New IRA option for charitable giving

By Jeff Baierlein, Development and Communications Director

The U.S. Congress and the Obama administration have permanently authorized tax deductions for charitable gifts from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Individuals who wish to donate to a nonprofit while reaping a tax benefit may do so, now that the previous temporary tax exemption, which had expired earlier this year, was permanently re-instituted.

Charitable giving from IRAs adds to the suite of options for supporting nonprofits like Conservation Northwest. Our work to connect, protect and restore wildlands and wildlife in the Pacific Northwest is made possible by the generosity of people like you, and we are pleased that you will continue to be able to leverage your philanthropic dollars through this deduction..

The IRA charitable rollover, part of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015, allows individuals 70 ½ and older to donate, tax-free, up to $100,000 from their IRAs to charity.

An enhanced tax deduction for conservation easement donations is also part of the law, and is expected to lead to the preservation of millions of additional acres of land, including lands that will help meet Conservation Northwest’s conservation objectives.

Consult your tax adviser for details.

From breaking ground on the first I-90 Wildlife Bridge to the reintroduction of fishers in the Cascades, with your support we’ve accomplished a lot in 2015! Will you make a year-end gift to help us continue this work for a wilder Northwest?