The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation is composed of endowed and non-endowed funds, established by those who wish to create a charitable legacy that benefits causes they care about most in our region. We can help establish any of the following funds, as well as many others. Each provides for significant tax advantages in the present with the security of long-term philanthropy.  For certain funds, the Charitable IRA Transfer affords an ideal tax-saving mechanism to fund your philanthropy. 

To establish, the Foundation accepts various types of assets, including cash and appreciated property, publicly traded stock, closely held stock and/or real estate. The Foundation also accepts deferred or planned charitable gifts including bequests, life insurance, trusts, annuities, retirement accounts, life estates and other options. At your direction, we are pleased to work on your behalf with your attorney, tax professional and/or financial advisor to carry out your wishes.

Donor Advised Funds (DAF)

This is the Foundation’s most flexible and popular fund allowing the donor to make grant recommendations to a broad range of charities. Donors work with the Foundation staff to identify ways to use monies from their funds to address the community needs they care about most. In addition, the funds can be passed on to successor advisors for an unlimited time period, allowing future generations to be involved in funding decisions.  Essentially, a DAF looks and feels like your own professionally staffed private foundation, but with better tax benefits, greater flexibility, fewer expenses, and without the worries of accounting and investment management. With a minimum of a $10,000 to establish a Donor Advised Fund, or $50,000 to establish an endowed advised fund, donors advise or recommend grants from their fund to create a lasting, impactful philanthropic legacy.

Designated Funds

Designated funds may be established with a minimum gift of $25,000 naming specific local and regional recipient charities at the time of establishment. 

Unrestricted Funds

Donating to the Foundation’s general fund allows the donor to give back to the community in a general way, rather than supporting only one organization or cause. The fund meets the ever changing needs of the community and supports the Foundation’s broader grant making initiatives, and as worthy needs or emergencies arise, these funds ensure that financial resources are available.

Field of Interest Funds

Field of Interest Funds allow donors to designate funds to a particular charitable cause to meet a specific need; such as education, youth services, health and human services, arts and culture, faith-based initiatives, the environment and animal welfare.

Agency Endowment Funds

Non-profit agencies may create endowment funds with a minimum gift of $10,000 for the benefit of the agency itself and receive grant distributions annually in perpetuity. 

Non-Endowed Agency Funds

Non-profits may create a non-endowed fund with $100,000 and make annual grants from the fund. Any annual distribution request must be at the $10,000 level or above.

Scholarship Funds

Donors may establish a scholarship fund for students with defined characteristics and may participate in the selection process as a member of the committee. Scholarship Funds are generally endowed and may be established with a minimum of $100,000, and a balance of $100,000 must be maintained for the awarding of scholarships.

Bridge Fund

This lower entry point fund brings the legacy of philanthropic giving to a larger demographic within our community. With a $1,000 opening donation, donors will have the full range of the Foundation's fund holder services, experiences, and reporting available. Use the Bridge Fund to distribute grants to local non-profits of your choosing. Over time, the Bridge Fund may convert to Donor Advised Fund status - upon meeting DAF parameters. Leave the worries of accounting and investment management with the Foundation, while reaping maximum tax benefits.

Contact Us To Open A Fund

The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation manages a main pooled investment fund comprised of a combination of equity, fixed income, and selected alternative investments designed to mitigate risk while employing a total return approach. The top priority of the Fund is to preserve the principal value of the assets and provide an acceptable level of capital growth to respond to the current and changing charitable needs in Coastal Georgia. The fund is currently managed by Truist Investment Services under the guidance of the Finance and Investment Committee of the Board. The Foundation also manages several other separate accounts that remain with the financial advisors of several of our fund holders. Though segregated, each of these funds must also comply with the Foundation's Investment Policy.

Click here for a copy of the Foundation's Investment Policy.

Outright Gifts

 Cash

Gifts of cash or check are the easiest and most convenient way to make a charitable contribution and can be used to establish your own fund or add to an existing fund at our community foundation. Cash gifts entitle you to a tax deduction of up to 50% of your adjusted gross income (AGI), with an opportunity to carry-over any excess deduction for five years.

Securities

Gifts of appreciated securities (bonds and stock, including stock in closely held companies) may also be used to establish a fund or add to an existing fund. Such gifts often provide important tax advantages. Their full fair market value is deductible as a charitable contribution up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income. As with gifts of cash, deduction amounts exceeding this limit may be carried forward for up to five additional years. The added benefit of giving appreciated securities is the avoidance of the capital gains tax on the appreciated portion of the gift.

