CARES Act Expands Tax Deductions for Charitable Giving
April 7, 2020
The new Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The act is a $2 trillion economic stimulus package created to provide assistance to individuals and businesses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to individual rebates, expanded unemployment insurance, and assistance for small business, the CARES Act also includes the following provisions for individual and corporate donors:
- A one-time, above-the-line deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made to qualifying charities. All taxpayers would be eligible, including those taking the standard deduction. It would apply to cash gifts made in 2020.
- For taxpayers who itemize their deductions, the cap on annual contributions in 2020 will be raised from 60 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI) to 100 percent.
- For corporations, the limit on deductions for contributions is elevated from 10 percent of AGI to 25 percent for 2020. Food donations would be available to 25 percent, up from the current 15 percent cap.
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Central Piedmont announces campaign goal of $40 million
October 31, 2019CHARLOTTE, N.C. Central Piedmont Community College has launched the public phase of its "Powering a Stronger Future" campaign. The five-year fundraising effort seeks to raise $40 million the most ambitious and comprehensive campaign in the college's 56-year history.
The campaign will run through June 2022, and has raised $23.5 million during its two-year quiet phase.
"The Powering a Stronger Future campaign is about students and addressing the upward mobility challenges in Mecklenburg County," Central Piedmont President Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer explained. "For those who want our community to thrive and want to make an investment education is a game changer. Central Piedmont is a great place to help students thrive and be successful in our community. I think there is no better investment for Mecklenburg's future."
The Powering a Stronger Future campaign priorities include:
- $15 million to fund student scholarships and support the student emergency fund;
- $9.5 million for student support services, such as academic and career advising, leadership opportunities, out-of-classroom experiences, enhanced disability services, and the Summer Bridge program that helps students prepare for their first semester of college;
- $9.5 million to further instructional excellence through support for programs, equipment and other resources and faculty;
- $5 million for specific programs that foster economic mobility, such as the Accelerated Career Training program for under- and unemployed adults, the early childhood education program that trains pre-K teachers, and strategic workforce partnerships; and
- $1 million for the college's annual fund to respond to evolving priorities and needs.
"Central Piedmont is a solid investment for donors because you see the results. You see the results in the lives of Central Piedmont graduates," Rodgers shared. "What they carry with them from Central Piedmont is the education of a lifetime, and it changes their lives and the lives around them.
"My time at Central Piedmont was life changing. It meant so much to me to have the opportunity to go to the Central Piedmont of my day. When I look at what Central Piedmont is now and the impact it makes, it is just amazing. I know the impact it had on my life, and I think it's fair to say, if you live in this community, Central Piedmont impacts your life as well," Rodgers added.
For more information about the Central Piedmont's Powering a Stronger Future campaign, see http://www.cpccfoundation.org/campaign, or call the Central Piedmont Foundation at 704.330.6869.
"Central Piedmont is a trusted entity," Deitemeyer said. "When this community considers the number of people we need going into the workforce and how we're going to move this great city to the next level that offers prosperity to all, it's going to take an education provider like Central Piedmont. So this campaign is about people and providing pathways to opportunity and greater economic mobility and personal success."
For updates on the progress of Powering a Stronger Future, visit our campaign updates page.
About Central Piedmont
Central Piedmont Community College is highly accessible and convenient to people of all ages who seek a real-world, affordable, hands-on education that will transform their lives and strengthen the economic, social, and cultural environment of Mecklenburg County. Central Piedmont is also a smart investment. At a fraction of the cost, students learn by doing, receiving a combination of technical and soft skills training from quality faculty who prepare them to enter the workforce and make a difference in their family, business, community, and world. Founded in 1963, Central Piedmont Community College has eight locations throughout Mecklenburg County, offering nearly 300 degree, diploma, and certification programs; customized corporate training; market-focused continuing education; and special interest classes. For more information, visit cpcc.edu, or connect with the college on social media at cpcc.edu/social. Read more
Seniors can still get a tax break
April 23, 2019Some seniors are finding that their taxes are going up despite a more generous standard deduction. This is true because of a tax provision that requires seniors 70 ½ and older to take money from their retirement accounts even if they don't need the cash.
Many individuals who itemized in the past may find that taking the now-higher standard deduction is a better tax move. However, if you take the standard tax deduction on your tax return, you can't itemize and claim certain deductions such as charitable contributions.
But there is a way for some seniors to still get credit for their giving, thereby reducing their taxable income even if they don't itemize.
One often over-looked tax break is the Qualified Charitable Deduction (QCD). If you transfer funds directly from you IRA to a 501©3 organization such as the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation, those dollars count toward your Required Minimum Deduction (RMD) for the year and are not counted as income. The net effect: You are getting a tax deduction for charitable giving without itemizing deductions. If you normally make charitable contributions, this is a great way to help the College and receive a benefit yourself.
For more information on giving through your IRA or other retirement assets, please contact
Brenda Lea
Director, Planned Giving
brenda.lea@cpcc.edu
704.330.6803
(Portions of this article taken from THE WASHINGTON POST, Michelle Singletary, 03/25/19)
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Leave a Legacy
February 18, 2019
October 15-21 is National Estate Planning Awareness Week
October 15, 2018Peggy and Tom Griffin have their final plans in place, including a legacy gift to the CPCC Foundation. Tom retired from CPCC after 37 years of dedicated service. As both a Dean and VP, Education Support Services, he played a vital role in the growth of the College from an institution with humble beginnings in the Central High School Building to a college with six campuses throughout the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. Peggy was a teacher for 36 years, most of it in the CMS system. Education is important to them and certainly a legacy for which they will be remembered.Levine Scholarship Endowment marks 15th year at CPCC
February 19, 2018Since Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) awarded the first scholarship from its Levine Scholarship Endowment in 2003, nearly 900 students have received much-needed assistance with achieving their career training and educational goals.
