Giving
The Community Foundation of Shelby County is home to more than 260 charitable Funds created by local residents and organizations to support charitable causes and nonprofits here and throughout the US. You can set up a new Fund or give to an existing Fund.
As a 501(c)(3) public charity, gifts to the Community Foundation of Shelby County are deductible to the highest levels allowed by law. We act as an ongoing service helping you give to causes that matter to you. We gladly collaborate with your legal and tax advisors to ensure your giving is done in a way that is best for your unique situation and your preferences for supporting things you value in the community.
Ways to Give Now
Giving by cash or check is simple and effective. Please make checks payable to ‘Community Foundation of Shelby County‘ and on the check’s memo line or in an accompanying note, list the name of the charitable fund to receive the gift. Our mailing address is:
Community Foundation of Shelby County
100 S. Main Ave., Ste 303
Sidney, OH 45365
It’s easy to use a major credit card or your PayPal account to make a gift to any Community Foundation charitable Fund. Gifts by credit card will show on your statement as a transaction with PayPal, our credit card processor. Credit card fees of approx. 3% apply. See the ‘Donate’ button at the top right corner to start your donation.
Gifting appreciated stock or mutual fund shares directly to the Community Foundation means no capital gains taxes to pay and you can deduct the average value of the shares on the day they were gifted, based on IRS guidelines. We encourage you to consult with your investment or tax professional before gifting public securities. Contact Jordan Knepper, Donor Relations Director, at jknepper@commfoun.com for account information needed to transfer stock or mutual fund shares to any Community Foundation Charitable Fund.
Here’s a great way to give for anyone age 70 1/2 or older with a traditional IRA. You can make a tax-smart contribution from your IRA directly to the Community Foundation of Shelby County, where your gift can help provide scholarships and grants within our region.
In many cases, you can exclude from taxable income an IRA distribution known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution or QCD that goes directly to the Community Foundation. While a distribution to a Donor Advised Fund or Gift Account does not legally qualify for this special treatment, your QCD can go to our Community Impact Fund which addresses needs within Shelby County or any scholarship, designated use, project, organization or community granting Fund.
If you have surpassed age 73, a QCD counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). Contact Jordan Knepper at jknepper@commfoun.com for annual maximums and additional information.
Please provide the following information to your IRA provider:
Organization: Community Foundation of Shelby County
EIN: 34-6565194
Mailing Address:
100 S. Main Ave., Ste 303, Sidney, OH 45365
Email: Jordan Knepper, Donor Relations Director
jknepper@commfoun.com
Remember, an IRA QCD gift cannot be placed in a Donor Advised Fund or Gift Account.
A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) of the Community Foundation of Shelby County may issue a grant to another Fund by sending a request to Jordan Knepper, Donor Relations Director. DAFs held at other community foundations or DAF providers, may also send a grant to the Community Foundation of Shelby County, intended for a specified Fund. Please provide to your account holder:
Organization: Community Foundation of Shelby County
EIN: 34-6565194
Mailing Address:
100 S. Main Ave., Ste 303, Sidney, OH 45365
Email: Jordan Knepper, Donor Relations Director
jknepper@commfoun.com
Please indicate the name of the Charitable Fund to receive your gift.
Gifts of farmland, homes, building lots and commercial buildings may provide a deduction for the Fair Market Value of the property. In most cases, the property is sold and its proceeds are placed in a Charitable Fund to carry out your giving preferences. Before being accepted, real property gifts must meet the requirements of our Policy and Procedures for Potential Gifts of Real Estate. Please contact Jordan Knepper, Donor Relations Director, at jknepper@commfoun.com for additional information.
A way to share your harvest! Gifts of grain provide a tax-saving agricultural connection to giving. Farmers can exclude the sale of donated grain from income, but may be able to deduct the cost of growing the crop in the year the expense occurred. The Community Foundation must have an account at the elevator where grain is delivered. Please contact Jordan Knepper, Donor Relations Director, at jknepper@commfoun.com in advance before going to the elevator for additional information. See our Gift of Grain flyer for more details.
