Chicago Botanic Garden

General Information

Consider a Qualified Charitable Distribution

Help grow the garden

The President has signed into law various tax cuts, which include restoring the IRA Charitable Rollover for 2010 and permits its use in all of 2011.

If you own an IRA and are over age 70, you may transfer up to $100,000 directly from your IRA to the Chicago Botanic Garden because we are a qualified charity. You may not have taken your 2010 required IRA distribution and may reduce your income taxes with an IRA charitable rollover. Even if you have taken your required IRA distribution, you still may find the IRA charitable rollover a very convenient way to make a year-end gift.

Starting the Process

An easy way to start an IRA Charitable Rollover is to send an e-mail to your IRA custodian, the financial services company that manages your IRA. Please check their website for the correct e-mail address. Below is a sample e-mail. If you use this e-mail, please enter your account number in the blank.
 
Dear IRA Custodian,

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, effective from Jan. 1, 2010 to Dec. 31, 2011, permits a rollover directly from an IRA to a qualified public charity. As the owner of IRA account #_________________ that is in the custody of your organization, I request that you transfer from that account the sum of $_________________ to the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois 60022, whose tax ID number is 36-2225482.

It is my intention to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to the Chicago Botanic Garden from my IRA, which may fulfill part or all of my IRA required minimum distribution for this year.

This letter is sufficient authorization for you to make this QCD gift. However, if you require any further documents, please promptly e-mail those to me.

Cordially yours,

IRA Owner

Resources

For more information about making your Qualified Charitable Distribution to the Chicago Botanic Garden, please contact Patty Shanahan, director of planned and major gifts, at (847) 835-6838.

For additional information on planned giving, click here.

Thanks very much for your support!