Ways to Give
Being creative in the way you think about supporting a charity that is near and dear to your heart can allow you to make a gift larger than you ever thought possible. The tax benefits might also surprise you.
Cash Gift
The simplest method of giving is with an outright gift by personal check or credit card.
Checks can be mailed to:
St. Johnsbury Academy
Alumni and Development Office
PO Box 906
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
Gifts can be made via credit card or electronic funds transfer from your bank through a one-time donation or by setting up a recurring gift that is automatically made at regular intervals (i.e. monthly). Recurring gifts can also be set up here by choosing Ongoing.
To make a gift via Venmo send it to @SJA1842 and note that it is a donation.
Your donation may also qualify for matching gifts through an employer. Find our matching gift search tool here.
Appreciated Securities
A gift of long-term appreciated securities, like stock, not only receives an income tax deduction equal to the market value of the securities, but also avoids capital gains taxes on the transfer.
Donor Advised Funds
St. Johnsbury Academy is able to accept grants from Donor Advised Funds.
IRA Charitable Rollover (Qualified Charitable Distribution or QCD)
If you are an IRA owner 70 ½ years or older, this a simple, tax-free way to immediately support the St. Johnsbury Academy students and programs you care about. Transfer any amount, up to $108,000 annually, from your IRA to St. Johnsbury Academy and pay no taxes on that gift. The transfer may count as part of your required minimum distribution.
Real and Personal Property
A residence or other real property may be given as an outright gift with a tax deduction equal to the value of the property. If a donor gives a residence or vacation home, they can retain the right to occupy it for life.
Bequests and Retirement Plans
Provisions in a will allow a donor to make a contribution without diminishing the assets during their lifetime. Since bequests are deductible from the taxable estate, significant estate tax savings are possible. Naming a charity as a beneficiary of a retirement plan also avoids income tax when the charity receives its distribution from the plan.
Charitable Gift Annuity
In exchange for a gift of money or securities, a charity will pay the donor and/or a loved one a fixed amount annually for the rest of their life. A portion of this income is not taxed. The donor also receives a charitable deduction for part of the gift as calculated with IRS tables.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
A donor can use an irrevocable trust to provide themselves and/or a loved one with a fixed annual income or an income which varies with the value of the trust. Part of the gift qualifies for an income tax deduction, as calculated with IRS tables. At the death of the last income beneficiary, the corpus of the trust is distributed to the charity.
Charitable Lead Trusts
A donor can support a charity for a term of years or for the life of an individual by creating a charitable lead trust. Income will be paid to the charity of the donor’s choice each year during the term of the trust. When the trust terminates, the assets in the trust revert to the donor or to individuals the donor wish to benefit.
Life Insurance
When a life insurance policy is given to a charity, the cash surrender value of the policy is deductible as a charitable contribution. If the donor continues to pay premiums after their gift, these premiums are also deductible.
For more information on any of these giving options, please contact Assistant Head for Advancement Tammi Sullivan Cady ’88 at (802) 751-2011 or tammi.cady@stjacademy.org, or Director of Development Brynn Reynolds Evans ’98 at (802) 751-2129 or brynn.evans@stjacademy.org. Learn more about tax-smart giving here.
Ways To Give: Read What Other Alums Are Saying
Every gift is important and needed. Thank you for your generosity.