Real Estate

A gift of real estate held more than a year can provide the same federal tax advantages as those described for gifts of securities. If you are thinking of contributing real estate, it is important that you contact us prior to any action as such gifts are considered by the board and staff on a case-by-case basis. Our ability to accept real estate as a charitable contribution depends upon a number of factors and requirements. Upon request, we will be happy to provide you or your professional advisor with the section of our gift acceptance policy that deals with proposed gifts of real estate.

Art, Jewelry, Antiques, and other Valuables

The community foundation will liquidate the item and use the proceeds to establish or add to an existing fund. The greatest tax benefit comes when the donated object is considered by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to be a long-term capital gain property that has been held more than one year.

Assets from Trusts or a Private Foundation

To the extent you are permitted by law to make grants from a private foundation, you can direct such grants to the community foundation. In most cases, if a private foundation has become burdensome, it is possible to terminate it completely and transfer its assets to create a donor advised fund or other type fund at the community foundation.

Legacy Gifts (tab #2)

We encourage you to work with your estate planning professional to determine your best course of action. Here are some options you may wish to discuss. We would be happy to meet with you and your advisor at any time.

Bequests

A bequest to the community foundation can be as simple as adding a paragraph to your will or naming us on a formal beneficiary designation form. This is the most common planned gift, and it may provide you with valuable estate tax savings and reduce inheritance taxes.

Bequests can be in the form of:

•    a stated dollar amount or specific property
•    a percentage of the estate
•    a portion or all of the residual once provisions have been made for all family members

 See sample language under the Legacy Society tab.

Life Insurance

Name the community foundation as a beneficiary of your policy. Your estate will be entitled to an offsetting charitable deduction. You will receive an immediate tax deduction that usually approximates the cash surrender value of the policy. All premium payments made thereafter are deductible as a charitable contribution.

Retirement Plans

You can name the community foundation as the designated beneficiary of a retirement plan (e.g., IRA, 401(k), 403(b), etc.). These are advantageous types of assets to leave to charity because they can be taxed heavily when left to heirs. Heirs pay income tax on disbursements from a decedent’s retirement plan. Leaving a retirement plan to the community foundation ensures that 100 % of your gift will support your charitable interests and is one of the most tax efficient ways to transfer assets.

Charitable Trusts

A charitable remainder trust (CRT) pays the donor, or a beneficiary designated by the donor, regular income payments for life or a specified trust term (up to 20 years). Whatever remains is then transferred to the community foundation into an existing fund or a fund that you create. The donor receives an immediate charitable tax deduction for the present value of the gift in the year the gift is made. The CRT can be structured to pay a fixed amount, or income that varies with the value of the trust.

A charitable lead trust (CLT) pays annual payments to the community foundation over a donor’s lifetime or for a specified number of years The annual payments may be fixed or may be variable based on the value of the trust. When the trust terminates, the trust principal is distributed to family or others designated by the donor as the beneficiary.

Memorial/Honor Gifts (tab #3)

Create a lasting legacy in our community to memorialize a loved one or a person who greatly influenced your life. Create a fund that carries their name or give in their memory to an existing fund that gives to issues or charities they supported.

Honor a family member, colleague or friend on a special occasion through a gift to our community impact endowment.   Your gift will be tax deductible and the person whom you choose to honor will receive a customized card acknowledging that you have made a gift in their name.

Our staff is available at any time to assist you with your giving.  We have many ideas to share with you.

Be an informed giver

Don't be afraid to ask questions when you're asked to give, including the specific name of the solicitor and his or her relationship to the organization.  Ask how much of your gift will be used for administrative costs versus program costs and the specifics of the project your money will go toward, as well as other important information.  Give only when you feel comfortable that your contribution will be going to support an organization which you know and believe in and a project or program which will achieve results.

Budget for Giving

Plant your philanthropic activities right into your budget just as you would other financial obligations.

We are happy to help you find the best way to meet your clients' charitable and financial goals while maximizing tax benefits.

What to Give:  Cash, securities, life insurance, retirement plans are only some of the assets clients can use to start a fund or make a donation.

How to Give:  Outright gifts, bequests (see Footprint Fellows in the donor section), charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trust are all possible vehicles for making a gift to the community foundation.

Where to Give:  Donor-advised funds, field of interest funds, agency or named funds, Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation makes it simple for you and your clients to create or contribute to a fund that matches their vision.

Footprint Fellows:  If you have clients who plan to leave a gift to Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation through their will or estate plan, we invite them to join our "Footprint Fellows".

To explore ways that we can help you serve your clients, contact Lee Owen, Executive Director at 912 268-4442 or lowen@coastalgeorgiafoundation.org