Cash gifts are commonly seen as the only way to financially assist your favorite ministry. During a period when many stocks are experiencing high returns, stock giving may be an effective addition or alternative to cash giving. If you own any appreciated property, like stocks, mutual funds, bonds, or real estate, there are three major advantages to giving the asset versus giving cash:

1. Ability to make a potentially larger gift. For many of us, the desire to give exceeds the amount of cash we have available to give. If you have access to investments that can be transferred to fund a gift, without taking from cash flow used to meet your budgetary needs, your giving is not limited to cash available.
2. Increase in cash flow. Cash flow often presents a challenge for many individuals. Even an individual with substantial net worth may have difficulty meeting current financial obligations. Highly appreciated property may not produce substantial cash flow. Many times, stocks and bonds produce cash flow, in the form of dividends, of only one to two percent of their net worth. A gift of these types of properties may result in an immediate tax deduction, which increases cash flow. A tax deduction can offset long-term cash flow loss for a number of years.
   
3. Avoidance of capital gains tax. If you sell appreciated property and make a gift of the proceeds, you will be taxed on the appreciation. This is called a capital gains tax. But that tax is avoided when you give appreciated property directly to Growthtrac or to the 501(c)(3) charity of your choice. And your charitable deduction will be for the full fair market value of the property at the time of the transfer. For more information about non-cash giving, contact (email) If you would like to discuss your gift or need more information contact Estate Planing and longer term options for donating to the Ministry For appreciated assets giving, estate planing, and other longer term donation options.

Appreciated Assets —Would you like to support the ministry of Growthtrac but thought it could only be done with cash? You can give almost any kind of non-cash personal property and do it in a number of ways. Tax benefits are greatest if the asset you give is worth more than you paid for it.

Read Estate —Another way to give to our ministry without giving cash is by donating real estate. This is a tremendous way to avoid paying any tax on the increase in the value of the property.

Life Insurance —Do you have a policy that is no longer needed for its original purpose? This may be an ideal asset to transfer to Growthtrac. Your wishes will be carried out promptly, and your gift will not be delayed by settlement of your estate nor diminished by probate costs. In addition, you may receive valuable benefits in the form of income tax deductions.

Memorial Gifts —A memorial gift is a meaningful way to express honor and tribute to a loved one by giving a gift of lasting worth. You may give any type of gift in memory of another person. Trusts, Wills, Annuities, and other charitable giving plans can also be used to further your gift.

Deferred Gifts
Deferred gifts are gifts that you establish now for a future date. The actual gift may be made after your lifetime or in a term of years. In some cases, you can receive income and tax benefits during your life. For more information about the most common types of deferred gifts, select from the choices below:

Retirement Assets —Perhaps you have found that after setting aside assets for when your income declines at retirement, God has blessed you with more funds than you will use (reduced expenses? greater income than anticipated?) The result is an excess of assets that are available for distribution at death. Even at death, however, these assets are subject to income tax unless they are distributed to charity.

In cases of larger estates (subject to estate tax), the combined income and estate tax may exceed 75%. Some may find that rather than losing the benefits of the majority of their retirement assets, these make an ideal gift to support Growthtrac’s 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry. By making Growthtrac the beneficiary of all or a portion of your retirement assets, you can be assured that there will be ZERO taxes paid on these assets.

Wills —Only about 4 out of 10 Americans have planned for their family and heirs by executing a will. A will directs how a person wants his or her property distributed at death. It is also used for other purposes, such as naming a guardian for minor children, tax and estate planning, and providing for charitable causes. When a person dies, the will is filed with the court to be probated. Probate is simply the procedure for passing property to the rightful heirs, under court supervision. The probate court relies on a person's will to determine who are the rightful heirs.

If someone dies without a will, the court does not have guidelines to determine the rightful heirs. So your state, in effect, "creates" a will for those who do not do their own planning.

A will ensures that what you desire to give to your loved ones and to Christian causes will be given. We would hope that you would consider Growthtrac as a ministry that you would like to support from your estate.

