Ways to Give

You can make a gift of cash via check, credit card or wire transfer.

To give by credit card, please make your gift online here.

To give by phone or a wire transfer, please call the Development Department at 312-663-1130 ext. 5397. 

Please make checks out to Gateway Foundation, Inc. and mail to:

Gateway Foundation
Attn: Gift Processing
55 E Jackson Blvd Ste 1500
Chicago, IL 60604

*Find out if your employer has a matching gift program.  If so, request a matching gift form, complete, sign and send it to Gateway Foundation along with your gift. Gateway will complete the process. Matched gifts may double or even triple your original gift amount. Your spouse’s company may also match your gift, and some companies also match gifts made by retirees.

A donor advised fund (DAF) is a type of giving program that allows you to combine the most favorable tax benefits with the flexibility to support your favorite charities easily. 

How does it work?

1. Establish your DAF by making an irrevocable, tax-deductible donation to an entity that sponsors a DAF program; many community foundations and financial institutes have such programs
2. Advise the investment allocation of the donated assets (any investment growth is tax-free)
3. Recommend grants to be released to qualified public charities of your choice, such as Gateway Foundation

What are the main advantages of the DAF?

1. Simplicity: The DAF sponsor handles all record-keeping, disbursements, and tax receipts.  (You will not get a second tax receipt if you recommend a DAF grant to Gateway or elsewhere, thought you will be thanked and recognized for your support publicly.)
2. Flexibility: Timing of your tax deduction can be separate from your charitable decision making.
3. Tax efficiency: Contributions are tax-deductible and any investment growth in the DAF is tax-free. It is also easy to donate long term appreciated securities, eliminating capital gains taxes and allowing you to support multiple charities from one block of stock.
4. Family legacy: A DAF is a powerful way to build or continue a tradition of family philanthropy.
5. No start-up costs: There is no cost to establish a DAF. However, there are often minimum initial charitable contributions to establish the DAF (typically $5,000 or more).**
6. No transaction fees: Once approved, 100% of your recommended grant goes to your qualified public charity of choice.**
7. Privacy if desired: Donors may choose to be acknowledged or remain anonymous.

** Sponsoring organizations generally assess an administrative fee on the assets in a DAF. These fees vary by sponsoring organization. 

Log in pages for donor advised fund portals frequently used by Gateway supporters.  Remember that many Employee Matching Programs will match a donor advised grant to Gateway.  Ask your employer about increasing your impact with a matching gift.

• ACG Fund
• Chicago Community Trust
• Evanston Community Foundation
• Fidelity Charitable
• Schwab Charitable
• Vanguard Charitable

On December 18, 2015, the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 was enacted, which retroactively reinstates and makes permanent several tax incentives including Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) through an IRA Charitable Rollover. A QCD allows an individual aged 72, or 70½ if you turned 70½ before January 1st, 2020, and older to make direct transfers up to $100,000 per year to 501(c)(3) charities, without having to count the transfers as income for federal income tax purposes. No charitable deduction is taken, but distributions will qualify for all or part of the IRA owners required minimum distributions and is a tax-wise way to support Gateway Foundation, Inc.

Benefits of a Qualified Charitable Distribution:

• Any amount processed as a QCD counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) requirement.
• A QCD reduces the taxable amount of your IRA distribution by lowering both your adjusted gross income and taxable income, resulting in a lower overall tax liability.
• You receive a tax benefit even if you take the standard deduction
• Married couples who file jointly can transfer up to $200,000 per year as a QCD Gifts from 401k, 403b, SEP and other plans do not qualify.

Ask your financial advisor if it would be right for you to create a traditional IRA account so you can benefit from the IRA Charitable Transfer.

This information is not meant as tax or legal advice. Be sure to check with your financial advisor to determine whether this gift plan is right for you.

Your IRA administrator must make transfers directly from your traditional IRA account to Gateway Foundation, Inc. To make a QCD gift, contact your IRA custodian. 

To ensure proper crediting of your gift, please notify the Gateway of your intended donation, and any special instructions regarding the purpose of the gift.  Please contact Ave Costa, Director of Development, with any questions at 312-663-1130 ext. 5397.

Visit Planned Giving