Advantages of Making Donations

Donating money to a worthy cause like UMFS allows you to make a difference in your community, supporting high-risk children and families and helping them achieve a brighter future.

Experiencing The Advantages Of Donations

When you make a donation to a cause that’s important to you, you gain several advantages.

Psychological Benefits

You can start to feel like you’re stuck in a rut when you follow the same daily routine.

The simple act of making a donation can boost your mood. Making a gift to UMFS changes lives. When you realize that your gift is making a real difference, you may begin to feel invigorated and excited about the impact you’re making. That can help you feel more positive about other areas of your life.

Emotional Satisfaction

Making a donation can lift your emotional state.

Your donation to UMFS creates a brighter future for others, and it can also make you feel happier, more fulfilled, and more relaxed. The act of giving can expand your joy and contentment and reduce your stress.

Financial donations create a rush of dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins that activate the pleasure center in your brain. That gives you a rewarding, “feel good” experience.

Make a donation is also a great alternative if you’re not able to donate your time as a volunteer. Volunteers make a tremendous impact in the lives of the high-risk children we serve. But not everyone is able to work volunteer roles into their schedule. There’s no need to feel guilty about that. Making a donation is another valuable way you can support the cause and make a real difference.

Social Benefits

Like many other local charities, UMFS relies on private donors like you and the people you know to support us. Consider the numerous ways your donations impact your social circle and the community.

First, your financial donations can activate social consciousness and raise awareness for UMFS. When you care enough about a charity to support it with money, you naturally show enthusiasm for the cause and will share information about UMFS with the people you know. This helps raise awareness for UMFS and can lead to even more support for the high-risk children and families we serve.

Your charitable contributions are also contagious. Family members, friends, and acquaintances may decide to give money as they see your enthusiasm and excitement for the cause.

Finally, UMFS is active in social media including Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We also host in-person events where you can meet other supporters. These opportunities allow you to make social connections, build relationships and bond with new friends.

Together, you and your friends can motivate and encourage each other to continue to give money and support your shared passion.

Financial Advantages

Charitable donations can have a positive impact on your finances in several ways:

  1. You may be able to deduct your charitable contributions on your tax return. Click here to learn more.
  2. You can multiply your financial benefits when you donate appreciated securities that were purchased over a year ago. In addition to the standard tax deduction for making a charitable donation, you may also avoid the capital gains tax. Click here to learn more.
  3. If you’re retired, charitable donations can provide another valuable financial benefit for you. Once you reach age 72, you must start taking the RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) from your IRA or 401(K) retirement account. Instead of taking the full RMD yourself, you can make a QCD (Qualified Charitable Distribution) to UMFS. Click here to learn more.
  4. You can create a legacy with your financial donations through planned giving. This creates long-term benefits for UMFS, and can also provide estate tax deductions. There are multiple ways to include UMFS in your planned giving. You can designate UMFS as the beneficiary in your will or living trust. You can also donate a life insurance policy to UMFS by filling out a change of ownership form with your insurance company. You can also donate a retirement account such as an IRA or 401(K) to UMFS by completing a beneficiary designation form to name UMFS as the beneficiary of the account. (Please use our full legal name: United Methodist Family Services of Virginia.) Click here to learn more.
  5. Making regular charitable donations could help you manage your personal finances better. To prioritize your charitable contributions, you may create a budget that helps you become more aware of and cautious with your overall spending.

For more details, talk to your tax or financial professional.

Professional Benefits

Charitable giving can have a positive impact on your professional life as well.

Many local companies encourage their employees to volunteer and donate to local charities, and UMFS can be a beneficiary of your workplace giving. Working together to help high-risk children can give you and your colleagues a morale boost. Not only will you enjoy work more when you donate and volunteer, but you will also see an improvement in teamwork, retention, and productivity thanks to your contributions.

As a bonus, your employer may help you to double or even triple your impact. Many companies will match your donations, allowing you to multiply your donation effortlessly.

Understanding the Impacts & Advantages of Donating to Charity

Charitable donations improve life for others and give you many advantages as well.

We invite you to consider donating to UMFS, and help high-risk children and families across Virginia create a brighter future.