Ways to Give
Monthly Giving
Many friends of Western Seminary wish to make regular, monthly gifts. A monthly gift is an easy, automatic way to give according to your budget and schedule at the same time each month. Learn more about monthly giving opportunities today. Give now.
Matching Company Giving
Did you know many companies match an employee’s donation to Western Seminary dollar for dollar, sometimes more? What better way to multiply your giving. Reach out to your employer to see if your company has a matching gift program.
Stock
Gifts of securities are an excellent way to make a contribution. You may find significant tax advantages by using securities held longer than a year rather than giving cash, including taking the fair market value of the appreciated securities as a tax deduction and avoiding all capital gains tax. We would be pleased to discuss these advantages with you and help facilitate your transfer. Please follow the instructions below when making a securities transfer:
Please send stocks to:
| Merrill Lynch | DTC#8862 |
| Account Name & Address: | Western Seminary 5511 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97215 |
| Account Number: | xxx-02727 |
| Western Seminary Contact: | Robert Jones |
| Merrill Lynch Contact: | The Sheffield Group - Jonathan Sheffield / Stephen Sheffield / Christopher Ruiz 333 South Hope St. Suite 3900 Los Angeles, CA 90071 Toll Free 800.937.0620 / Direct Tel 213.787.8732 |
Include in the correspondence your name, address, the name of the security and the number of shares you are donating, plus any designation for the gift, if there is one.
If you possess the actual stock certificates you may mail or deliver those to the address above. It is important that you correctly endorse a stock power form that authorizes Western Seminary to negotiate the securities. Please refrain from signing the stock certificates. Instead, send signed stock powers to Western Seminary in a separate envelope. Your gift will be completed at the time both the stock certificates and stock powers arrive in our office. For additional help, please contact Stewardship (using the form below).
Estate Gifts
There are many plans and resources available to provide income for you and others while at the same time making a legacy gift to fulfill your giving desires. If you have been supporting Western Seminary with your gifts of income through the years, an estate gift made by an owned asset of yours may be the right next step for you and your family. With proper estate planning, we can work directly with your estate/financial advisor(s) to assist by looking specifically at your desires, assets, and needs for yourself and your family. For assistance or further discussion about your specific situation please contact Stewardship (using the form below).
Donor Advised Funds (DAF's)
Donor Advised Funds (DAF’s) are excellent instruments to make gifts to Western Seminary. It is a tax-wise way of “bunching” your giving to all your charitable interests into one gift that may be distributed over a period of tax years, thus maximizing your tax deduction for a significant deduction. Your tax deductible receipt is given to you by your DAF custodian/broker. For more information on how DAF’s work, please contact Stewardship (using the form below), or your broker.
Charitable Gift Annuities
Many individuals desire for their income to accomplish two purposes: to provide a reliable income to support life for themselves and/or others, while also providing a significant gift to the ministry of Western Seminary. Charitable gift annuities provide steady income for one or two people, possible reduction of capital gains tax and other tax benefits, and create a legacy of support. The minimum amount of a charitable gift annuity is small compared to trust arrangements and, unlike trusts, the income is backed by the assets of Western Seminary for the life of the gift annuitant. For further information on charitable gift annuities, please contact Stewardship (using the form below).
Wire Transfer
Wherever you are in the world using any type of currency, you may wire your gift to Western Seminary with the help of your bank. To learn more, please contact Stewardship (using the form below).
Retirement Funds
There are significant tax advantages in donating from your IRA/Retirement Fund. These type of arrangements are more accurately described as qualified charitable distributions (QCD) and can be used to reduce your IRA Minimum Required Distribution requirement if you are 70 ½ years old or more. They are very effective in reducing your tax liability, even if you do not itemize. Someone 59 ½ to 70 ½ may also give through their IRA/Retirement Fund without suffering a penalty for withdrawal. Please contact Stewardship (using the form below) if you wish for more detailed information on this significant way to support Western Seminary.
Real Estate
Often people acquire real property they no long use or wish to maintain. Gifts of real property make valuable gifts to Western Seminary. You may benefit from a tax deduction with the inflated fair market value for the gift rather than just the original purchase price.
Or, perhaps you are living in a home that you may like to leave to Western Seminary one day. We can show you a way to do just that and live in it for the remainder of your life while benefiting from very significant tax deductions all at the same time. Contact Stewardship (using the form below) to further discuss this possibility.
Personal Property
Many folks who have acquired property or antiquities would like to share them with Western Seminary during their lifetimes. Let us show you how to do that and the
potential benefit to you while benefiting the mission of Western Seminary. Contact Stewardship (using the form below) to learn more.
Additional Ways To Give
Gifts of Personal Residence
Perhaps you are living in a home you may like to leave to Western Seminary one day. We can show you a way to do just that and live in it for the remainder of your life while benefiting from very significant tax deductions all at the same time.
Gifts of Business Inventory
Do you own a business that has inventory? It is possible to donate business inventory and have the business receive a tax deduction for the cost basis in the inventory. Let us show you how to make a gift from your business.
Gifts of Life Insurance
Often folks purchase life insurance for a specific purpose like taking care of family members who have either now grown up or are deceased. Or, perhaps, a former employer had a “key employee” policy on you which you own and you no longer need. So called “obsolete” life insurance makes wonderful gifts with significant tax benefits, most often at the value of replacement.
Gifts that Provide Income
There are plans that may provide you significantly more income than you presently have using low or no-income producing assets you may own. With variable income arrangements of many varieties that take advantage of changes in the economy and fixed income arrangements for those who want something as a hedge against down turns in the economy, we may be able to show you how to turn those old, highly appreciated, but no or low dividend securities or real estate, into life income. There are plans backed by the assets of Western Seminary as well as other types of trust arrangements, both revocable and irrevocable, you may consider. If interested, our staff would be happy to work both with you and/or your professional advisors to discuss further.
Contact Stewardship
There are many plans, arrangements and instruments that may be used to increase income, provide for remaining family, removing unwanted or unneeded assets from your estate, or simply some special way you may wish to further the ministry of Western Seminary. If you are interested in exploring any of these creative ways to give, please contact our Senior Vice President of Advancement, Robert Jones, to discuss your options together.
