Ways to Give:

There are many ways to give to The Ridgefield Community Foundation (RCF) and/or your specific fund at RCF. You may establish and make additions to your fund using both current and deferred gifts.

*The Ridgefield Community Foundation’s endowment fund is managed as a donor advised fund (The Ridgefield Community Foundation Fund) of The Fairfield County Community Foundation based in Wilton, CT.  The Ridgefield Community Foundation strives to make a significant contribution to that fund each year so that it will grow to become an available asset to the town and provide for the future needs of its residents.

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Current Gifts

Cash
Appreciated Property such as publicly traded stock, closely held stock and real estate.

A contribution of stocks, bonds, mutual funds or real estate may provide you with an income tax deduction based on the fair market value of the gift and eliminate all capital gains taxes.

Private Foundations
You may convert your existing private foundations into donor advised funds within RCF. You retain the name and purpose of the foundation while eliminating the administrative paperwork

Deferred Gifts

There are many deferred or planed gift options available to you. 

Bequest
A bequest to RCF is a simple and most common planned gift. It may provide you with significant estate tax savings. Bequests can be a stated dollar amount or specific property, a percentage of the estate or a portion or all of the residue.

Life Insurance
A gift of a life insurance policy is one of the simplest ways to make a meaningful contribution to RCF. You may give a policy no longer needed, take out a new policy or name RCF as a beneficiary of an existing policy. Again, this may provide you with significant income and estate tax savings.

Retirement Accounts
A gift of a qualified retirement account may provide a full 100 cents on the dollar avoiding the layers of taxation often reaching as high as 85%. The remaining percent your heirs would have received may be replaced with an asset replacement trust.

Charitable Remainder Trust
A charitable remainder trust (CRT) is a trust that you establish to benefit your fund at RCF, while retaining the income generated by the assets given. A CRT may provide you with capital gains tax and estate tax savings while improving lifetime cash flow.

Charitable Gift Annuity
A charitable gift annuity allows you to contribute assets to RCF, gain a guaranteed income for life and receive a charitable income tax deduction.

Pooled Income Fund
By establishing a pooled income fund, you receive a varitable amount of income each year with the assets ultimately given to RCF.

Charitable Lead Trust
A charitable lead trust allows you to donate income to your fund at RCF for a fixed number of years. The remainder is then returned to you or your heirs. This may allow the transfer of assets free of estate and gift taxes.

Life Estate
If you own valuable property that you would like to use during your lifetime, but make arrangements to give it to RCF upon death, you may receive a current income tax deduction and future estate tax deduction.

Other
The Ridgefield Community Foundation can work with you to create an individualized philanthropic plan including the above assets as well as a variety of other assets. Please call us for more information.