Charitable Giving Solutions

From the simplicity of a charitable giving fund to the ability to maximize your support by contributing non-cash assets, our personalized giving solutions help you experience less paperwork, unique tax advantages and allow you the immediate opportunity to experience the joy of supporting causes you care about.

Charitable Giving Funds

A charitable giving fund is customized with your giving goals and charitable interests in mind. It provides a simple way for you to support the causes and organizations you care about locally and across the country. You can use cash, stock or other assets to create a named fund, qualify for an immediate tax deduction, and when it’s convenient for you, choose the charities you want to support. Plus, by establishing your charitable giving fund with the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines your gift may be eligible for the Endow Iowa Tax Credit, a 25% state tax credit. Learn more about the variety of charitable giving funds available to meet your goals. 

Personalized Giving 

It is the Community Foundation’s privilege to work alongside generous community members as they seek to share the gift of giving with future generations. Whether leading discussions around how your values and beliefs shape your giving,  using our Giving Guide to create a charitable giving mission statements to guide strategic giving or providing opportunities to learn about local causes; our team is here to help you give back.

Legacy Giving

You have been intentional about supporting the causes and communities you care about, so how can you ensure that support will continue after your lifetime? The Community Foundation is here to help. We work with you and your estate planning team to ensure your wishes are documented and carried out as intended. Our legacy funds provide you with the flexibility and simplicity to include your fund as a beneficiary of your will, trust or retirement assets. You then work with our team to determine how your selected assets will be used to benefit the organizations of your choice. If the causes you care about change over your lifetime, we can easily make updates without revising your estate documents. Learn more about legacy funds or download a free copy of our Wills Guide and begin your planning today. 

Sample Language to Use in Your Will

 Percentage or Residuary of Estate
"I give, devise and bequeath _________________ (describe dollar amount, property to be given, or proportion of residuary estate) to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, a nonprofit corporation located in Des Moines, Iowa 50309, tax identification number 42-6139033, to benefit the Better Together Fund (the Community Foundation's grantmaking program)."

Alternatively, you may establish an endowment for a specific purpose through your estate by stating:
"I give, devise and bequeath ________________ (describe dollar amount, property to be given, or proportion of your residuary estate) to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, a nonprofit corporation located in Des Moines, Iowa 50309, tax identification number 42-6139033, to be added to the _______________ Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, of which distribution and spending policy instructions are provided." 

Family Giving

One of the greatest gifts you can give is passing on the joy of giving. Our team of experts is here to help as you share your passion for giving back with your family. We can help facilitate discussions around why you give and together develop a family mission statement to guide future charitable investments. We can also work with you to learn about the areas you want to support and introduce local nonprofits with missions that match your charitable interests. Learn more about our family giving services to begin charitable conversations with your family.

Non-Cash Giving

When considering making a gift, most people’s instinct is to open their checkbook. While cash is a wonderful gift, our team is here to help you think about the assets you currently hold that might better meet your financial and giving goals in tax-wise ways. Gifts we accept include: 

• Appreciated securities
• Real estate
• Business interests
• Personal tangible property
• Retirement plans
• Life insurance
• Agricultural assets such as machinery, grain and farmland

The Community Foundation team has experience in accepting a variety of gift types to support charitable giving funds. This expertise ensures the gift will be facilitated smoothly to maximize your tax-savings and giving opportunities. Learn more.