International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

A donor has real estate such as a home, vacation home, or business real estate that she wants to pass on to charity. The real estate is not needed as part of her retirement plan or to live in. If included in her estate, it may be subject to significant estate taxes.

To avoid unwanted taxes and invest in the work of a favorite charity, a Gift of Real Estate can be made while the donor is alive, or as part of a Bequest defined in a Will or Trust. A gift of real estate made to a charity upon death through a Will or Trust can qualify for the estate tax charitable deduction, avoiding potential estate taxes on the asset.

The charitable deduction for a gift of real estate made while the donor is alive will be determined by several factors. For real estate owned for at least a year and a day, the donor will be entitled to a fair market value charitable deduction. Properties held for less than one year and one day are considered short-term capital gain and deductible only to the extent of the “basis” or actual cost to the donor. All real estate will require a qualified outside appraisal. Call and speak to one of The Fellowship’s Planned Giving Representatives at 888-588-4325 for more information.

The Fellowship requires that all real estate gifts must be given to the IFCJ Foundation which manages the sale of the property and then transfers the cash to The Fellowship. Acceptance is contingent on a satisfactory “environmental audit” and other factors.

The Benefits

• Assuming the donor has held the property for a year and a day, the donor would receive a full fair market value deduction for the donation
• The Fellowship receives support to sustain critical life-changing work

The Stevenson’s Gift of Real Estate

Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson have a home in the Detroit suburbs and also own a family lodge in a beautiful ski resort area of Michigan. Their children are grown and no one has time to go to the lodge anymore. Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson believe in the vision and mission of The Fellowship. After praying about it, they came to the conclusion that they needed to donate the property for the benefit of the Jewish people. They called The Fellowship and found that the donation should be made to the IFCJ Foundation. They also agreed to provide an environmental audit.

Since the lodge had been owned by the couple for many years, they received a charitable deduction for its full appraised fair market value. And the IFCJ Foundation was able to sell the property quickly and placed the funds with The Fellowship to support key projects in Israel.