More Ways to Give

Donating appreciated securities is one of the most tax-advantaged ways to support our mission. When you donate stock or mutual funds, you can avoid capital gains tax and deduct the full value of securities held more than one year.

As a pre-tax gift, securities can also have an outsized impact — it’s a win-win for you and us! While stock gifting used to be difficult, we’ve made it easy to donate online - no paperwork required! It’s also easy for financial advisors to get transfer instructions on demand. Click here to get started.

Stock & Securities FAQ

What are the benefits of donating securities?

• Avoid the capital gains tax on securities held more than one year
• Receive a charitable tax deduction for the full fair market value
• Have greater impact: when you make a pre-tax gift of securities, we get to keep the proceeds that would have been withheld had you sold the assets and donated the cash proceeds.
• Manage your portfolio: donating appreciated securities is the best way to harvest gains and reduce concentration in a tax-free way

What are the guidelines around charitable stock gifting?

• You can donate publicly traded stocks, mutual funds, ETFs and bonds.
• To avoid capital gains tax, you must have owned the securities for more than one year
• Stock may not be restricted; if you are giving from an employee stock plan you may need to check with your company to ensure
• Shares must be tradable in major U.S. exchanges. This often excludes OTC or micro-cap stocks. Stock options are generally not eligible as there are restrictions on transfers
• If you itemize, the deduction is limited to 30% of your adjusted gross income (AGI)

*As we are not financial advisors, we recommend speaking with a tax professional before taking action. 

Giving from your DAF is easy but the impact is significant. Your DAF grant can make a meaningful difference and it’s easy to start the process. Click here to get started.

What are the guidelines around DAF grants?

• As the DAF account owner, you may submit a request to make a grant to our organization. The DAF administrator has legal control over the funds and must approve the grant request.
• DAF grants are restricted to charitable gifts where no value or benefit is derived by the donor. This precludes using DAF grants to fulfill a pledge, purchase sponsorship, register for a gala, or participate in an auction, among other cases.
• The DAF administrator will send payment to the recipient along with the donor’s information.

Note: the recipient will not receive a tax receipt as the deduction was previously taken when the donor contributed to the DAF (i.e. no additional deduction for the grant).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as legal, tax, or investment advice. Please consult with a professional tax advisor.

If you are age 70½ or older, you may be eligible to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) directly from your IRA to Meals on Wheels Durham. A QCD may also count toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), if applicable.

Once you have discussed with your attorney or financial-planning professional how a planned gift to Meals on Wheels Durham can be in both your best interest and that of the community we serve, please consider any of the various forms of bequests that can be made to support our mission.

• Specific bequests are usually a stated dollar amount. They can also be a gift of securities, real estate or other tangible personal property.
• Residual bequests name Meals on Wheels Durham to receive all or a percentage of the remainder of an estate after specific bequests have been fulfilled.
• Contingent bequests take effect only if all primary beneficiaries named in the will have deceased prior to the donor. Declaring Meals on Wheels Durham a contingent beneficiary can prevent the property from going to the state if there are no heirs.

If you have questions or want to find out more about making a planned gift to Meals on Wheels Durham, please contact our Director of Development, Shawna Sheperd-Murtagh at shawna@mowdurham.org.

If you're a North Carolina state employee or retiree, you can direct a portion of your workplace giving to Meals on Wheels Durham through the State Employee Combined Campaign (SECC). The campaign runs each year from September to December and collectively raises millions of dollars for causes across North Carolina.

MOWD's designation code: 1512

Everyday activities, shopping, browsing, and social media, can turn into support for Meals on Wheels Durham through a few easy-to-use platforms and services.

• Shop online at IGive.com and a portion of your purchase helps fund meals for Durham seniors.
• Search the web at GoodSearch.com, select "Meals on Wheels – Durham, NC" as your charity, and MOWD earns a small donation with every search.
• Start a Facebook Fundraiser for your birthday or any occasion. Search "Meals on Wheels Durham" when setting up your fundraiser, and donations come directly to us with no fees taken out.
• Give through PayPal Giving Fund by searching "Meals on Wheels Durham" at PayPal Giving Fund, where 100% of your donation reaches us.
• Show your support publicly by embedding a Network for Good badge on your organization's website, so your visitors can see your commitment and give too.
• Run your own campaign at FirstGiving if you've got a knack for creative fundraising.