You can now easily contribute to Women's Initiative online. Give a gift that will change the lives of women entrepreneurs. While Women’s Initiative does receive public support, we rely heavily on private contributions. Most programs receive little or no public support. You can donate by clicking on the above icon, or you can call the Development Department: (510) 287-3113. We can take Visa and MasterCard information over the phone, by email and by fax: (510) 451-3428. You can donate three ways: • Make an on-going commitment by contributing on a monthly basis. All you need is any major credit card. (You only have to sign-up once.) CLICK HERE to set up your monthly donation. • Make a one-time tax-deductible donation with any major credit card. CLICK HERE to donate now. • Or mail your tax-deductible donation (Please make check payable to Women's Initiative) to 1398 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. Your contribution is tax-deductible. Women's Initiative for Self Employment is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Help support our microenterprise training programs for low-income women. Your investment in Women’s Initiative contributes to a strong and sustainable Bay Area economy by creating jobs and reducing reliance on public assistance. As you know, economic self-sufficiency reaches beyond the workplace and into the home and family life of thousands of women trained at Women’s Initiative. Your vision and financial support makes this possible.

You can always count on Women's Initiative to use your contribution wisely. Over the past three years, Women’s Initiative has more than doubled the number of women served on an annual basis and business start-ups have nearly tripled.

When you donate to Women's Initiative, your resources are helping women turn their dreams into a reality! READ MORE about our successful graduates.

Matching Gift Program
Many employers offer matching gift programs to encourage their employees to support charitable causes. These programs often match funds for donations or volunteer time. Every employer has unique rules for such programs, so check with your Human Resources Department for guidelines on the type of organization and how much they can receive in matching funds. They can also provide you with the necessary form(s).

Find out whether Women's Initiative is included in your company' s Matching Gift Program. For more information, visit www.guidestar.org.

In-Kind Donations
Women's Initiative is always glad to accept office and event supplies such as flowers, printing, photography, and wine that can contribute to our program and events.

Donate Stock
Donating stock is an easy and fruitful way to invest in Women’s Initiative. We are willing to help you through this process. CLICK HERE for details on how to contribute.

Planned Giving
In estate planning, you first need to think about yourself, your family and loved ones. Once these needs have been addressed, the Internal Revenue Code provides a number of opportunities for you to benefit the nonprofit institutions which you support. The money you divert from flowing to the government in taxes can instead flow to these charitable causes, such as Women’s Initiative.

If you have an interest in supporting Women’s Initiative, we are willing to help you through this process, working with you and your estate planners. When you are ready, contact us to set up a time to meet and discuss your particular situation. If you have specific ideas as to activities you would like to support, such as the SuccessLink program, for example, or wish to make a gift directed to a specific charitable purpose which falls within the Women’s Initiative guidelines, we can discuss this also in more detail. Named gifts are also possible. First, however, please take a moment to read the following brief examples of charitable giving strategies. While this is not a compete list, it should give you some ideas for consideration.

Gift of Appreciated Securities
There are many ways to make a contribution to Women’s Initiative, but one of the least expensive to the donor and most beneficial may be a gift of appreciated securities. The details may seem complicated, but simply described, this method takes advantage of tax rules that allow a donor to deduct from current income the full current value of donated securities.

If you bought securities many years ago, you may have a very low cost basis that would require the payment of significant capital gain taxes if you sold them. By donating these securities to Women’s Initiative you might be able to give even more than you thought possible. For example, an out of pocket cost for the original investment of only $3,000 might enable you to give Women’s Initiative stocks with a value of $11,000. As the donor, you are able to avoid paying capital gains tax on an appreciated security, and you receive a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the stock when the gift is made, so long as you have held the stock for more than one year.

There is no Federal Alternative Minimum tax impact arising from gifts of appreciated securities. The stock must be saleable by Women’s Initiative, but eligibility under Rule 144 is enough.

We understand that every person's tax situation is different. Your tax advisor can tell you how the actual numbers would work out in your case. However, the advantages are clear. Giving appreciated securities to the Women’s Initiative provides full benefit to the organization while reducing the after-tax cost of the gift to the donor. The donation of land, improved or unimproved, works in the same way.

