Cash or Check
This is the simplest way to donate cash and make an immediate impact.
- Visit our secure online giving page now to make a gift using your credit card, or
- Write a check payable to LSS of Northern California and mail to: 1465 Civic Court, Suite 810, Concord, CA 94520.
And considering joining our exclusive Partner for Good monthly giving club to spread your gift over 12 months and renew your gift automatically each year.
Employer Matching Program
Your gift to LSS of Northern California may be doubled or possibly tripled! Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions made by their employees. If your company is eligible, request a matching gift form from your employer, and send it completed and signed with your gift. Some companies match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses as well. Your employer may use Benevity, YourCause or Chariot to match your own gift.
Gifts From Your IRA
If you are 70½ or older, you can direct a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from your IRA to LSS of Northern California. The gift isn't included in your adjusted gross income, and it counts toward your required minimum distribution once you reach the age when those begin.
Two things donors often don't realize: you're eligible at 70½, even though required distributions start later. And a QCD works whether or not you itemize, which matters more under recent changes to the charitable deduction.
The annual limit is adjusted for inflation each year. Your advisor or IRA custodian can confirm the current figure.
To make a gift, contact your IRA custodian with our legal name and tax ID below.
Donor-Advised Funds
If you have a donor-advised fund at Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, or a community foundation, you can recommend a grant to LSS of Northern California at any time.
Your fund sponsor will need:
Legal name: Lutheran Social Services of Northern California (also known as LSS of Northern California)
Federal Tax ID: 94-1659687
Two options many donors don't know they have:
Recurring grants. Most sponsors let you schedule monthly or quarterly grant recommendations, so your support continues without you having to remember.
Successor designation. You can name LSS to receive part or all of any balance remaining in your account. It takes about two minutes in your account, costs nothing, and doesn't require an attorney or any change to your will. You can name family and charities together, in whatever percentages you choose.
Grants often reach us without donor contact information. If you recommend a gift, please let Julie Clemens know at Development@lssnorcal.org so we can thank you properly.
Stocks
Donating appreciated stock you've held for more than a year is one of the most tax-efficient ways to give. You avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation, and you may deduct the full fair market value of the shares. That often means a larger gift to LSS at a lower cost to you than giving cash.
How to make a stock gift
Step 1. Tell us your gift is coming. Email Julie Clemens, Director of Development, at Development@lssnorcal.org or call 925.825.1060 x15 with the name of the stock and the number of shares.
This step matters. Stock transfers arrive electronically without the donor's name attached, so a gift can reach us with no way to tell who sent it. Letting us know in advance is the only way we can send your acknowledgment with the gift date and share information you'll need for your tax records.
Step 2. Give these instructions to your broker or advisor.
Brokerage: Fidelity Investments (Walnut Creek office) (800) 544-8235
DTC Number: 0226
Account Name: Lutheran Social Services of Northern California
Account Number: Z48-753311
Federal Tax ID: 94-1659687
Brokerage contact: [NAME, PHONE]
Step 3. We'll confirm and acknowledge. Once the shares arrive, we'll send written confirmation of the gift date, the security, and the number of shares.
A few notes
Your gift date is the date the shares reach our account, not the date you give instructions to your broker. For a gift to count in the current tax year, allow at least two weeks before December 31. Transfers slow considerably during the holidays.
Please transfer shares directly rather than selling them first. Selling and donating the proceeds triggers capital gains tax and undoes the main advantage.
LSS generally sells donated securities upon receipt.
Mutual fund shares transfer differently and can take longer. Contact us before initiating one.
Please consult your tax advisor about how a gift of securities applies to your situation.
Donate an Old Vehicle or Boat
LSS has partnered with Car Donations Services, Inc. and Donate For Charity to donate your vehicle whether it is running or not.
Car Donations Services, Inc. (CDS) has been helping local charities since 1990 and will take care of every aspect of your car donation, allowing you peace of mind that the transaction will be completed efficiently and properly. CDS is a licensed Commercial Fundraiser as recognized by the California State Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts. Click here to donate to LSSNC today! or call or call 1-888-6TO-GIVE (1-888-686-4483).
Donate For Charity Have a car you no longer want, picked up free of charge? Running or not Click here to donate to LSSNC today! or call 866-392-4483. Thank you for supporting our cause with the proceeds of your donation.
