Benefits to Consider

Timing of Tax Deductions

One of the most appealing benefits of the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund is that you can take an immediate tax deduction – up to the maximum allowed by law – for the amount that you’ve donated. Then, you can recommend the fund make grants to your favorite charities at any time in the future – next week, next year or 10 years from now.

You avoid the pressure of having to make snap year-end decisions because of an income tax deadline and you can spread your giving over time. And because the fund is a public charity, you may be able to take a larger deduction within a given year than you would for a donation or contribution to a private foundation.

No Capital Gains Tax

If you contribute long-term appreciated securities to the fund, you’ll avoid capital gains tax on the appreciated portion and receive immediate charitable tax deduction for the full fair market value of your gift. This is particularly useful for shares bought at a very low price (or other basis) that have appreciated greatly over the years.

No Estate Taxes

Assets donated to the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund during your lifetime are no longer part of your estate and, therefore, not subject to probate. To gain additional estate-planning benefits from the fund, you may leave a bequest to the fund or name the fund as the beneficiary of a charitable remainder trust, an IRA or other retirement assets. Of course, you should always consult your tax advisor for in-depth guidance on these strategies.

Your Gifts Have the Potential to Grow

Depending on the investment objectives you select and the number of grants you make, it’s likely that your gift may earn interest and grow over time so that you may be able to give even more to charitable organizations than the value of your original gift.

Creating a Tradition of Giving

You can’t live forever, but your passion for helping others can. The fund enables you to create a legacy of giving in your family name, see the benefits in your lifetime and designate a successor donor – your children, grandchildren or other important people in your life – to recommend grants for you after your death.

The Pleasure of Giving Without the Hassle

It simply couldn’t be easier. The Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund provides all administration and reporting services you need for your giving program, including the documentation you need to calculate and support income tax deductions.

The Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund will keep you apprised of account activity with status reports each quarter and a summary report at year-end.

Gain the Advantages of a Private Foundation Without the Expense

Unlike private foundations, there are no start-up costs, no tax on the fund’s investment income, no individual payout requirement and the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund provides all recordkeeping services.

Private Foundation	Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund
Legal and accounting fees to establish.	No start-up costs
Foundations need to manage assets, maintain records and prepare tax returns.	All administrative, investment and recordkeeping services are provided by the fund.
Current year tax benefit limited to: 30% of adjusted gross income for cash gifts and 20% of adjusted gross income for fair market value of marketable securities held long-term.	Current year tax benefit limited to: 50% of adjusted gross income for cash gifts and 30% of adjusted gross income for fair market value of marketable securities held long-term.
Excise tax of 2% of investment income annually.	No tax on fund investment income.
5% of foundation assets must be distributed annually to avoid income taxes.	No individual payout required, however 5% of the total fund must be distributed each year.
Must verify tax deductibility of charity.	Fund verifies the tax status of all recipients.

Next: Establishing an Account

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