Ways of Giving to the Hereditary Disease Foundation
There are many creative ways of giving to the Hereditary Disease Foundation (HDF) to help us find treatments and cures for Huntington's disease and other hereditary illnesses. Your gift is a vote of confidence that serves as a catalyst for other donors to contribute, and helps ensure the financial security and continued success of the Foundation.
OUTRIGHT GIFTS
Gifts of Cash
A gift of cash is the simplest way to donate to the Hereditary Disease Foundation. The full amount of a cash gift is deductible for tax purposes. These gifts are deductible for up to 50% of your gross income for the taxable year, and any excess is deductible over the next five years. The higher your tax bracket, the more you save. You can give securely online with a credit card at Charitable Payment Processing or send a check to the Hereditary Disease Foundation. You may also donate cash by electronic funds transfer.
Gifts of Appreciated Stock or Securities
Giving stock or securities instead of cash can often unlock additional savings from an unused asset while avoiding or reducing capital gains tax. Gifts of appreciated stock or securities may provide a charitable tax deduction at full current value of the securities and you may avoid the capital gains tax you would be required to pay if you sold the asset outright. The best stock to donate are those that have increased greatly in value, particularly those producing a low yield. Whether you hold your securities in certificate form or with a brokerage account, we can provide simple instructions on how to make a donation.
"If one looks back in the development of human genetics in our current form, I think the Hereditary Disease Foundation played really the same role that the Rockefeller Foundation played in the 30s and 40s, when it permitted the development of molecular biology. It was a small group of people who weren't waiting around, but were giving money to the right people, with the thought that it was sensible."
Dr. James D. Watson, Chancellor
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962
Gifts of Real Estate
If you own property that is fully paid off and has appreciated in value, an outright gift of real estate may be the simplest solution. You may be able to deduct the fair market value of your gift, avoid capital gains tax, and remove the asset from your taxable estate.
Gifts of Life Insurance
Do you have a life insurance policy you no longer need? You may want to consider naming the Hereditary Disease Foundation as the policy beneficiary and assigning HDF ownership. You will receive a charitable deduction. The forms necessary to initiate the gift are held by your life insurance company. In removing the life insurance policy from your estate, you may also reduce your estate taxes.
Corporate Matching Gifts
Are you affiliated with a company that provides matching funds for charitable donations? If so, you could double or even triple the dollar value of your annual gift to the Hereditary Disease Foundation. Ask your company's Human Resources Office about its gift-matching policy.
"Through the years, I have been blessed to work with superb and dedicated people, and I count the three of you, Milton, Nancy and Alice Wexler, to be at the top of that list."
Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director
National Human Genome Research Institute
National Institutes of Health
Tribute / Memorial Gifts
Celebrate an occasion - birthday, wedding, anniversary, graduation - by making a donation to the Hereditary Disease Foundation instead of giving or receiving gifts. You may also arrange to have donations made in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one.
Race for Cures
If you participate in a sporting event, ask your friends and family to sponsor you with donations to the Hereditary Disease Foundation.
Party with a Purpose
Host your own event with proceeds going to support the Hereditary Disease Foundation.
Automatic Giving
Automatic giving is a simple and secure way to donate. Gifts can be made monthly, quarterly, or yearly and they can be easily and automatically charged on your credit card.
GIFTS THAT CREATE A LEGACY
Bequests
A bequest is one of the simplest ways to make a significant gift to support the Hereditary Disease Foundation while allowing you to defer your gift until after your lifetime. A bequest names the Hereditary Disease Foundation in your will. An outright bequest in your will is fully deductible for estate tax purposes.
You may arrange for the Hereditary Disease Foundation to receive:
- a specific dollar amount or percentage of your estate;
- specific property such as real estate, retirement accounts, stock or securities, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, savings accounts, life insurance, or personal property;
- all or a percentage of the remainder of your estate after all other obligations have been met.
You may make a bequest to the Hereditary Disease Foundation by preparing a new will or adding a codicil to your present will. You can make a bequest to the Hereditary Disease Foundation simply by asking your attorney to include the following language in your will or codicil:
"I hereby give, devise and bequeath to the Hereditary Disease Foundation, located in New York, NY, the sum of $____ (or____ percent of my Residuary Estate) for its general purposes."
Similar donations can be made through a living trust. We can suggest language for you to use in preparing your will or living trust.
Naming Gift Opportunities
This is a list of some of the Hereditary Disease Foundation's priority initiatives in need of significant funding:
"Through the active recruitment of new ideas, new technologies and new researchers, the Hereditary Disease Foundation has set the stage for important progress in our understanding of HD pathologyTheir commitment to collaboration and community building within the HD field serves as a model for all scientific groups tackling human diseases."
Nature Medicine, October 2000
- Basic Research Grants Program - Supports projects that contribute to identifying and understanding the fundamental defects in Huntington's disease and related disorders.
- Postdoctoral Fellowships and Awards Program - Supports the John J. Wasmuth Postdoctoral Fellowships, the Milton Wexler Award, the Lieberman Award, and the Alden Blethen Award. These Fellowships and Awards are highly competitive and have been established to encourage innovative research to find treatments and cures for Huntington's disease and related disorders.
- Interdisciplinary Workshop Program - Supports the Mary Jennifer Selznick Workshop Program which brings together scientists from different academic disciplines to brainstorm. In small workshops throughout the year, basic scientists from different disciplines connect with clinical investigators, clinicians and families to explore new directions for research.
- Fast-Track Science Program - Supports a goal-oriented strategy to stimulate and coordinate research in both academia and private industry. Funding is targeted to high-risk approaches with potential for drug discovery or other treatment.
- Biennial Symposium - Supports the definitive conference on Huntington's disease research, bringing together nearly 400 researchers from around the world.
For more information about giving opportunities, please contact:
Karen J. Dean, MBA
Controller, Hereditary Disease Foundation
212.928.0420
212.928.2172 fax
karendean@hdfoundation.org
For more information about the Hereditary Disease Foundation, please contact us:
3960 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10032
Phone: 212.928.2121
Fax: 212.928.2172
Email: cures@hdfoundation.org
Visit our website: http://www.hdfoundation.org
Our legal name is "Hereditary Disease Foundation." We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Our Federal Tax I.D. number is: #23-7376197.
|
