Building Renovation Project
Brainstorming other ideas for making giving easy
4. You have made your final car payment and would normally trade it in for a new model. You would normally trade it in for
a new model. However, the car will serve you well for at least two more years. By keeping the old car and making an
equivalent payment to the church instead, you could contribute a significant amount to the capital campaign.
5. You have owned your house for 10 years or more and it has doubled in value. With current lower interest rates, you may
be able to refinance for more than the balance without increasing your monthly payments. Give the difference as a
tax-deductible gift toward your pledge.
6. Assign specific income to pay your pledge; for example, overtime that you would not normally work, or take on an
additional client if you are self-employed.
7. You are at the point in your life where you no longer need the large house (or its maintenance) and are considering
moving to smaller quarters. Current tax laws, which exclude from taxes all or most of the capital gains from the sale of
primary residences, now make such a move practical. A gift of all or part of the amount that previously would have been
paid in taxes is tax-deductible.
8. You are retired on a fixed income or you are a student with limited funds. A donation of $1/day will add up to over
$1,000 over the 3-year capital campaign giving period.
9. You now give to a number of worthwhile charities. Consider a total or partial "sabbatical" from your other charities and
focus on the capital campaign for three years. Or, alternately, reduce the number of charities you support but not the total
dollars, thus supporting fewer charities but supporting each more generously.
10. You have reached the age of 70 1/2 without touching your IRAs or other deferred retirement accounts. You are now
required to withdraw a minimum amount of cash each year that will be taxed substantially. Consider donating all or part of
the required withdrawals for three years for significant tax savings.
11. Consider making a personal sacrifice: giving up smoking or the drink before dinner, taking your lunch to work one day a
week instead of eating out, renting a DVD instead of going to a movie, washing the car instead of going to the car wash,
drinking regular coffee rather than the latte or frappucino. You get the idea. Then, of course, give the savings to the capital
campaign.
12. Be creative. For example, eliminate such items as these from your budget: the unnecessary expenses such as
subscriptions to magazines you no longer have time to read; redundant insurance premiums, such as on rental cars or collision
on older cars; excessive bank charges (switch to banks with free checking.) See how creative you can be in "finding" wasted
money in your own budget. Think outside the box--and share your ideas!
Take the tour again
See a drawing of the lower level renovation plans
See a drawing of the upper level renovation plans
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