The Community Foundation strives to ensure that all people in our community are able to give to others. You may choose to give during your lifetime, or plan for a future gift through estate planning. Any size gift is accepted and funds are pooled together so that all gifts truly make a difference.
Ways to Give
We will help you achieve your charitable dreams and find the best method of giving that is appropriate for your personal situation. Your charitable dreams will come to life, while receiving the maximum tax benefits allowed by law.
We offer a wide range of gifting options and vehicles that you can use to establish your own fund, or add to an existing charitable fund.
We’d love to meet with you to talk about your dreams and goals and create a plan that matches your charitable purpose and financial situation.
Our team is eager to discuss these opportunities with you and your financial advisor in person. Call our development department at 269.962.2181 to discuss the options available.
Outright Gifts
Outright gifts can include cash, securities, real estate, and life insurance.
Recurring Gifts
A recurring gift is a gift that is paid in installments over a period of time without a pledge made by the donor. It is not a one-time transaction. A donor agrees to make an automatic contribution monthly, annually, quarterly, or other schedule. Donors may make automatic recurring gifts payments using their credit or debit cards, or via E-checks through ACH. Please contact us if you would like assistance in setting up a recurring gift.
Matching Gifts
A matching gift is a charitable donation provided by a third-party, typically an employer. Some of these matching gifts are provided on a dollar for dollar basis. The Battle Creek Community Foundation honors each organization’s matching gift policies while optimizing matching opportunities as fully as possible. Unless explicitly prohibited by the matching organization, these matching fund gifts will be allocated to the same purpose as the individual donor’s gift.
(Qualified Charitable Distributions)
Individuals donating to BCCF through their IRAs may be eligible to receive qualified charitable deductions through the IRA Charitable Rollover program. This program allows individuals age 70½ and older to make direct transfers totaling up to $108,000 per year to 501(c)(3) charities, without having to count the transfers as income for federal income tax purposes. IRA Charitable Rollovers are not tax-deductible and may not be used to establish charitable gift annuities. Additionally, supporting organizations and donor-advised funds are not qualified charities as it pertains to charitable IRA rollover contributions.
Benefits of an IRA charitable rollover
- Avoid taxes on transfers of up to $108,000 from your IRA to our organization
- May satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year
- Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions
- Make a gift that is not subject to the deduction limits on charitable gifts
- Help further the work and mission of our organization
How an IRA charitable rollover gift works
- Contact your IRA plan administrator to make a gift from your IRA to us.
- Your IRA funds will be directly transferred to our organization to help continue our important work.
- Please note that IRA charitable rollover gifts do not qualify for a charitable deduction.
- Please use if you wish for your gift to be used for a specific purpose.
- Donating appreciated securities, including stocks or bonds, is an easy and tax-effective way for you to make a gift to Battle Creek Community Foundation.
Benefits of gifts of stocks and bonds- Avoid paying capital gains tax on the sale of appreciated stock
- Receive a charitable income tax deduction
- Further our mission today
How to make a gift of stocks and bonds
By electronic transfer: Please contact us for instructions on how you can transfer stock or bonds from your brokerage or investment account to Battle Creek Community Foundation.
An excellent way for you to support Battle Creek Community Foundation's mission is to leave us a bequest in your will, living trust or with a codicil. One significant benefit of making a gift by bequest is that it allows you to continue to use the property you will leave to charity during your life. Another benefit is that you are able to leave a lasting legacy.
Types of Bequests
There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to Battle Creek Community Foundation.
Specific Bequest. A specific bequest involves making a gift of a specific asset such as real estate, a car, other property or a gift for a specific dollar amount. For example, you may wish to leave your home or $10,000 to Battle Creek Community Foundation.
Percentage Bequest. Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to Battle Creek Community Foundation.
Residual Bequest. A residual bequest is made from the balance of an estate after the will or trust has given away each of the specific bequests. A common residual bequest involves leaving a percentage of the residue of the estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 30% of the residue of your estate to Battle Creek Community Foundation.
Contingent Bequest. A contingent bequest is made to charity only if the purpose of the primary bequest cannot be met. For example, you could leave specific property, such as a vacation home, to a relative, but the bequest language could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the vacation home will go to Battle Creek Community Foundation.
Bequest Language
In order to make a bequest, you should speak with your attorney. Your attorney can help you include a bequest to Battle Creek Community Foundation in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language to assist you and your attorney.
1. Specific Bequest
If you are considering making an outright bequest to Battle Creek Community Foundation, we recommend the following language:
Bequest of a Specific Dollar Amount
I hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ and No/100 dollars ($DOLLARS) to Battle Creek Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 32 W. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1, Battle Creek, MI, 49017, Federal Tax ID #38-2045459, for Battle Creek Community Foundation's general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Personal Property
I hereby give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Battle Creek Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 32 W. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1, Battle Creek, MI, 49017, Federal Tax ID #38-2045459, for Battle Creek Community Foundation's general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Real Estate
I hereby give, devise and bequeath all of the right, title and interest in and to the real estate located at ADDRESS OR DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Battle Creek Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 32 W. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1, Battle Creek, MI, 49017, Federal Tax ID #38-2045459, for Battle Creek Community Foundation's general use and purpose.
2. Percentage Bequest
If you are considering making a bequest of a percentage of your estate to Battle Creek Community Foundation, we recommend the following language:
I hereby give, devise and bequeath ____ percent (___%) of my total estate, determined as of the date of my death, to Battle Creek Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 32 W. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1, Battle Creek, MI, 49017, Federal Tax ID #38-2045459, for Battle Creek Community Foundation's general use and purpose.
