Giving

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It is all a gift

The Catholic Foundation is here to meet every open heart wherever you are in your charitable journey.

We amplify the fruits of giving to make those gifts go even further for Catholic parishes, schools, vocations and ministries throughout our Columbus diocese and beyond.

A Catholic charitable plan begins with the understanding that all of what we have is a gift. At The Catholic Foundation, we employ proven strategies and opportunities perceived to be available only to the few and put them to work for the many.

We assist Catholics in multiplying their gifts through every stage of their giving journey, from everyday Donor Advised Funds through Endowments and Planned Gifts.

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Planned Giving

Structuring Your Estate For Eternal Impact

As you near retirement, you have an opportunity to see the many ways God has blessed you over your lifetime and are in a position to start thinking about setting aside some of those assets to benefit the faith today and for future generations of Catholics.

Planned giving is not asking for money now; it allows donors to direct estate assets to a parish, school, or favorite ministry after their earthly existence.

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Types of Giving

We assist Catholics in multiplying their gifts through every stage of their giving journey, from everyday Donor Advised Funds through Endowments and Planned Gifts.

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Donor Advised Funds

Think of this as an everyday charitable checking account that you can open with no minimum requirement. This fund acts as a way to engage in weekly, monthly or annual giving. Invest and multiply your gifts and then channel them into your parish, school or ministry – you advise where to allocate your grants within causes that align with Catholic values.

Open Donor Advised Fund

Key Benefits:

Immediate tax deduction with the option of deferred charitable distribution
Advise when and where to send distributions as small as $50
Flexibility to grant to multiple organizations
Consolidates your charitable giving, providing administrative convenience
Online access for convenient granting and account information
Donate anonymously, if desired
Create a family legacy of faith – name your children, grandchildren or other loved ones as successor advisors to the fund

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Endowment Funds

Longer term, sustained investments designed to fund, sustain and grow any parish, school or ministry that aligns with your charitable goals. Endowments can be broad in their scope or specific in their application, and are meant to be an everlasting source of funding.

Key Benefits:

Designate to your favorite Catholic organization or leave the fund unrestricted to serve the greatest needs in the Catholic community
The Catholic Foundation manages the fund and distributes income to the selected organization
Open with cash, marketable securities or other assets
Ability to fund at death with an estate gift or designation in a will
Invested in accordance with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops guidelines for Socially Responsible Investments
Avoid capital gains taxes on long-term, highly appreciated assets
Reduction in income taxes
Provide a perpetual annual source of revenue for the charity of your choice

Planned Gift

As retirement nears, there are opportunities to make broader plans for assets that have carefully accumulated over a lifetime.

Planned giving allows donors to direct estate assets to a parish, school, ministry or cause that captures the heart of the giver.

Cash, appreciated stock, real estate, insurance policies and retirement funds are some of the ways you can make a permanent impression on your Catholic faith.

Key Benefits:

Opportunity to bestow a meaningful gift to a parish, school or ministry that reflects your beliefs and values while leaving a unique legacy to memorialize those values and beliefs by supporting them beyond your lifetime
Planned giving provides a peace of mind knowing that your gifts will be received by the charity of your choice in the future or at death
Receive current benefits including tax advantages and the potential for returned income

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Scholarships

Scholarships support promising and deserving students by assisting them with the costs of their education.

Donors often establish a scholarship fund because they have benefitted from a Catholic education in their own life and want to ensure that those same opportunities are available to future generations. Donors may also establish a scholarship to honor or memorialize friends, teachers, family members, or other loved ones.

Key Benefits:

Donor may set criteria for awarding the scholarship
Donor may choose to provide the scholarship for students in elementary, junior high, high school or even college
The Catholic Foundation manages the fund and distributes the award directly to the school on behalf of the recipient(s)
Once established, anyone can contribute to a scholarship fund
Open a scholarship fund with a minimum of $50,000

Charitable Gift Annuity

Starting at 65 years old, receive fixed income payments throughout your life, no matter how long you live. At the end of your life, any remainder of the annuity will benefit the charity of your choice. A charitable gift annuity also offers multiple tax advantages.

