Ways to Give

Make a Gift Online or by Mail

Your continued support of The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation mission has a lasting impact on our veterans, service members and their families.  Fortunately, the percentage limit for charitable cash donations made by an individual was increased from 50 percent to 60 percent under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.  The result is that individuals who donate large shares of their income to charitable organizations will be able to take a larger deduction. We consider it our privilege to help you shape your personal philanthropic legacy.

You may have already viewed our alternative Wall of Gratitude Program and Legacy Paver Program.  Each of those programs offer donors the ability to contribute online or by mail.

In addition, there are plenty of other ways to participate.  Gifts can be paid for using a number of approaches, all of which we have outlined below.

One Time Donation or Monthly Donation

Contribute Online

An easy way to donate is by making a one –time donation or monthly donation simply by using our one-time donation or monthly donation form below, which offers donors the ability to contribute via credit card or Paypal.  Did you know that research shows that 75% – 85% of donors contribute the transaction fee as well?  We invite you to consider doing the same so that 100% of your intended donation amount can go directly to supporting our mission.

Contribute Offline – Written Check and Post

Contributing by check is a great way to donate for it is void of transaction fees and that’s a win/win for our donors and the Foundation.  100% of your donated dollars go directly to our mission.

If you wish to send a personal check by mail, please make checks payable to the Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos and send your check along with the downloadable Pledge/Gift Donation Form with instructions for the gift designation to the following address:

Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos
481 North Santa Cruz
Suite 250
Los Gatos, CA 95030

Contribute Offline – Credit Card and Post

If you’d like to make a gift to The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation by mail and prefer to use a credit card for your donation, please complete this downloadable Pledge/Gift Donation Form, along with providing your credit card information and mail it to:

Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos
481 North Santa Cruz
Suite 250
Los Gatos, CA 95030

Did you know that 75 – 85% of donors prefer to also cover the transaction fee imposed by credit card companies so that 100% of the donation amount can go directly towards the mission? We invite you to consider doing the same by placing a checkmark indicating that you’d like to cover the transaction fee.

If you need further information, please email honoravet@gmail.com or call Board Director Ellen Manzo 203-561-8888, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Make an Honorary or Memorial Gift

Honorary Gifts

Honorary gifts are a thoughtful way to show appreciation for someone or for commemorating a significant event.  Donations can be made online here.  Alternatively you can contribute by mail by completing the downloadable Pledge/Gift Donation Form and mailing it along with the preferred payment of choice to the Veterans Foundation at the following address:

Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos
481 North Santa Cruz
Suite 250
Los Gatos, CA 95030

Those being honored will be notified of your gift; so please include the name and address of the honoree so that we may notify them of your thoughtfulness.

Make a Gift via Banking Electronic Bill Pay

Today most financial institutions offer electronic bill pay to their customers to support a one-time transaction or multiple transactions to render a check to another party.  Electronic Bill Pay serves as a great option to cover your one-time or repetitive donation transaction(s).  Many financial institutions offer this service without a fee to their customers.

1. Simply establish a bill pay account with your financial institution or bank directing payment to the Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos, our company name, with our mailing address:

Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos
481 North Santa Cruz
Suite 250
Los Gatos, CA 95030

Contact Phone:  Board Treasurer Ms. Natalya Lyukevich, CPA – (408) 771-5959

2. Request that a payment be made for the amount of your desired donation.

3. Include the official name of the donor(s) in the memo notation for the transaction (most banks will typically include the memo on the check).

4. Please complete a downloadable Pledge/Gift Donation Form and send it to our Veterans Foundation at the address provided in #1 above advising the Foundation that we can expect to receive your donation through the bill payment service from your banking institution. Your Pledge/Gift Donation Form will equip us with your contact information so that we may properly acknowledge your donation.

Make a Gift via Wire Transfer / ACH

Donors may wish to make a gift to The Veterans Foundation via electronic transfer, which may be especially convenient for patrons in unique circumstances or travelling internationally.  If you would like to make a gift via an electronic transfer, please contact Board Treasurer Ms. Natalya Lyukevich, CPA at natalya@vasonaaccounting.com for detailed bank instructions to effectuate the transfer.