3. Residual Bequest
I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Battle Creek Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 32 W. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1, Battle Creek, MI, 49017, Federal Tax ID #38-2045459, ALL OR A PERCENTAGE of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for Battle Creek Community Foundation's general use and purpose.
4. Contingent Bequest
If (primary beneficiary) does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Battle Creek Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 32 W. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1, Battle Creek, MI, 49017, Federal Tax ID #38-2045459, DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to be used for Battle Creek Community Foundation's general use and purpose.
Restricted Bequests
If you are considering a bequest but would like to ensure that your bequest will be used for a specific purpose, please let us know. We would be happy to work with you and your attorney to help you identify ways to give and meet your charitable objectives. We will also work with you and your attorney to craft language to accomplish your goals.
If you are making a restricted bequest, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision to give Battle Creek Community Foundation flexibility should it no longer be possible for Battle Creek Community Foundation to use your gift as you originally intended:
If, in the judgment of the Board of Directors of Battle Creek Community Foundation, it shall become impossible for Battle Creek Community Foundation to use this bequest to accomplish the specific purposes of this bequest, Battle Creek Community Foundation may use the income and principal of this gift for such purpose or purposes as the Board determines is most closely related to the restricted purpose of my bequest.
Donating part or all of your unused retirement assets, such as your IRA, 401(k), 403(b), pension or other tax-deferred plan, is an excellent way to make a gift to Battle Creek Community Foundation.
How to make a gift of retirement assets
To leave your retirement assets to Battle Creek Community Foundation, you will need to complete a beneficiary designation form provided by your retirement plan custodian. If you designate Battle Creek Community Foundation as the beneficiary, we will benefit from the full value of your gift because your IRA assets will not be taxed at your death. Your estate will benefit from an estate tax charitable deduction for the gift.
Benefits of gifts of retirement assets
- Avoid the potential estate tax on retirement assets
- Your heirs would avoid income tax on any retirement assets funded on a pre-tax basis
- Receive potential estate tax savings from an estate tax deduction
The Community Foundation can administer charitable gift annuities which pay lifetime income to you or other named beneficiaries. You can enjoy a fixed income for life regardless of how the stock market performs. You may also qualify for significant tax advantages while helping your favorite charity. In addition, current rates of return are higher than CDs.
Memorial gifts are a special way to keep your loved one’s memory and legacy alive. Honorary gifts celebrate lives while the honoree is still able to see the resulting work being done in the community. These gifts can touch many people by providing a variety of community needs, from health care and food to education and youth engagement. Memorial and Honorary gifts are listed in the BCCF annual report.
How it Works
These special gifts are easy to make. You can establish a new fund or have gifts directed to an existing fund, whichever is the most appropriate for your situation. It takes just one phone call to the Community Foundation. We keep the process simple, provide quick service, and finalize the details when you are ready. We provide memorial donation envelopes and deliver them to the funeral home or directly to you for special event. We also send you regular updated regarding memorial donations received.
Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to quality of life. To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:
Donor Bill of Rights
- To be informed of the organization's mission, the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
- To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgement in its stewardship responsibilities.
- To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.
- To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
- To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
- To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
- To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
- To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization, or hired solicitors.
- To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
- To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
The Donor Bill of Rights was created by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits.
- To be clearly and immediately informed of the organization's name, identity, nonprofit or for-profit status, its mission and purpose when first accessing the organization's website.
- To have easy and clear access to alternative contact information other than through the website or email.
- To be assured that all third-party logos, trademarks, trustmarks and other identifying, sponsoring, and/or endorsing symbols displayed on the website are accurate, justified, up-to-date and clearly explained.
- To be informed of whether or not a contribution entitles the donor to a tax deduction, and of all limits on such deduction based on applicable laws.
- To be assured that all online transactions and contributions occur through a safe, private, and secure system that protects the donor's personal information.
- To be clearly informed if a contribution goes directly to the intended charity or is held by or transferred through a third party.
- To have easy and clear access to an organization's privacy policy posted on its website and be clearly and unambiguously informed about what information an organization is gathering about the donor and how that information will be used.
- To be clearly informed of opportunities to opt out of data lists that are sold, shared, rented, or transferred to other organizations.
- To not receive unsolicited communications or solicitations unless the donor has "opted in" to receive such materials.
The "eDonor Bill of Rights" was created by the Association of Fundraising Professionals to address concerns and challenges arising from Internet charitable giving.
The BCCF takes donor confidentiality very seriously. The BCCF does not sell, rent, or exchange lists of names to any individual or organization for any purpose.
Furthermore, in accordance with the BCCF Confidentiality Policy, except as required by law, the BCCF will not disclose information about a donor or a donor’s gift. However, unless otherwise requested by the donor, the BCCF may publish the names of individual donors in the BCCF’s Annual Report and other reported listings. In the case of memorial gifts, the BCCF will provide the names and addresses of donors to members of the immediate family unless the donor has requested anonymity. The BCCF will not disclose the amount of any memorial or honorary gift without the donor’s consent.
Fund names are published in communication material and media unless a donor chooses not to list their fund.
The BCCF may accept anonymous gifts on a case-by-case basis. Names of anonymous donors will not be shared with staff, board members, other fund advisors, or the public except as reasonably necessary with staff and as otherwise required by law. However, names may appear on internal reports or event lists shared with limited staff members without gift amounts or fund information referenced. For any grant recommendation from a donor-advised fund, donors may decide whether or not to be anonymous to the grantee organization.
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Let’s talk about your goals and the best way BCCF can help.