For details about gifts, please refer to our General Gift Acceptance Policy.
Other Ways to Give Smarter
Bunching means to give two or more years’ worth of charitable donations in a single year, so that you exceed the year’s Standard Deduction amount. You itemize in the year the donation is made, then take the Standard Deduction in future years. By establishing a Donor Advised Fund or Gift Account at the Community Foundation of Shelby County, the “bunched” donation can then be disbursed over multiple years to your favorite charities. You save on taxes and your preferred charities receive continued support. See our information on Bunching.
Your legacy will go on and on! A statement in your Will or Trust can have a big impact on the future by giving to an existing Fund or establishing a new one to support a cause, region or organization or provide scholarships. See Bequest language to share with your attorney. We greatly appreciate knowing your intention to give through your Will or Trust, so we can understand the causes or organizations you are planning to support. Contact Jordan Knepper at jknepper@commfoun.com for a confidential conversation.
Appreciated assets like stock, property or grain may be gifted to the Community Foundation, who will sell the asset and place sale proceeds in a new or existing charitable Fund as you request. In most cases, you deduct the average Fair Market Value on the day of the transfer. See our Gifting Stock or Gifting Grain information.
You can begin issuing a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from a traditional IRA at age 70 ½. Distributing directly to charity (instead of to you and then to the charity) allows you to save on income taxes. When you reach 73, an IRA QCD counts toward your Minimum Required Distribution (RMD). QCD gifts do not result in a charitable deduction, but the reduction in taxable income may be more beneficial. Note: IRA QCD gifts can be given to most kinds of charitable funds, except Donor Advised Funds and Gift Accounts.
Retirement plans often carry a heavier tax burden than other assets, resulting in less for your heirs. Designating the Community Foundation of Shelby County as the beneficiary is a path to let more of your assets do good in the community. As a 501(c)(3) organization, we receive your gift tax-free, place it into your preferred charitable Fund and put it to work in the community.
There are three ways that life insurance can become a charitable gift. First, by naming the Community Foundation of Shelby County as a primary or contingent beneficiary of a policy. Second, by making an outright gift of an existing policy, which enables a federal income tax deduction when you itemize on your taxes. If you continue to pay premiums, each payment is tax deductible. Finally, establish a new policy and pay its premiums, which are tax deductible. You can inform us now of the beneficiary or policy designations and let us know which charitable Fund you wish to benefit or create.
Some employers will help you give more to your favorite causes with an employee matching or giving program. The employer often has a form to complete. We verify your gift and send the employer a Charitable Gift Acknowledgment for the amount they send.
Give in memory of a loved one or to honor a milestone like an anniversary or retirement. Many request gifts to charity, including Funds within the Community Foundation of Shelby County, in lieu of other presents. Whether using our online credit card portal or sending a check, you can provide us with a name and address of someone we can notify about your thoughtful gift. When sending a check, please make it payable to ‘Community Foundation of Shelby County’ and note the intended Fund on the memo line or a note. Our address is 100 S. Main Ave, Ste 303, Sidney, Ohio 45365.
Real estate such as farmland, commercial and residential property, or gifts of valuable collections may make great gifts. In most cases and depending upon the circumstances, we will sell the property and place proceeds in the charitable Fund you request. Please see our Policy for Real Estate Gifts for information.
Charitable Gift Annuities and Charitable Remainder Trusts pay you or a designated person during life, then give any remainder to the Community Foundation. Charitable Lead Trusts pay the charity during your life, with the remainder going to heirs. Contact Jordan Knepper at jknepper@commfoun.com to discuss details.
For details about gifts, please refer to our General Gift Acceptance Policy.
Have you included the Community Foundation of Shelby County in a deferred gift or your estate plan?
Please contact us so we have an understanding of your plans for the gift. You may also be listed as a named or anonymous member of our Legacy Society.
You need not disclose the amount or type of gift you are planning, but it is helpful if we can discuss how your gift is to be used in the future.
Contact Marian Spicer, Executive Director, at mspicer@commfoun.com for information and questions.