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The following list may be helpful as you determine which gift is most appropriate for you. Please consult with a tax advisor regarding current applicable income tax regulations.

Outright Gifts

Following are some of the ways you can make an outright gift:

Cash. Of the gifts made to Jesuits West, most will be paid through cash, check or credit card. Cash is the easiest gift for a donor to make and for the organization to receive. If you itemize your deductions, you may be entitled to an income tax deduction for all contributions in a given year of up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income with a five-year carry-over period for the excess.

Stocks and Bonds. Such assets are a great way to give. You may save on capital gains tax and may get a charitable income tax deduction for the full fair market value. You may take the income tax deduction up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income and still carryforward any excess up to five years.

Real Estate. Over the years, most real estate has appreciated faster than the rate of inflation and, therefore, can offer great potential for a charitable gift. Jesuits West will consider accepting a gift of a home, vacation property, condominium, apartment complex, undeveloped land, or other real estate. Any such properties cannot have loans on them or the loans must be paid before the gift is made.

Tangible Personal Property. Gifts of assets such as, cars, jewelry, and boats are welcomed. You may claim an income tax deduction based on the full market value of the gift, avoid capital gains taxes and eliminate certain costs associated with the transfer of real property—assuming the gift is considered for a related use.

Paid Up Life Insurance. If you own an insurance policy that is no longer needed for its original purpose, you can give it to Jesuits West, which will then become the owner of the policy.

Charitable Lead Trusts. Through a transfer of cash, securities or real estate into a Charitable Lead Trust, Jesuits West will receive income from the trust for a set number of years. The trust principal is returned to the donor or the donor’s designee at the end of the term of the trust.

Matching Gifts. Many corporations demonstrate their support to nonprofit organizations by matching—often dollar for dollar—or multiplying their employees’ gifts up to a set amount. Please note that each company has its own guidelines and policies regarding its matching gifts program. Before pledging your gift, ask whether your employer participates in such a program. Certain restrictions apply to matching gifts. Please consult your company’s personnel office for more information.

Gifts-in-Kind. You may wish to contribute a personal possession of special interest—including equipment or other items—or needed services. To determine the interest of the Province, please contact Rev. Samuel P. Bellino, SJ, Director of Legacy Planning, at (408) 884-1639.

Planned or Deferred Gifts

You may give a substantial asset to Jesuits West and still reap income from the asset to maintain your standard of living through one of the following instruments:

Charitable Remainder Trust. A Charitable Remainder Trust will pay you a lifetime annuity, allow you to avoid immediate capital gains taxes and give you an income tax deduction at the same time. If married, both spouses may be included as income beneficiaries. Funding such a trust with highly appreciated stock will enable you to deduct the fair market value of that stock without having to immediately pay the capital gain tax on its appreciation. Real estate is also a good asset to use, as is cash. You save immediate capital gains taxes on highly appreciated assets such as stocks and real estate that you put into the trust. The amount you will be able to deduct each year will be limited to a percentage of your adjusted gross income. However, you will be able to carry over any excess deduction for up to five additional years. The annuities paid from a Charitable Remainder Trust will be taxable income if the income of the trust would otherwise be taxable. Because the assets go to Jesuits West at your passing, you may want to consider an asset replacement option (sometimes called a “wealth replacement trust”), funded by life insurance and paid for by tax savings and increased income from the trust. At your passing, a properly structured life insurance trust will allow the life insurance proceeds to go to your heirs, free of estate tax and probate expenses.

Gifts from Retirement Funds – IRA and 401(k) Funds. When individuals withdraw funds from their IRA or 401(k) fund(s) during their lifetime, income taxes must be paid. At death, any amount remaining in such plans is potentially subject to two taxes: income and estate taxes. Donors are invited to consider designating Jesuits West as a partial or full beneficiary of their retirement plans.