Created by a grant from The Leon Levine Foundation (TLLF), cumulative Levine Scholarships awards now total more than $2.1 million. With a current market value of more than $5 million, the Levine Scholarship Endowment represents the largest permanent source of financial assistance for students at Central Piedmont.
"Having the opportunity to go to a great college and get a solid foundation for the rest of my education without having to worry about the cost has been a tremendous help in making college happen for me. And being part of a community of scholars has really shaped my college experience for the better as well," said Ren Lane, a CPCC Levine Scholar and Providence High School graduate who is pursuing an associate in arts degree.
According to Levine Scholar Adam Penninger, a graduate of West Mecklenburg High School, "I attended CPCC from the fall 2006 term through the fall 2008 term. During this time, I did not qualify for any forms of federal or state aid, even though I came from a low-income household. The Levine Scholarship provided access to higher education I wouldn't have been able to obtain otherwise.
"Today I work in the financial aid office at CPCC," Penninger added. "I see directly the impact the Levine Scholarship had upon myself and continue to see its positive impact on students. Many of these students have no funding at all, and others don't have enough to cover all of their expenses."
Tom Lawrence, executive director of TLLF, said, "Investing in need-based scholarships for bright, ambitious students aligns closely with TLLF's mission. We take great pride in partnering with CPCC and hope the impact of these scholarships is felt for years to come."
CPCC, one of the largest community colleges in the Carolinas, offers nearly 300 degree, diploma and certification programs; customized corporate training; market-focused continuing education; and special interest classes. The college enrolls more than 56,000 annually in for-credit programs.
"I often say CPCC is in the life-transformation business. CPCC is the hope many of our students are seeking. Hope of a better job, better wage, better life, and better provisions for their family," Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, CPCC president, explained. "Partners and benefactors like The Leon Levine Foundation make it possible for the college to carry out its important mission.
"On behalf of the college and the nearly 900 CPCC students who have received much-needed assistance through the Levine Scholarship Endowment, I say 'thank you.' The positive impact that has been made and will be made is immeasurable," Deitemeyer added.
The Levine Scholarship Endowment is a significant source of financial assistance for CPCC students annually. The college encourages anyone who is interested in pursuing additional education and career training, but lacks financial resources, to complete a CPCC application, and talk with a staff member in the college's Financial Aid Department. Read more
The Impact of an IRA Contribution
March 29, 2017If Austin Perez hadn't received a scholarship, he would have to work full-time while also attending CPCC as a mechanical engineering student. But due to a donor's IRA rollover contribution, part of Austin's tuition is covered and he can experience CPCC fully including the college's MAN UP and STEM Alliance programs, as we
ll as its state-of-the-art engineering program.
"The generosity of CPCC's donors allows students like me to earn an education that will one day lead to a better way of life. There is endless goodness that comes from giving."
IRA rollover contribution
Benefits of an IRA contribution are threefold:
• You can fulfill charitable year-end gifts from RMD without increasing taxable income.
• These tax-free rollover gifts can be $1,000, $10,000 or any amount up to $100,000.
• Your gift ensures educational opportunities for CPCC students.
For more information on making an IRA contribution, contact Brenda Lea at 704.330.6869.
Consider An IRA Rollover Contribution
March 28, 2017When Phil Adams, a former CPCC instructor, learned he was required to take a minimum deduction from his IRA account, he decided to transfer a portion of those funds to a charitable interest that was near and dear to his heart CPCC.
His contribution will have a lasting impact on CPCC students, providing them with educational and career training opportunities they would otherwise not have. "By supporting CPCC's Opera Theatre program, for example, I'm able to introduce students to a beautiful art form they can learn and enjoy."
In December 2015, Congress signed into law the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act. This law permanently extends tax benefits for seniors age 70 ½ or older by allowing you to rollover up to $100,000 from an IRA directly to a qualified nonprofit such as CPCC without increasing your taxable income, and the rollover gift satisfies the required minimum distribution for the year.
Benefits of an IRA contribution are threefold:
- You can fulfill charitable year-end gifts from RMD without increasing taxable income.
- These tax-free rollover gifts can be $1,000, $10,000 or any amount up to $100,000.
- Your gift ensures educational opportunities for CPCC students.
email brenda.lea@cpcc.edu. Read more
Should You Make A Contribution From Your IRA?
June 28, 2016In December 2015, President Obama signed into law the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act. Among other things, this law permanently extends tax benefits for seniors who choose to direct IRA distributions to qualified charities. The benefit applies to taxpayers over the age of 70 ½ and to contributions up to $100,000.
A key benefit of a direct charitable contribution from an IRA to a nonprofit organization, such as Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), is that the donation counts towards an individual's required minimum distribution. A gift from an IRA may also lower income taxes owed at year-end.
Another way to give is to designate a charitable interest as the beneficiary of an IRA. This allows a donor to make a future gift of assets while providing lifetime income to one's self or family members.
Benefits of an IRA contribution are threefold:
- A donor can fulfill charitable intent after income needs are met.
- Donors can provide an annual income for themselves or family members and the leftover balance to a charitable interest such as CPCC.
- Assets which typically carry a heavy tax burden can be left to a charity without the income or estate taxes.
William Claytor honored with Order of the Long Leaf Pine
April 22, 2016
Claytor served as a CPCC trustee from 1977 to 1993 and chaired the CPCC board from 1985 to 1993. He also served on the CPCC Foundation board of directors for many years, including multiple terms as board vice president.
Earlier this year, the CPCC Foundation established a scholarship in honor of Claytor. The William M. Claytor Scholarship is an annual, full-tuition grant for one CPCC student per year.
BY JOE MARUSAK
jmarusak@charlotteobserver.com
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