How to Give

Cash, in the form of personal checks, credit cards and bank drafts, is the most popular type of charitable gifts. Cash contributions may be deductible and result in tax savings. Checks should be made payable to A&M-Central Texas Foundation and mailed to 1001 Leadership Place, Killeen, Texas 76549.. Be sure to indicate the purpose of your gift on the check or in a cover letter.

If you itemize deductions on your federal tax return, you may claim an outright gift of cash as a charitable contribution up to an amount equal to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income. Any deduction not usable in the first year can be carried over for up to five additional years or until it is completely used, whichever is first. You may wish to consult your accountant or tax adviser to determine the tax benefit of your gift.

A transfer of securities (stocks or bonds), held long term, to the A&M-Central Texas Foundation allows you to make a gift and receive a charitable deduction equal to the full fair market value of the securities. You pay no capital gains tax on your gift and neither does the Foundation.

Please contact the Foundation for assistance when transferring assets. You may want to donate the securities before selling the assets and then making a gift of the proceeds, as this may trigger a capital gains liability for you.

It may be possible to deduct the value of these securities up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income. Any excess can be carried over for an additional five years if necessary.

You can give real estate as a current gift or a deferred gift (a retained life estate or gifts through your will). A current gift of real estate, held long term, provides you with a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the gift, up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income. The gift must be appraised by an independent appraiser to determine the value of your deduction.

All gifts of real estate are first evaluated by the A&M-CTFoundation for marketability and potential environmental concerns. Before it can accept a gift of real estate, the Foundation may ask that you supply detailed information on the property.

We recommend you consult with your financial adviser(s) before making a gift of property.

To encourage employees to make charitable gifts, many corporations agree to match personal donations with an equal or greater corporate contribution. Rules about the type of gifts that companies will match (cash, stock, property) vary.

To initiate a matching gift, complete your company's matching gift form and send it along with your gift to the Foundation. The Foundation completes the form, certifying that it has received your gift and is eligible to receive matching gifts under your company's guidelines; we then forward the form to your company. After verifying the eligibility of the donor and the Foundation, the company sends a check to us.

You should check with your company's personnel department to see if your gift qualifies for a corporate match.

A gift in memory or in honor of a colleague, relative or friend is a generous and thoughtful way to recognize a person's life and accomplishments.

When an honorary or memorial gift is made, the Foundation notifies the honoree or others, and the gift is administered as the contributor specifies. To make an honorary gift, send a letter detailing the purpose of your gift as well as the name and address of the honoree. For memorial gifts, your letter should list the honoree's name and the name and address of those you want to be notified of the gift.