Other planned gift options, such as a Charitable Gift Annuity or a Charitable Remainder Unitrust are available. To learn more about these and other gift options, please contact Fr. Sam Bellino, SJ, Director of Legacy Planning, at (408) 884-1639.

Ways of Giving

We are the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded in 1540 by the soldier-turned-priest St. Ignatius of Loyola. Most people call us “the Jesuits.” In the vision of our founder, we seek to “find God in all things.” We dedicate ourselves to the “greater glory of God” and the good of all humanity. We do so gratefully, in collaboration with others who share our values, including laypersons, who have become part of the “we,” the extended Jesuit family.
With close to 17,000 priests and brothers worldwide, the Jesuits are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church. We are pastors, teachers, and chaplains. We are also doctors, lawyers, and astronomers, among many other roles in Church and society. In our varied ministries, we care for the whole person: body, mind, and soul. And especially in our education ministries, we seek to nurture “men and women for others.” Jesuits draw on the rich tradition of Ignatian spirituality and reflection. In our retreat centersparishes, campus ministries, and other settings, we offer these resources to all who want to discern God’s presence in their lives. At the same time, we also aim to be “contemplatives in action,” people who bring this spirituality into the everyday world. This includes our work on behalf of social justice, peace, and dialogue.

Four Vows

As members of a religious order, Jesuits take three vows — of poverty, chastity, and obedience — and a fourth vow of obedience specifically in regard to worldwide mission. In other words, Jesuits must be ready to accept whatever mission the Pope requires, a vow that is reflective of our broader dedication to the universal Church, and to the greater good of all people from all faiths and cultures.

Our collaboration with the laity flows from our personal relationships with Christ. We see ourselves as companions of Jesus, and we invite others to join with us, as friends in the Lord. Together we build up the body of Christ.

With our friends and partners, we also reach out to a broadly diverse world because that is where we find God. From experience and reflection, we know that meaning, value, and divine purpose can be discovered “in all things.”

Our Work

Throughout the west, Jesuits serve as teachers, campus ministers, and administrators at universities, high schools, and Nativity middle schools. We also serve as parish ministers, chaplains, and spiritual directors. In all our ministries and work, we strive to keep alive the tradition and prayerful discernment established by St. Ignatius and do all things for the greater glory of God.

We are Diverse, Dynamic, Creative We bring together people from many cultures to worship and work in partnership. The service area of Jesuits West encompasses Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. In addition, our priests and brothers and our partners serve in ministries throughout the United States and abroad, including Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Our ministries include:
  • Pastoral ministries. Jesuit priests lead 15 parishes and provide service to many more.
  • Spirituality and retreat centers. Jesuits and laypersons at the Ignatian Spirituality Center in Seattle, Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange, Calif., and The Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos seek to foster spiritual growth by offering retreats as well as training for spiritual directors.
  • Educational ministries. Jesuits and their many lay partners are involved in primary, secondary, and higher education. Model school programs such as Cristo Rey and Nativity as well as other creative partnerships allow us to sponsor, co-sponsor, or endorse new Catholic schools in underserved areas.
  • Social ministries. Our Jesuits provide guidance to various ministries – Homeboy IndustriesJesuit Volunteer Corps NorthwestPICO National NetworkProyecto Pastoral – are just a sampling of our ministries engaged in empowering people, pursuing social justice, and improving communities. Jesuit priests lead 12 parishes and provide service to many more.

We Encourage Collaboration

In pastoral, educational, and other ministries, our priests and brothers collaborate with laymen and women, civic organizations, local dioceses, and other religious orders. As catalysts for change, we invest personnel and funding in those “turning points” in society where we believe the greatest good can be achieved. Our ministries express the power of faith doing justice, by combining belief in fundamental human dignity with advocacy for the poor and marginalized.

We Strive to Achieve Our Goals

We have adopted four main apostolic goals which continue to guide us:

  • Fostering partnership in our Ignatian mission
  • Strengthening solidarity with the poor
  • Responding to the diversity of our Province
  • Evangelizing contemporary culture.

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