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Donating assets like real estate or cryptocurrency can allow you to make a significant impact on your favorite causes.

Cash isn’t the only way to give to charitable causes. You can potentially make an even greater impact on the causes you care about by donating an item called a non-cash asset.

What is a non-cash asset?

A non-cash asset can be any item of appreciating value, like privately held stock, farm equipment, and real estate (whether residential homes, commercial property or land). Other examples of non-cash assets include stock and mutual funds, retirement assets and cryptocurrency.

Many of these assets can be turned into a charitable gift — and they represent an enormous amount of untapped giving potential, because most people give cash. And while cash makes up 85% of charitable donations, it accounts for only 7% of wealth in the United States.

Donating assets other than cash can have various benefits and advantages. Many options can provide you with income during your lifetime, significant tax benefits — or both.

Gifts of non-cash assets allow you to make a significant impact on your favorite causes. For more than 80 years, the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation has helped Minnesotans turn these goods into gifts so that you can support organizations and causes you care about most.

Learn more about how non-cash assets are defined, examples of non-cash assets and how to turn them into charitable gifts in this animated video.

Turn Your Goods into Gifts

Now that you've seen the many different examples of non-cash assets and how these goods can be turned into charitable gifts, our charitable giving guide explains the step-by-step process to donate a non-cash asset. Download the guide to learn more, and then reach out to a Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation gift planner. Call us at 651.224.5463 or email philanthropy@spmcf.org.

If you work for a nonprofit and would like to learn more about this fast-growing area of fundraising, read our blog post, How to Develop a Non-cash Strategy.

If you are a professional advisor assisting your clients with charitable giving plans, see our advisor resources.

More Ways You Can Give

Read The Gift of Cryptocurrency

The Gift of Cryptocurrency

Here’s how to make virtual currency part of your charitable giving plan.

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Read Three Benefits of Donating Real Estate

Three Benefits of Donating Real Estate

Charitable contributions of real estate are a great way to give back to causes you care about. Here are three benefits to giving real estate.

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Read Benefits of Donating a Business or Private Stock

Benefits of Donating a Business or Donating Private Stock

Here’s why you should consider making charitable giving part of any business exit plan.

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Read Gifts of Grain

Gifts of Grain

Here’s how one Minnesota farmer turned his crops into resources for the community.

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In the world of charitable giving, most gifts are given in the form of cash, but while 85% of total giving is made through donations of cash, only 7% of wealth among Americans is held in cash.

Non-cash assets like real estate, stock, cryptocurrency, farm equipment, land and life insurance policies represent enormous amounts of untapped giving potential and yet most nonprofits are not set up to accept donations of non-cash assets from their donors.

That's where we come in.

At the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, we've been helping Minnesotans give non-cash assets for more than 80 years.

We simplify the process of donating non-cash assets to your favorite causes, no matter what you'd like to donate.

Our experienced Foundation gift planners work with you and your advisors to define your charitable goals and help you determine which assets to give and when. We sell the donated assets efficiently and for the best possible price. Most often, we can sell the assets tax-free, which leaves 100% of the proceeds available for your charitable fund. From that fund you can give to your favorite charities now or in the future. You may also be entitled to a charitable tax deduction for your gift.

At the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, your goals are our goals.

We are here to guide you throughout your giving journey and to act in your best interest at all times.

We offer more than just transactions. We are your trusted giving partner.

The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation - turn your goods into gifts.

Contact a gift planner and learn more about giving non-cash assets today.

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