Donate Stock, Retirement Assets, or IRA Funds to WSA
Appreciated stock, retirement accounts, and IRA distributions are among the most tax-efficient ways to make a meaningful gift, and they often let a family give more than they could comfortably give in cash. WSA accepts all three and can work directly with your advisor to keep the transfer simple.
What you’ll need to donate
To donate stock or initiate a transfer from a retirement account or IRA, your financial advisor or institution will need our legal name and EIN.
Legal name: The Waldorf School of Atlanta
EIN: 58-1741907
For questions, contact us at development@waldorfatlanta.org or (404) 809-3777
Please contact us before you initiate a transfer. Securities frequently arrive with no donor name attached, and without a heads up we may not know whom to thank or how to credit the gift.
What Is An Asset Donation?
An asset gift means transferring property directly to WSA rather than selling it first and giving the proceeds. With appreciated securities, selling first generally triggers capital gains tax on the growth, which reduces both what you give and what you keep. Transferring the shares directly generally avoids that tax entirely, and if you have held them more than a year, you can generally deduct the full fair market value. The same principle applies to retirement assets, which can carry a heavy tax burden for heirs and none at all for a nonprofit.
Three Ways To Give
-
Donate Appreciated Stock
If you own stock, mutual funds, or other securities that have grown in value and you have held them more than a year, transferring them directly to WSA generally avoids capital gains tax on the appreciation while allowing a deduction for the full fair market value at the time of transfer. Your brokerage handles the transfer with our information above.
-
Name WSA as a Retirement Account Beneficiary
You can name WSA as a full or partial beneficiary of an IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or similar account. It costs nothing during your lifetime, takes a few minutes on a form with your account provider, and requires no attorney. Retirement assets are among the most heavily taxed things to leave to heirs and among the least costly to leave to a nonprofit, which makes this one of the more efficient legacy gifts available.
-
Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from Your IRA
If you are 70½ or older, you can direct a distribution from your IRA to WSA that is excluded from your taxable income and can count toward your required minimum distribution for the year. The IRS sets an annual limit that adjusts each year, so confirm the current figure with your advisor. Ask your IRA administrator to send the distribution directly to the school rather than to you first, since a distribution that passes through your hands does not qualify.
-
Give your brokerage our legal name, tax ID, and DTC information above, and tell us the security and number of shares you are sending. The transfer itself usually takes a few business days.
-
Yes. For securities, we acknowledge the gift by describing the shares received and the date of transfer. IRS rules mean the school cannot assign a dollar value, so your valuation is based on the fair market value on the transfer date. For a qualified charitable distribution, we acknowledge the amount received from your IRA administrator.
-
No. If the transaction fees on a very small transfer would outweigh the benefit, cash may simply be simpler, and we are glad to talk it through either way.
-
Sometimes. Tell us what you have in mind before you transfer, and we will tell you honestly whether the school can commit to it. Unrestricted gifts are the most useful, but a purpose that matches our real needs is very welcome.
-
For a gift to count in the current tax year, the transfer must be completed by December 31, not merely initiated. Brokerages and IRA administrators slow down considerably in late December, so start by early that month. Mid-December is cutting it close and the week between Christmas and New Year's rarely works.
-
A qualified charitable distribution is not available to you yet, but appreciated stock and a beneficiary designation both are, and either may serve you better anyway.
FAQs
Other Ways to Give
-
Annual Fund
The school's operating support, raised fresh every year. It is the most flexible gift you can make and the one we build the budget around. Our goal this year is $115,000.
-
GOAL Scholarships
Redirect a portion of the income tax you already owe to fund tuition assistance at WSA, and receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit. Applying takes two minutes, and no payment is due when you apply. The window closes December 31.
-
Auction & Gala
One evening each spring, our community gathers for dinner, dancing, and an auction of extraordinary things, and the whole night funds the school. Buy a ticket and bid, sponsor the evening, or donate something to the auction table. It is the rare way of giving where you also get a night out.
-
Matching Gifts
Many employers match charitable gifts, and some match monthly ones too. Ask your HR department whether yours is one of them, and let us know if it is so we can thank you for both.
-
Stock, Retirement, IRAs
A gift of appreciated securities can carry meaningful tax advantages compared with selling first and giving the proceeds. Contact us before you initiate a transfer so we can watch for your gift and thank you promptly.
-
Wills & Bequests
Some families choose to make WSA part of their legacy through a bequest, a trust, or an endowment gift: the gift of this education for children they may never meet. We would be honored to talk it through with you and your advisor.
-
Sponsorship
Sponsor the Holiday Fair in November or the Annual Auction and Gala in April, in cash or in-kind. Four simple levels at each event, with recognition that stays visible on our website.
-
In-Kind Donations
Auction items and experiences valued at $50 or more, gift cards, flowers for the Fair, or professional services like printing, catering, or photography.
-
Evergreen Partners
Georgia businesses that participate in GOAL on behalf of WSA are recognized as Evergreen Partners, with priority placement in our Business Directory.
Questions? We are here to help.
Reach Mae Hill, Development Director, at development@waldorfatlanta.org or (404) 809-3777.