donate online

Donating online is quick and easy. When you make a donation online, you’ll receive an immediate confirmation of your donation and if your donation is $250 or more, you’ll receive a tax exempt letter to use in your next tax filing. With our online donation system, you can make a one-time donation or a monthly recurring gift. If you would like for your online donation to be attributed to a workplace campaign as well, be sure to list your company name so we can apply it accordingly.

Qualified Charitable Distribution

Did you know that you can use retirement funds to contribute to your local United Way? Taxpayers ages 70 ½ and older can have their retirement distribution directly paid to the United Way of East Tennessee Highlands using a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). 

A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA, payable directly to a qualified charity, as described in the QCD provision in the Internal Revenue Code. If you are 72 or older, amounts distributed as a QCD can be counted toward satisfying your RMD for the year, up to $100,000. The benefit of the QCD is that the funds are excluded from your taxable income. If you were to take the retirement distribution personally, rather than sending it directly to the United Way, the funds would be counted as taxable income even if you later make a contribution to the United Way. There can also be many other tax advantages to using a QCD to make your contribution to the United Way. Per IRS rules, certain rules must be followed and limitations can apply. Please consult with your tax and/or investment advisor to find out if this option will work best for you.

donate stock

Do you have appreciated stock? Would you like to contribute to United Way? Consider gifting your stock directly to United Way of East TN Highlands to maximize the value of your gift! The IRS provides for a charitable donations deduction for the fair market value of stock held more than one year. This means that you can recognize a deduction of the full value of the stock, subject ot certain income limits, and United Way can utilize  the proceeds from sale of the stock without paying capital gains taxes. It’s a win-win! Per IRS rules, certain rules must be followed and limitations can apply. Please consult with your tax professional and/or investment advisor to find out if this option will work for us. To donate your stock, click the button below.

Learn More -> 4 Reasons to Donate Stock to Charity by Fidelity

Planned giving

Planned giving is a great way to make a difference in people’s lives and always be remembered for your contribution. It can benefit yourself, your family and help United Way fulfill its mission for many years and generations to come. A bequest is one of the easiest gifts to make. With the help of an advisor, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift be made to family, friends or United Way of East TN Highlands as part of your estate plan. Bequests can be real estate, stocks, monetary, or any other asset you have ownership of. If you have any questions or you’d like to make United Way of East TN Highlands aware of your bequest, feel free to email our President/CEO below.