Additional Benefits for Deferred Charitable Gift Annuity:

Allows charitable gift to grow tax-free, prior to receiving income payments
Typically receive a higher payment rate than a standard certificate of deposit (CD)

Key Benefits:

Fixed income for life for you, or for you and a spouse (paid monthly, quarterly or annually)
Avoid capital gains taxes on highly appreciated assets
Income tax deduction in the year the annuity is established
Part of each income payment is tax-free

Charitable Trusts

Receive fixed payments for a term of years, with the remainder of funds going to your selected charity or make fixed payments to a charity with the remainder of funds returning to you or an heir. There are different types of charitable trusts making them a flexible giving option.

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Charitable Remainder Trust

A Charitable Remainder Trust allows you to donate cash, marketable securities or other assets to The Catholic Foundation, and in return you receive regularly scheduled payments for life or for a predetermined number of years. At the end of the term, the organization that you designate receives the remaining assets.

Key Benefits:

Allows fixed or variable payments for life or a term of years for you or others
Reduce estate and gift taxes
Receive an immediate tax deduction based on the present value of the charity’s future interest
Open with a minimum of $100,000

Charitable Lead Trust

A Charitable Lead Trust provides fixed income payments to your selected charitable organization for a specified number of years. At the end of the term, the remaining balance in the trust is transferred back to you or your heirs.

Key Benefits:

Allows you to make an ongoing gift to charity, while retaining a future interest in the asset
Ability to pass assets on to heirs at a substantially discounted value
Receive a current-year tax deduction for the present value of the amount the charity will receive
Open with a minimum of $100,000

Make your impact

What To Give

There are multiple ways you can open a fund or contribute to an existing fund.

Life Estate

Allows you to make a gift of your home to benefit your parish, school or favorite Catholic ministry while retaining the full use and rights to the property during your lifetime. This type of planned gift may reduce the donor’s tax liability by avoiding a capital gain and by generating a current charitable deduction. It also removes the property from your estate, thereby reducing or eliminating any estate taxes.

Complex Assets

Contributing complex assets to a charitable organization like The Catholic Foundation is a powerful way to support your favorite cause while potentially gaining significant financial and tax benefits. Unlike straightforward cash donations, complex assets often involve non-cash assets such as real estate, privately held business interests, or even collectibles like art or jewelry.

Types of Complex Assets

(This is not an exhaustive list)

1. Real Estate: land, residential or commercial real estate, or vacation homes (excluding timeshares). These can be donated outright, placed in a charitable remainder trust (CRT), or given through a retained life estate.

2. Privately Held Business Interests: S Corp stocks, partnerships, LLC shares, or other ownership stakes. Donors may gift these assets before selling the business to reduce capital gains taxes.

3. Stocks and Securities: highly appreciated stock or securities can be donated to avoid capital gains taxes while receiving a charitable deduction for the fair market value.

4. Oil & Gas Interests: royalties, working interests, and mineral rights. Tangible property, such as equipment or infrastructure related to extraction or transportation. Interest in oil and gas leases, including those generating passive income is also included.

5. Cryptocurrency: leverage the advantages of blockchain technology while making a meaningful contribution to causes you care about. It’s a modern, impactful way to give back.

6. Collectibles and Art: items of significant value such as rare books, antiques, or art pieces. Valuation and proper appraisal are key to ensuring compliance with tax regulations.

Our team has experience managing complex assets, which require careful planning but can substantially benefit the donor and chosen charity. To learn more, contact Scott Hartman at 614-443-8893 or shartman@catholic-foundation.org.

Real-World Impact

The Catholic Foundation helps donors support Catholic causes. While our primary focus is within the 23-county diocese of Columbus, we can direct funds to any Catholic-aligned organization within the United States. We believe giving isn’t something we have to do – it’s something we get to do as Christ’s followers.

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Existing Funds

Select a fund and choose the desired amount you would like to contribute online. Anyone can add to an existing fund, in any amount.

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Bridge the gap

Areas Of Need

Bridge the Gap offers the Catholic community an opportunity to connect with local organizations, schools, and parishes that need additional financial resources to help with a special project or program.

Learn More