Gifts of IRAs and Other Qualified Plans
Designating us as a beneficiary of a qualified savings and investment plan such as an IRA, 401k or Keogh plan is among the simpler strategies for reducing income and estate taxes upon death. For donors in higher tax brackets, combined taxes can significantly reduce the market value of these assets upon transfer. The gift can be for either the entire balance or for a specific portion.

Life Estate
The giving strategy called "Life Estate" allows the donor to transfer ownership of real estate – a home or even a second home (including condominiums and cooperatives) – to Women’s Initiative while retaining use of the real estate for the life of the donor and spouse. The benefit is that an immediate income tax deduction is earned, which would not be the case if the gift were made in the form of a bequest.

Life Insurance
There are two principal ways a donor can use life insurance to support Women’s Initiative. One is to establish a new policy with us as beneficiary. The other is to transfer an existing policy from its original beneficiary to us when its original purpose is no longer necessary. Both methods are cost-effective and tax-efficient. Post-transfer premium payments are tax deductible.

Charitable Remainder Trusts
We have been asked if it is possible to make a gift on a deferred basis so that a spouse or child can receive the benefit of income from an asset for a period of time prior to transfer to Women’s Initiative. The general category for such a gift is the Charitable Remainder Trust.

With a Charitable Remainder Trust, you irrevocably transfer cash, securities, or property to your Trust. The Trust pays you (or your designated beneficiaries) a payout which represents a percentage of the trust assets. The percentage can be a "unitrust" payout or an "annuity" payout. With a Unitrust payout, the trust reflects the market, so your income is variable. Because income increases with trust growth, the Unitrust can provide an excellent hedge against inflation. With an Annuity payout, the payout is based on the value of the assets at the time the annuity trust is established, and it remains fixed for the term of the agreement. At the termination of the Trust (either at the death of income beneficiaries or after a specified term of years), the remainder is transferred to us as your gift.

When you create a Charitable Remainder Trust, you are entitled to a significant income tax deduction generally equal to the value of the property you contribute less the value of the Unitrust or Annuity payouts to be made to you or to your beneficiaries. The value of the Unitrust or Annuity payouts depends upon the expected term of the trust, the percentage to be paid, and the fair market value of the assets used to fund the trust. The value of the deduction you may claim is limited to a percentage of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). When the Unitrust or Annuity interest ends, the trust terminates and the principal is available for the use of Women’s Initiative.

Charitable Lead Trusts
A Charitable Lead Trust can be described as a mirror image of the Charitable Remainder Trust. During the term of the Charitable Lead Trust, an annuity or unitrust amount is paid to the charity, and upon the expiration of the term the remaining assets of the trust are paid over to the non-charitable remaindermen – usually the donor's children. Upon funding a Charitable Lead Trust, the donor generally does not receive an income tax deduction. However, the amount of the gift to children is reduced for gift tax purposes by the value of the annuity or unitrust interest given to the charity. The longer the trust term, and the higher its payout rate, the greater the gift tax savings. Further, future appreciation on the contributed assets is not subject to further gift or estate taxes when the trust terminates. This is an excellent strategy to enable a Trustor to save on gift and estate taxes while benefiting Women’s Initiative.

Bequests
Many donors elect to provide support in the form of a bequest, effective at the donor's death and specified in a will or trust agreement. Such charitable bequests are fully deductible for federal estate tax purposes. The structure of a bequest can take many shapes. Frequently, it is a specific figure or asset. Alternatively, it can be a residual estate – or percentage thereof – after non-charitable bequests to family members are fulfilled.

Illiquid assets in an estate – art objects, antiques, real estate, rare books – often are troublesome because high valuations may cause executors to sell these items at depressed prices in order to pay estate taxes. Conveying illiquid assets to us by bequest eliminates this problem. Your estate planner can draw up wills or trusts with bequests that effectively shelter your assets.

For additional information about Women's Initiative (i.e. Tax ID number or proof of non-profit status) please visit www.guidestar.org

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