Appreciated securities are perhaps the most cost-effective assets to use in making a gift. When you transfer ownership of stock, you receive a charitable tax deduction for the full market value and incur no capital gains tax (subject to IRS deduction limits) on shares held for at least one year. These tax advantages can decrease the cost of your gift while increasing the amount you can afford to give.

It can also be a wise financial move to contribute stock that has decreased in value. You can declare a loss, receive a tax deduction for the fair-market value of the shares, and use cash that you might otherwise have donated to purchase the same or other securities when rates are low.

Because electronic transfers are made without identifying the donor, please alert us in advance about the stock and number of shares you plan to give. You can do so by contacting Dianne Russell, Executive Director, at [email protected].

You may also contribute stock certificates. Simply send the unendorsed certificates and, separately (for security reasons), a signed stock power available from your financial services provider to:

Institute for Conservation Leadership
Attn: Dianne Russell, Executive Director
115 Centerway, Suite 207
Greenbelt, MD 20770