To ensure proper and timely credit of your gift, please complete a downloadable Pledge/Gift Donation Form and send a copy of the wire transfer confirmation toMs. Natalya Lyukevich, CPA once the transfer has been completed through your financial institution. Please send the transfer confirmation and Pledge/Gift Donation Form to the Veterans Foundation at the following address:

Mail:
Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos

c/o Ms. Natalya Lyukevich, CPA

CFO and Board Treasurer
481 North Santa Cruz
Suite 250
Los Gatos, CA 95030

Email: natalya@vasonaaccounting.com

Make a Gift of Securities

Perhaps you’d like to consider gifting securities in support of the Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation?  It is almost always to your advantage to contribute long-term appreciated securities directly to our cause, rather than selling them and donating the proceeds of the sale. Why?

• You may be able to claim the full market value of donated shares as a charitable deduction on your income tax.
• You may be able to avoid paying capital gains tax on the increase in the value of your shares given to the Veterans Foundation.
• Please consult your tax professional for more information.

Steps to follow to contribute securities:

1. To contribute securities directly to the Veterans Foundation, please notify us of your intention to transfer stock so we may identify, allocate and acknowledge your gift. Please complete the downloadable Pledge/Gift Donation Form to advise the Foundation of your contribution and interests.  Please mail the downloadable Pledge/Gift Donation Form to:

Mailing Address:
Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos
481 North Santa Cruz
Suite 250
Los Gatos, CA 95030

Email:
natalya@vasonaaccounting.com

2. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is The Veterans Foundation’s primary broker and will accept securities from any financial institution via electronic transfer. You may have your financial institution electronically transfer your donated securities directly to The Veterans Foundation by providing them with the following instructions:

Receiving Firm:

Morgan Stanley
DTC (Depository Trust Co.) Clearing #0015
FBO/The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos
Account #167-020XXX

You may also have your financial institution contact the Foundation’s broker directly to arrange for your securities to be transferred to the Foundation’s account. The Veteran’s Memorial & Support Foundation’s broker contact information is as follows:

Mr. Robert Chaykin
Vice President | Family Wealth Advisor
Financial Advisor
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
16000 Los Gatos Blvd.
Los Gatos, CA. 95032

Tel           408-358-0998
Direct      408-358-0994
Fax          408-358-0990
Toll Free  888 -686-0988
robert.chaykin@morganstanley.com
CA Insurance License # 0D27572
NMLS # 311145

If your securities reside with a bank, trust, brokerage house or corporation:

Please complete the Stock Instruction Letter for your contribution to The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos, send the original to your broker, and send a copy to The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos.

If you hold paper certificates:
Please mail the unsigned stock certificates and complete a Stock/Bond Power Assignment Form to The Veterans Foundation. The stock certificates and assignment forms should be separately mailed at the same time, via certified mail. Please include a Pledge/Gift Donation Form indicating the designation of your gift as well.

If the stock is registered in more than one name, each registered party must sign the forms. If you are gifting more than one type of stock, a Stock/Bond Power Assignment Form form is needed for each stock.

Should you have process questions along the way, please contact
Board Member Ellen Manzo
Email: honorAvet@gmail.com
Phone: 203-561-8888

IRA Charitable Rollover

The new tax law passed in December 2017 did not change the popular gift option known as the IRA Charitable Rollover—a qualified charitable distribution from your IRA directly to The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation. This is good news for IRA owners age 70½ and over who want to support The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation and are subject to required minimum distributions from IRA accounts. You can use your IRA to make a meaningful gift and avoid taxes on the IRA distribution. It is easy to do.  Congress has made the provision for IRA charitable rollover gifts permanent, which allows individuals age 70 1/2 or older to make tax-free gifts totaling up to $100,000 from a traditional IRA account directly to The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation. This enables you to:

• Satisfy your minimum required distribution.
• Exclude the distribution from your gross income.
• Fulfill a gift or outstanding pledge.

