Dustin Williams, a financial planner with Edward Jones in Edmond, says working with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation has been a valuable asset for both his career and his clients. Dustin realized how beneficial the relationship could be after discussing his client's estate plan with Joe Carter, development director at the Community Foundation.

"I started doing the math on the probable financial impact my client's estate could have on a nonprofit," said Dustin. "The numbers got me so excited that I begin to tell each of my clients how the Oklahoma City Community Foundation could help with their plan."

Having served on nonprofit boards, Dustin was aware of how much his client's estate could help the community. With the variety of charitable options presented through the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, he could offer his clients a way to make an impact on areas that truly mattered to them. Dustin says that the partnership is a win-win solution, helping him excel at his job by helping his clients accomplish their charitable goals while making a difference in the community.

"The Oklahoma City Community Foundation has helped broaden my education in estate planning, especially my understanding of my clients' charitable goals," said Dustin. "It has opened doors for my clients that I would otherwise have never known. The OCCF offers a multitude of great strategies and they make the process extremely easy. My only regret is not using their services sooner."

To learn how the Oklahoma City Community Foundation can help achieve your clients' charitable goals, contact Joe Carter today at 405/606-2914 or click here.

The IRS has recently offered tips on how to document the various charitable gifts of 2016. Gifts made to qualified public charities are deductible, and taxpayers may use IRS Select Check on www.irs.gov to easily know if a charity is qualified. The exception to this rule is that places of regular worship are qualified charities but will not be listed with the IRS as registered. Find a list of end-of-year charitable gifts including tips on how to make the most of each here.  

We encourage you to share GiveSmartOKC with clients who are interested in learning more about the charitable organizations they give to. Give SmartOKC provides in-depth information about the programs, finances, governance and impact of more than 270 charitable organizations in central Oklahoma. Your clients can search for organizations making an impact on issues that they care about most, such as pets, homelessness, the arts or education. You can find a quick and easy guide to help your clients better understand how to use Give SmartOKC here.

Don't forget, we are available to help your clients with year-end charitable gifts. Below are two tax-efficient gifts to consider:

 IRA Charitable Rollover - Made permanent in 2015, this provision allows individuals age 70 1/2 and older to transfer up to $100,000 from a qualified retirement account directly to a charitable fund without incurring estate or income taxes. Making an IRA Charitable Rollover gift is easy. Simply have your clients contact their IRA administrator or trustee to make the contribution directly to an existing endowment fund or to create a new fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. We offer sample letters to send to IRA administrators here. Learn more about how we can help facilitate an IRA Charitable Rollover gift for your clients before Dec. 31 here.

Gifts of Appreciated Stock - Gifting appreciated securities can help your clients accomplish their charitable goals while also providing an income tax deduction for the fair market value of the donated assets. In addition, capital gains tax may also be avoided on the appreciated amount. We maintain accounts at most brokerage firms to make it easy to transfer these types of gifts. Your clients may use a gift of appreciated stock or other assets to support an existing endowment fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation or to establish a donor advised fund. A year-end gift to an Advised Fund will allow your clients to receive a charitable deduction in 2016 and then have the option of deciding which charitable purposes to support in future years.
  

Kenneth Conklin has been part of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation staff for the past decade. Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Kenneth served as a development professional for the University of Oklahoma for 32 years.

At the Community Foundation, Kenneth helps with donor services as well as with the development of our Charitable Organization Endowment program. Over 360 central Oklahoma charitable organizations have established permanent endowment funds with the Community Foundation which provides them with a reliable source of income through annual distributions.

"I like developing relationships with the organizations and educating their board members on the advantages and merits of a permanent fund," said Kenneth. "The nonprofits that have permanent funds with us are made up of passionate and engaged individuals that seek to better this wonderful community. It is rewarding for me to see these individuals provide support through their time and gifts to make Oklahoma City better for all."

An end-of-year gift made to a charitable organization's endowment fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation could provide long-term support to organizations working in areas your client cares about most. Find a list of charitable organization endowments and online giving options here or for more information, contact Joe Carter at 405/606-2914.

   

Contact:
Joe Carter
Director, Development
j.carter@occf.org
405/606-2914

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