That big gift you’re hoping for may come out of nowhere. As the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Baltimore can tell you, it happens. In an online auction last November, the winning bidder offered $220,000 for a rare 100-year-old baseball card. After the original bidder failed to make good on his offer, the auction …Read More

While reducing taxes is not the primary motivation for most charitable gifts, many donors appreciate the fact that their gifts to charity may help lower their overall tax burden. The federal tax system does not, however, allow taxpayers to completely opt out of paying taxes by giving all of their otherwise taxable income to charity. …Read More

The desire to create a lasting memorial for oneself or a loved one motivates almost as many charitable bequest donors as tax and financial considerations. That was one finding of a survey conducted in 2000 by the National Committee on Planned Giving (NCPG), now the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (PPP). The wish to memorialize a …Read More