Execution:

1. Complete a downloadable Pledge/Gift Donation Form advising us of the fact that we can expect your contribution to occur via an IRA Charitable Rollover and mail it to the Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation. 

Mailing Address:
Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos
481 North Santa Cruz
Suite 250
Los Gatos, CA 95030

Email Address:
natalya@vasonaaccounting.com

2. Instruct your IRA custodian to make a distribution directly to us by check. The distribution counts toward your required distribution.
3. If you are considering an IRA charitable rollover gift of up to $100,000 and will be 70 1/2 years of age or older and have any questions, please contact:

Ellen Manzo
203-561-8888
honorAvet@gmail.com.

Benefits of IRA Charitable Rollovers:

• Although there is no tax deduction, the distribution is excluded from your income for federal tax purposes—no tax is due!
• Up to $100,000 of your annual gift qualifies for this favorable tax treatment. You may pay a pledge with an IRA charitable rollover gift.
• Your gift makes an immediate impact—there is no need to wait until the end of the year!
• Please note: Per the Internal Revenue Code, to qualify for tax-free treatment of your distribution, you may not receive any goods or services (The Veterans Foundation doesn’t offer any at present but for inquisitive minds this provision includes for example, gala tickets, improved game seating, etc.) in return for your IRA rollover gift.

For those who must take a required distribution, an IRA Charitable Rollover is a tax-wise strategy that many advisors believe can be the very best way to meet charitable giving goals. If you are planning an IRA Charitable Rollover or want to know more about these gifts, simply let us know. We’ll be happy to work together to explore the many ways you can make an impact.

Corporate Matching Gifts

Corporate matching gifts are a great way for The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation patrons to maximize personal contributions and increase the impact of their gift. By taking advantage of a company’s matching gift benefit, you may be able to double or even triple the amount of a contribution!

To find out if your company has a matching gift policy, please contact your Human Resources office.

The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation can confirm that the Foundation is registered with the following:

Benevity

Benevity is a global leader in online workplace giving, matching, volunteering and integrated grant management solutions. Some of the world’s most iconic brands rely on Benevity’s award-winning solutions to power their Goodness Programs and corporate philanthropy, helping them attract, retain and engage today’s workers by connecting people personally to causes that matter to them. With software that is available in 17 languages, to an employee base of 10 million users around the world, Benevity has processed over 2.5 billion dollars in donations and 15 million hours of volunteering time this year to almost 150,000 charities worldwide.  Access the Benevity List to see if your company supports matching gifts through your firm to The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation.

JPMorgan Chase

Are you a JP Morgan Chase employee?  You’ll be glad to learn that JP Morgan Chase supports our cause and has approved The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation’s inclusion in the JP Morgan Chase Charitable Spending Account (CSA) Credit Program.  Employees of JPMorgan Chase can now register the donations they have made directly to the Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation for Charitable Spending Account credit.

If you have questions or need assistance with the JPMorgan Chase’s Charitable Spending Account Program, contact:

Cybergrants
(888) 291-0655
Email:  jpmcsupport@cybergrants.com.

NVIDIA

Are you an Nvidia employee?  Nvidia has also approved the Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation within its matching gifts program.  Nvidia typically supports gifts between $10 (minimum) to $1000 (maximum) with a match ratio of 1:1.  Employee eligibility includes full time employees and part time employees.  For more details, please visit https://doublethedonation.com/forms/nvidia-guidelines.pdf.

Nvidia’s Matching Gift Submission Process:
While connected to Nvidia’s corporate intranet, employees should submit their matching gift requests electronically at https://nvidia.yourcause.com.

If you have questions or need assistance, please email NVIDIA-Support@YourCause.com.

Submission Deadline:
Employees should submit their matching gift request within 90 days of the date of donation.

Nvidia also offers a Volunteer Grant Program.  Nvidia provides grants to nonprofits where employees volunteer on a regular basis.  For every five hours an employee volunteers, the company provides a $100 grant.  Each employee can request up to $750 through the volunteer grant program each year.  For additional information please visit https://doublethedonation.com/forms/nvidia-guidelines.pdf.

