Donate Stocks or Mutual Funds

 

Your contributions will help support our many programmatic initiatives, including:

  • Developing exciting new exhibitions and events to engage and educate the public about LGBTQ history and culture;

  • Acquiring new archival collections and accessioning donations to the archives;

  • Supporting digitization work and conservation efforts to preserve fragile materials;

  • Enhancing our storage and conservation facilities;

  • Addressing the special conservation needs of the Arts & Artifacts Collection.

 
 

How to make a stock donation

Fill out the form below to receive our transfer information, which you can present to your financial advisor or use to request a transfer from your brokerage account.

What are the tax benefits of donating appreciated assets?

By donating stock rather than selling it, you will avoid paying a capital gains tax. Capital gains tax is a tax on the profit made from the sale of a non-inventory asset like stock. These can be as high as a federal tax rate of 20% for long-term holdings (or stocks being held for more than one year), and for some states (like California, which has a 13% tax rate) an additional tax rate on top of the federal rate. If you donate a long-term holding and itemize deductions, you may also take a charitable deduction for the entire donation.

Can I have an example of how transferring stocks can save me money?

When you donate stocks, you are essentially saving 30% on taxes by excluding gains from your returns. Let’s say you want to give a gift of $1,000 this year. If you want to sell the stock before donating it, you would have to sell about $1,400, and pay the $400 in taxes on the sale of the stock before donating the remaining $1,000. But if you transfer the stock directly to us, you only need to transfer the $1,000 worth of stocks, and you won’t have to pay the tax.

Is this a good time to donate stocks?

Depending on your holdings, now may be a great time to donate stocks. The market is volatile, and trends can change at any moment, so donating appreciated stocks today ensures you can take advantage of their growth, and give the powerful gift you intend.

I’m convinced that donating stock is a great way to give, but I don’t want to lose my holdings.

After donating stock, you are eligible to buy the same stock again within the day. This allows you to make a powerful, tax-savvy gift while maintaining your portfolio, no matter the market.

For my gift to be eligible for this year's tax return, when should I give?

We recommend following the market to ensure that you can give the best gift based on the assets you hold. However, for your gift to be eligible in this tax year, please transfer your stocks by December 31.

 

Thank you for helping to support the mission of the GLBT Historical Society.

Click here to see a list of our current supporters. You can also join the GLBT Historical Society as a member! Click here for information about membership levels and benefits.

Note: The GLBT Historical Society is unable to provide legal or financial advice. We endeavor to keep the information here accurate and up-to-date, but strongly encourage you to speak to a financial professional before making any decisions.