You can name the Growthtrac as a beneficiary, giving you many choices:

	Give us a bequest of a fixed dollar amount. o Give us a percentage of the estate. This allows you to keep the division of the estate residue in desired proportions, regardless of its size
	Make us a contingent gift. That is, the funds would go to a certain individual if that person survives you. If not, they would be paid to us. o Create a trust to pay you an income for life, with the remaining principal to be given to us thereafter.
	Give us a gift without restrictions. This allows us to apply the funds to our most pressing needs and is the best way to give to us to help us achieve our mission.

Your attorney should, of course, be involved in planning your will. If your plans include a deferred gift or bequest to us, we would also like to be included in the discussion and recognize your generous commitment during your lifetime.

Revocable Living Trusts —A Revocable Living Trust does the work of a will and more. It not only provides for the distribution of your resources at the time of death, but allows you to prepare for your living needs (e.g., you become incapacitated and unable to manage them, or you prefer not to). Assets in a Revocable Living through probate, saving both time and money.

Charitable Remainder Trusts —The Charitable Remainder Trust is a way for you to receive a lifetime income from assets that you ultimately want to go to the Lord’s work. It is an excellent way to convert appreciated assets and receive income without capital gains tax, all the while ultimately supporting Growthtrac and receiving a current tax deduction.

Deferred Giving

Deferred gifts are gifts that you establish now for a future date. The actual gift may be made after your lifetime or in a term of years. In some cases, you can receive income and tax benefits during your life. For more information about the most common types of deferred gifts, select from the choices below:

Retirement Assets — Perhaps you have found that after setting aside assets for when your income declines at retirement, God has blessed you with more funds than you will use (reduced expenses? greater income than anticipated?). The result is an excess of assets that are available for distribution at death. Even at death, however, these assets are subject to income tax unless they are distributed to charity.

In cases of larger estates (subject to estate tax), the combined income and estate tax may exceed 75%. Some may find that rather than losing the benefits of the majority of their retirement assets, these make an ideal gift to support Growthtrac Ministries 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry. By making Growthtrac Ministries the beneficiary of all or a portion of your retirement assets, you can be assured that there will be ZERO taxes paid on these assets that are given to the Lord’s work.

Wills — Only about 4 out of 10 Americans have planned for their family and heirs by executing a will. A will directs how a person wants his or her property distributed at death. It is also used for other purposes, such as naming a guardian for minor children, tax and estate planning, and providing for charitable causes. When a person dies, the will is filed with the court to be probated.

Probate is simply the procedure for passing property to the rightful heirs, under court supervision. The probate court relies on a person's will to determine who are the rightful heirs.

You Have Numerous Options: The Choice Is Yours.

You can name Growthtrac Ministries as a beneficiary, giving you many choices:

1. Give us a bequest of a fixed dollar amount.
2. Give us a percentage of the estate. This allows you to keep the division of the estate residue in desired proportions, regardless of its size.
3. Make us a contingent gift. That is, the funds would go to a certain individual if that person survives you. If not, they would be paid to us.
4. Create a trust to pay you an income for life, with the remaining principal to be given to us thereafter.
5. Give us a gift without restrictions. This allows us to apply the funds to our most pressing needs and is the best way to give to us to help us achieve our mission
   
   

Your attorney should, of course, be involved in planning your will. If your plans include a deferred gift or bequest to us, we would also like to be included in the discussion and recognize your generous commitment during your lifetime. Please contact us.
.

How To Leave A Lasting Legacy

In a Will — The following is the correct language to use if it is your intent that your bequest benefit Growthtrac Ministries in your will.

"I give, devise, and bequeath to Growthtrac Ministries with its web site at growthtrac.com the sum of __________ dollars." (Or designate the percentage of the estate or otherwise describe the gift.)

If you include us in your will — please send us a copy of it or the portion which mentions us.

