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montgomeryadvertiser.com: "Fund offers strategy for charitable gifts, tax plan

By Katye Delashaw


As the end of the year approaches, many investors are repositioning their portfolios, gifting assets and implementing other measures as part of their year-end tax planning. As you begin this process, don't overlook the opportunity to make charitable contributions for which you may receive a potential income tax deduction.
Americans are a generous bunch. In 2003 alone, we donated more than $241 billion, according to Giving USA 2004, a research report published by the American Association of Fundraising Counsel. Much of this generosity came in response to phone and mail requests from charities.
The donations are the kind we typically write-off as charitable deductions against our annual income. But now there's a more efficient and potentially more powerful way to contribute to nonprofit organizations: through a donor-advised fund. This type of fund provides donors with a strategy for charitable giving and grant-making flexibility, while offering potential tax and estate planning benefits"