a traditional IRA account directly to qualified charities. While you cannot claim a charitable deduction for IRA gifts, this distribution from your IRA counts towards your minimum required distribution and does NOT trigger income tax for you. It is a tax-free transfer from the IRA account directly to a charitable organization.

A few things to keep in mind:

  • Your gift must come from an IRA account. (401(k), 403(b), SEP IRA accounts, and other retirement accounts do not qualify.)
  • Your gift must come directly from your IRA administrator to the San Juan Preservation Trust. After you submit a request, your IRA administrator will either mail a check or send you a check payable to the Preservation Trust for you to send.
  • As the donor, you must be age 73 or older when the gift is made.
  • Total IRA gifts in any one year cannot exceed $100,000, per person.
  • Your gift from your IRA will be excluded from income.
  • Your gift from your IRA will not be available as an income tax charitable deduction.
  • Contact your retirement plan administrator to arrange a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). You may wish to download, complete and send this form to the administrator to initiate the QCD.

While the IRA Charitable Rollover may not be the best tax-deduction mechanism for some donors (check with your financial advisor!), it may have benefits from an estate planning perspective. Retirement accounts are frequently bequeathed to heirs, but are among the most highly taxed assets of an individual’s estate. In some cases, they may even be subject to income tax. Therefore, directing all or a portion of one’s required minimum distribution for charitable giving may be a better choice if a donor is concerned about avoiding estate taxes.

The San Juan Preservation Trust does not offer tax or legal advice. Check with your professional tax advisor to make sure that any charitable giving strategy makes sense for you.