
As a state built on resolve, opportunity and creativity, Arkansas’ spirit of hard work and impact also exists in our giving nature.
Arkansas consistently ranks in the top 20 most charitable states in the nation.
The power of philanthropy and how it can transform communities cannot be understated. The Arkansas Community Foundation is proud to play a significant role by making philanthropy accessible and easy for everyone. It is why we exist.
For 45 years, the Arkansas Community Foundation has been a matchmaker between those who want to give and those who need it most.
We work with people opening a charitable fund with $1,000 or $10 million. Our staff works with tax or estate attorneys, accountants and financial advisers to help their clients maximize all the tax benefits of charitable giving.
We also work directly with individuals, families and corporations to make their giving strategic and aligned with their values.
The holiday season provides moments for reflection and gratitude, but it is also a time to act. Now is the time to determine your tax burden for this year and ensure all the advantages of giving are realized. The foundation specializes in being the state’s premier choice for philanthropic services.
For example, Jim in central Arkansas, a fundholder at the Arkansas Community Foundation, gave $33,000 of his IRA required minimum distribution (RMD). He took advantage of the qualified charitable distribution (QCD) and had his financial adviser send it directly to his designated account for giving at the foundation.
Therefore, Jim did not have to pay tax on the QCD, and he now has all of his $33,000 to donate to charities he loves, rather than paying 35% tax on the RMD and only having $21,450.
In essence, having $11,550 in savings from taxes available for giving to the causes he cares about — hiking trails in the Ouachita Mountains, local nonprofit theater, symphony performances, grade-level reading and his local affiliate’s Giving Tree endowment — means more for multiple charities in his community doing great work.
Jim’s experience is one of the many philanthropic success stories from the foundation.
For those who want or need to give now, using highly appreciated assets such as real estate, land or stock is an incredible way to donate and can be better from a tax perspective than cash.
We work with many Arkansans who use their investment retirement assets when they are required to take a distribution to maintain their giving to their house of worship or charities in their 70s and beyond.
For those looking to leave a legacy and teach their children how to give back, we can help create a gift through a will or trust.
And we have an easy solution for those who support many causes to do so with one asset and make grants to multiple organizations through a donor-advised fund.
’T’is the season of giving. Charitable donations are a great way to impact the causes you and your family care about and help build better communities for Arkansas.