Nvidia’s Volunteer Grant Submission Process:
While connected to the Nvidia’s corporate intranet, employees should log their hours and request the volunteer grant electronically at https://nvidia.yourcause.com.  If you have questions or need assistance, please email CommunityRelations@nvidia.com

Submission Deadline:
Employees should submit their volunteer grant requests the same fiscal year the volunteer time occurred.

Beneficiary Designations, Legacy Gifts

In addition to outright gifts of cash and securities, there are other ways to give that may be more suitable to your needs and objectives. For information about gifts that benefit The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation later, please contact one of the members of our Foundation Board.

To create your future Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation legacy, our team is here to assist you with:

• Gifts to The Veterans Foundation in your will or revocable management trust.
• Beneficiary designations for your retirement plan or life insurance to benefit The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation.
• Charitable gift annuities.
• Charitable trusts.

AmazonSmile

Support the Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation when you shop on Amazon by joining their charitable effort, AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile offers the same items, prices, and deals as Amazon.com and you can use your regular Amazon account. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice.  Simply select the “Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos” as your preferred charity at smile.amazon.com and .5% of every purchase will automatically be donated to our Veterans Foundation. Every item available for purchase on www.amazon.com is also available on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) at the same price. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages.  Login to smile.amazon.com for all future Amazon shopping and every purchase will support the Foundation and the Liberty Campaign.  Easy peasy!

Considerations for Planning a Gift Under the New Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

How the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into action may affect your personal planning depends on family size, available deductions and income.  Taxpayers can continue to realize charitable giving goals and many donors will continue to have discretionary (perhaps even more) funds available for planning.  The percentage limit for charitable cash donations made by an individual was increased from 50 percent to 60 percent.  Individuals who donate large shares of their income to charitable organizations, will be able to take a larger deduction.  This is particularly helpful for donors making a large, legacy-shaping gift.  We advise that considerations for planning a gift under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are the following:

Continue to be mission driven.  Giving makes an important difference no matter how taxes affect you.

Think about giving appreciated property.  Making a gift with long-term appreciated stock can be a tax-wise alternative to a gift of cash.  Capital gains tax can still be avoided through outright gifts of appreciated property.  Donors avoid the capital gains tax on the appreciation by giving the property, and the full amount of the gift makes an immediate impact.  Nothing is lost to taxes, and the full value of the stock is deductible if you itemize.

Consider an IRA Charitable Rollover.  If you are an IRA owner age 70 ½ or over, a charitable distribution from your IRA can be a smart, simple way to meet philanthropic goals.  The gift (up to $100,000 annually,) counts toward your required minimum distribution, and no income tax is due.

Life-income gifts and Donor Advised Funds remain attractive.  Life-income gifts (charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts) remain especially attractive charitable giving options.  Donor Advised Funds are not affected by the new law, which means contributions to these funds continue to be deductible.  Donors can select the timing and amounts of gifts that are made from the fund, just as they have in the past.

Take your long-term strategy into account.  Maximizing the gifts you make in a particular year (referred to by some as “bunching” can provide you with deductions that exceed the standard deduction and reduce taxable income.

Don’t forget revocable gifts.  This option lets you plan now, retain use of your assets, and make a substantial gift in the future.  Some examples include beneficiary designations and gifts through your will or trust.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made big changes to the income tax landscape – changes that will let most people keep more of the money they earn.  The estate and gift tax exclusion has doubled.  This means donors can confidently move forward with charitable giving traditions and commitments.  And for our supporters who are considering large gifts, it means charitable giving can play an even greater role in tax-wise planning strategies.

Please let us know how we can assist you and your advisors in exploring charitable giving strategies under the new law.  Your continued support of our mission has a lasting impact on our veterans, service members and their families.  We consider it our privilege to help you shape your personal philanthropic legacy.

Tax laws are complex and subject to change. The Veterans’ Memorial and Support Foundation of Los Gatos does not provide tax or legal advice.  Individuals  are encouraged  to consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters.