Giving Options

Come Together. Make an Impact.

Every gift makes a difference. Where and how is up to you. Give to one of our charitable funds today, leave a legacy for the future, or create a named fund of your own.

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Give Online to Any Fund

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Create a New Fund

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Give Through Your Will

Ways To Give

Cash, Check & Credit Card

You can give online or call us with your credit card in hand, 231.722.4538.

Make checks payable to CFMC, noting the fund you’re giving to on the memo line, and mail to our office:

Community Foundation for Muskegon County
425 W. Western Ave., Suite 200
Muskegon MI 49440

Securities

Stocks, bonds, and most mutual funds are great gifts and they offer tax advantages as well.

Typically, you can avoid capital gains tax on appreciated securities by transferring them straight to us rather than selling them and gifting the proceeds.

Get instructions to give stock.

IRA/Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD)

If you’re 70½ years or older, you can transfer up to $111,000 per year from your IRA to the Community Foundation without having to pay tax on the distribution as income. You can also use up to $55,000 (for 2026) of a QCD to make a one-time donation to a charitable remainder trust (CRT) or charitable gift annuity (CGA).

While the law doesn’t allow this gift to be used to start or add to a Donor Advised Fund, there are plenty of other options you can consider to make the impact you desire. Give us a call and let’s talk about them.

Get instructions to give with your IRA.

Donor Advised Funds

You can give to Community Foundation Funds with a DAF held at a commercial or other nonprofit institution.

Get instructions to give with your DAF.

Charitable Gift Annuity

You make a charitable gift to the Community Foundation of $10,000 or more, and we set up a contract to pay you a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life, based on your age. You can donate cash, stocks, real estate, or other assets.

If you are 70½ and older, you can also make a one-time election of up to $55,000 from your IRA to fund a gift annuity.

You provide much-needed support to your community while receiving guaranteed income for life.

Learn more here.

Life Insurance Policy

When you name the Community Foundation as the owner and beneficiary of an existing or new life insurance policy, you receive an immediate tax deduction that usually approximates the cash surrender value of the policy.

All premium payments made thereafter are deductible as a charitable contribution.

Closely Held Stock

If you own closely held stock in your business, which is generally not sold to the general public, you may choose to give it to the Foundation.

We can help you pass company ownership to children or key employees without hurting assets and liquidity; sell the company and plan for minimized estate and capital gains taxes; gain enough equity from the company to provide income; and use assets of your business to create a family giving program. Give us a call.

Property

Whether it’s real estate or personal items such as art or jewelry, giving property can be an attractive option.

If you have a home, cottage, business property, land, coin or stamp collections, or other valuables that you would like to use for a charitable gift, we can help.

Because each gift is unique and specific rules apply to property, we would be happy to meet with you to confirm we are able to accept your gift and discuss the details.

Plan A Gift For Later

Bequest

Including a gift in your will or trust is a great way to contribute to the future. Work with your attorney to indicate a specific amount or percentage to come to the Community Foundation using our Sample Bequest Language. Then talk to us about what you’d like your gift to do for the community. If your thoughts about what to support change over time, all you need to do is let us know and we can update our records.

If you need to create or update your will, you can do it at no cost through our partnership with FreeWill at Freewill.com/muskegonfoundation. If your situation is more complex, we’re happy to refer you to a trusted local advisor.

IRA, Retirement Plans, or Life Insurance

Name the Community Foundation as a beneficiary of your IRA, retirement plan, or life insurance policy. It’s as simple as contacting your plan administrator and updating the beneficiary form to include a percentage for the community. Often your retirement account is your largest single asset. However, once it is passed on to your heirs, there’s a massive tax bite. You can avoid that taxation by using these retirement plan assets to build your charitable legacy.

Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT)

A CRT will eventually transfer property to the Community Foundation after paying income to one or more non charitable beneficiaries for life, or a set number of years. These gifts allow you to receive income for the rest of your life, knowing that whatever remains will benefit your community.

Charitable Lead Trust (CLT)

A CLT is the opposite of a CRT. With a CLT, income payments are made initially to one of our funds for a term of years. At the end of the term, the remaining assets pass to heirs or others you choose.

Note: If you are a professional advisor and would like additional information on giving arrangements that can benefit your clients, contact one of our Development Team members.