Donating Stock

Amplify your gift—and your tax deduction—with one simple strategy

Make a bigger impact by donating appreciated securities (stock, bonds, and mutual funds) directly to Pilot Light. Compared with donating cash, or selling your appreciated securities and contributing the after-tax proceeds, you may be able to automatically amplify your gift and your tax deduction.

How does it work?

It’s simple and easy. Your advisor/broker can assist you in making a gift of stock via a direct transfer to Pilot Light. Giving a gift of publicly-traded stock or mutual fund that has increased in value and that you have owned for more than one year may provide greater tax benefits than giving cash. Your charitable income tax deduction is equal to the fair market value of the stock, and you avoid paying the capital gains tax on any increase in the current value over the original cost of the stock. You may also save by not incurring brokerage fees by transferring ownership rather than selling the stock.

To make a stock donation:

1. Please instruct your brokerage firm in writing to make an electronic transfer to Merrill Lynch as follows:

Electronic transfer to Merrill Lynch

Account Name: Pilot Light

Account Number: 7DQ-03R82

DTC#: 8862

2. To ensure proper acknowledgment of your donation to Pilot Light, please include your name and address with the transfer and inform Director of Development Tamara Golden via email (tamara@pilotlightchefs.org), that the gift has been initiated.

Pilot Light is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by IRS regulations. Please consult your tax professional prior to making a donation to discuss your specific tax circumstances. For further information, including instructions on how to make a gift of mutual funds, please contact Executive Director, Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn at alex@pilotlightchefs.org or (312)-967-5898.