All charities have a philosophy of giving and for valuing the gifts they receive. Maranatha’s philosophy is that we connect people who want to give with existing needs as they have come to Maranatha. And the donors listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in deciding what is given and for which project.
In the ancient story of the widow’s two mites, Jesus said, “This poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  … [she] put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:43, 44).  This story demonstrates that a gift’s value is not in the dollar amount, but in the giver’s love of God and their desire to help God’s work. Maranatha follows the same philosophy; a gift to The $10 Dollar Church program is as valuable as a large school sponsorship.
So what are some ways you can help God’s work through Maranatha?
One idea is to donate from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) if you have a required minimum distribution. These funds have probably appreciated over the years, and you can transfer the funds directly to Maranatha without having a taxable event.
A second idea is to donate appreciated stock. With either of these gifts you will get a tax deduction for making the gift and Maranatha will not pay taxes on the gain. Then you can take the cash you were planning to give and add it to your investments.
The net effect is that Maranatha gets the same gift amount, you get the same deduction amount, and you avoid future capital gain taxes!
For more information, contact Shawnda McCaleb at (916) 774-7700 or smccaleb@maranatha.org