Revocable Trusts — A Revocable Living Trust does the work of a will and more. It not only provides for the distribution of your resources at the time of death, but allows you to prepare for your living needs (e.g., you become incapacitated and unable to manage them, or you prefer not to). Assets in a Revocable Living through probate, saving both time and money.

Charitable Remander Trusts —The Charitable Remainder Trust is a way for you to receive a lifetime income from assets that you ultimately want to go to the Lord’s work. It is an excellent way to convert appreciated assets and receive income without capital gains tax, all the while ultimately supporting Growthtrac Ministries and receiving a current tax deduction.

Today it is not uncommon for people to have more than one life insurance policy. Multiple policies are purchased for a number of reasons, such as to provide financial security for family members, to pay for estate taxes and other expenses associated with the settlement of an estate, or as a savings plan.

Life insurance is a versatile financial planning tool; it can also be a convenient way to give to your favorite charities.

Benefits of gifting life insurance to charity

• A gift of life insurance is economical and tax deductible in most cases.
• A gift of life insurance is usually easy to make.
• A gift of life insurance is flexible, thus it can meet a variety of charitable giving goals.
• A gift of life insurance is confidential; life insurance is not a matter of public record.
• A gift of life insurance is immediate. Proceeds are paid to the beneficiary in cash quickly after death and are usually not touched by the probate process.
  

Gifts of Existing Life Insurance Policies

Perhaps you are interested in gifting life insurance to charity. You may first wish to review the policies you own and ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have a policy on a child who has now achieved financial independence?
• Have you paid off your home's mortgage and no longer need to maintain a mortgage life insurance policy?
• Do you hold a policy on a business that no longer exists?
• Did you purchase a policy with a beneficiary family member who has predeceased you?
• Do you own a policy that your parents bought for you as a child?
• Do you have a policy to provide you with retirement income that is no longer needed?
  

If you have excess life insurance, you may consider including it in your charitable giving plans.

Ways to Support Growthtrac Ministries through Life Insurance

• Simply name Growthtrac Ministries as beneficiary (primary, secondary, or final) of your existing policy.
• Purchase a new policy naming Growthtrac Ministries as owner.
• Donate a paid-up policy by changing the owner to Growthtrac Ministries.
• Give a policy on which you are continuing to pay premiums by naming Growthtrac Ministries as owner or irrevocable beneficiary.
• If you are uninsurable, it is possible in some cases to purchase a policy on the life of another person and name Growthtrac Ministries as owner or irrevocable beneficiary.
• Assign life insurance policy dividends to Growthtrac Ministries to make a convenient tax deductible gift.
  

If you own property and wish to make a charitable gift to ministry, you may find giving real estate to be a wise way to accomplish your goal.

Someone who donates real estate that has been held for more than one year is generally entitled to an income tax deduction equal to the full fair market value of the contributed property. Also, the donor can avoid the capital gains tax on the appreciated portion of the property that would have been taxable if the property were sold. Saving future potential estate taxes and probate costs associated with the property are other possible benefits. Not to mention, giving real estate is often an effective way to make a substantial gift to the Kingdom without dramatically impacting your current cash flow! Whether you are thinking about making a gift of real estate as part of your estate plan or during your lifetime, we welcome the opportunity to talk with you about ways to structure the gift that will enable you to faithfully steward this important and valuable resource entrusted to you by God.

Did you know your employer may actually match the dollars you give to Growthtrac Ministries dollar per dollar? Many businesses — from corporate America to regional upstarts — have matching gift programs to encourage employees to donate money to charities.

Is yours one of them?

As a 501(c)(3) organization, Growthtrac Ministries is eligible for many matching gift programs. Follow these simple steps to participate:

1. Check with your Human Resources department to see if your company has a matching gift program.
2. Click here to provide your company with a copy of our tax id number and IRS determination letter.
   

Fill out an application and send it with your donation to:

Growthtrac Ministries
2413 W. Algonquin Road #213
Algonquin, Illinois 60102-9402