Charitable Giving Strategies

For those who are charitably inclined, tax-efficient charitable giving offers you the freedom to deepen your philanthropic impact while considering how your donations impact the rest of your financial plan. At Avidian Wealth Solutions, our advisors are able to work with you to create charitable gifting strategies that reduce your tax liability through gifts and donations while working to accurately document and report those gifts on your behalf. And because we are held to the fiduciary standard, you can rest assured that you are receiving financial advice that is in your best interest, ensuring that all investment advice is considered against your financial risk management plan.

Avidian Wealth Solutions can work with you and your existing team of attorneys to utilize the planned giving strategies that align best with your charitable visions and tax strategy. These strategies may include one or more of the following:

1. Donor-advised funds
Donor-advised funds act as tax-advantaged, charitable investment vehicles that allow you to personalize your contributions and recommend grants, giving you the freedom to choose how each of your charitable dollars is used.

In comparison to a private foundation, a donor-advised fund gives you:

• Complete privacy access to private donor group “back office” to evaluate the impact of your investing
• Higher deductibility limits
• Extensive experience with large donors
• Access to the largest charities in America through fundraising
• Ability to make complex donations (businesses, real estate, oil & gas, collections, cryptocurrency, etc.) that can be sold without capital gains tax

2. Charitable remainder trusts (CRT)
Charitable remainder trusts allow you to donate highly appreciated assets, like bonds, stocks, or real estate, into an irrevocable trust. This creates an opportunity for donors to give assets to charity while continuing to receive either fixed or variable income from the property.

While this strategy doesn’t necessarily eliminate long-term and short-term capital gains tax, you do receive a tax deduction when you make the contribution and it does allow you to set a payout rate that meets both your financial objectives and your philanthropic goals.

3. Charitable gift annuity
Qualified charities will allow you, the donor, to make a sizable donation in exchange for a fixed stream of income, or an annuity, for an agreed-upon timeframe. Depending on the charity, you can donate everything from cash to securities and other assets. These donations do qualify as partial charitable giving tax deductions and can be an effective way to offset or limit capital gains tax if the charity accepts non-cash assets.

Estate tax planning is an integral part of creating tax strategies for high-net-worth individuals. At some point, you’ll eventually need to decide how to divide your entire estate between the government, your family, and charity. Without considering how your estate will be allocated, you could be missing opportunities to ensure your money goes where you want it to — unless that somebody is the government.

Avidian Wealth Solutions works with you and your estate attorney to develop an effective estate tax plan that works to minimize estate tax and maximize benefits to your family and the causes close to your heart.