Disclaimer:  It is recommended that before any decision is made regarding your donations, you should contact your personal tax professional to seek advice/counsel.  FOFW does not provide tax advice. 

Personal Giving has many options

Residents and friends of the Fourth Ward are invited to strengthen and enrich our neighborhood through charitable contributions to the Fourth Ward Foundation. The Foundation is a tax-exempt organization as defined by the IRS. Therefore, the financial resources you provide are deductible to the full extent allowed by law.  

Important Note: Your contribution to the Fourth Ward Foundation will be used solely to support local not-for-profit organizations.

Personal Giving Options
Making a charitable contribution to the Fourth Ward Foundation is easy. You have a variety of options from which to choose: 

Check
Perhaps the simplest option for a contribution is writing a check. Please make your check payable to the Fourth Ward Foundation and mail it to the following address:
Fourth Ward Foundation
PO Box 220072
Charlotte, NC 28222

Online Giving
Various loyalty programs make using credit cards an attractive option for many donors. Simply access the Foundation’s giving page and use this link to make a secure online gift or scroll down to the bottom of this page to make an online donation now. You can make an online donation or a monthly donation. 

Matched Gifts
Did you know that many employers will match your donations to a nonprofit? Contact your company and ask if they will match your gift.  

Gifts of Stock, Real Estate and Personal Property
Gifts of securities, stocks, real estate and personal property transferred can help support the Mission and Vision of Friends of Fourth Ward. Individuals with highly appreciated stock are encouraged to consider using these assets to support Friends of Fourth Ward. By contributing these publicly-traded securities, you are able to avoid capital gains taxes.  

To initiate a transfer of stock, please contact your broker, and then email the Foundation (communications@fourthwardclt.org) with this important information: 

• Your Name
• Your Contact Information
• Address
• Phone
• Email
• Name of Stock
• Number of Shares
• Your Broker’s Name and Firm 

IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution
If you are at least 70 1/2 years of age, you may want to utilize the IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution, formerly known as the IRA Rollover Provision, as a tax-wise way to support the Fourth Ward Foundation. Choosing this option benefits you in two ways: first, the amount you distribute to the Foundation is excluded from taxable income; and second, when you reach age 72 the contribution counts toward your required minimum distribution.

Start by contacting your IRA account administrator to request a charitable distribution from your plan. Provide the administrator with the Foundation’s Tax ID number, 26-1093240, and instruct him or her to send the check, payable to the Fourth Ward Foundation, to the following address:
Fourth Ward Foundation
PO Box 220072
Charlotte, NC 28222 

Please review these important details before contacting your account administrator: 

• You must be 70 ½ before transferring funds;
• To qualify as tax-free, your gift must be directly transferred from your IRA account to the Foundation;
• At age 72, the transfer may qualify — in part or in whole — for your yearly required minimum distribution;
• Your gift must be made by December 31 to qualify for that particular tax year;
• The maximum amount per year eligible for tax-free transfer from your IRA is $100,000;
• If you have a spouse, as defined by the IRS, who is 70 ½ or older and has an IRA, he or she can also transfer up to $100,000 from his or her IRA; and
• The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction.

Major Gift Commitments
Many donors want to make a larger commitment to Friends of Fourth Ward that can be fulfilled over three to five years. We will work with you to prepare a non-binding Statement of Intent to ensure your charitable intentions are realized.

Planned Gifts
We encourage residents, past and present, and friends who are passionate about the Fourth Ward to include us in your estate plans. These planned gifts, sometimes referred to as legacy commitments, allow you to honor family or friends, may offer some tax advantages, and help ensure Friends of Fourth Ward will fulfill its mission well into the future.  

There are *two easy, straight-forward ways to support Friends of Fourth Ward through your estate plans: include the Foundation in your will or trust, and name us as a beneficiary of your IRA. 

*Including the Foundation in your will or trust can be accomplished by adding a single sentence to your documents: 

“I, (insert your name), of (city, state and zip code), give, devise and bequeath to the Fourth Ward Foundation, of Charlotte, North Carolina, (enter specific amount or percentage of the estate or description of property) for its unrestricted use and purposes.”

or 

*Naming the Fourth Ward Foundation as a beneficiary of your IRA is almost as easy. Please follow these four steps:

1. Request a change of beneficiary form from your plan administrator;
2. Determine the percentage of your IRA you would like to designate to the Fourth Ward Foundation;
3. On the form, name the Foundation as a beneficiary and enter the specific percentage; and
4. Return the completed form to your plan administrator. 

Three final and important points:
Always consult with your attorney and/or tax advisor before taking any action with your estate plan.

Disclaimer:  It is recommended that before any decision is made regarding your donations, you should contact your personal tax professional to seek advice/counsel.  FOFW does not provide tax advice. 

Please notify Friends of Fourth Ward of your intentions to include us in your estate plans. You may email us at communications@fourthwardclt.org, or write to us at Friends of Fourth Ward, PO Box 220072, Charlotte, NC 28222.

Thank you!