Gifts of Cash. Most gifts to Astraea are cash contributions, allowing donors to receive full tax benefits if they itemize deductions. The donor can deduct the value of her gift to 50% of her adjusted gross income. If the charitable deduction exceeds that amount in the year the gift is made, the donor can carry over the unused excess to offset income in succeeding years (up to five).

Make a Contribution

Stocks A gift of appreciated stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares to Astraea can provide critically needed financial support to lesbian-led, LGBTI and progressive organizations and reduce your tax liability! Your tax deduction is based on the full market value of the gift, and you avoid capital gains taxes.

Stock transfer information can be found on our Stock Transfer Form. When making the transfer, please complete and return this form to Alexandra Teixeira, Philanthropic Partnerships Officer, at email: ateixeira@astraeafoundation.org or fax: 212-982-3321. For more information you can also reach Alexandra at 212-529-8021, ext. 13.

Due to their leadership in Socially Responsible Investing, Astraea has selected Veris Wealth Partners as its financial advisor. Click here for more information about Veris Wealth Partners.

Matching Gifts Double Your Donation!

Take advantage of your employer's Matching Gift Program.

Many companies offer matching gift programs to encourage employees to contribute to charitable organizations.

When making your gift to Astraea, please ask your company's Human Resources Department whether they offer a matching gift program. If they do, ask for a matching gift form, fill out your portion, and enclose it with your donation. Astraea will verify your donation and your company will match, or double, even triple your gift to Astraea!

For more information you may reach Ivory Farley, Membership Coordinator, at ifarley@astraeafoundation.org or at 212-529-8021, ext. 17.

Gifts In Honor and Memory To give a gift in honor or in memory of someone, please fill in the gift recognition section of Astraea's gift form or contact Alexandra Teixeira, Philanthropic Partnerships Officer, ateixeira@astraeafoundation.org or 212.529.8021 x13.

There are numerous advantages to establishing a donor-advised fund as a part of Astraea.

Your fund becomes part of a publicly supported, visible, lesbian organization, while you have the option of being as visible or anonymous as you choose.

You may get a larger tax deduction for current and future gifts.

Since the fund doesn't pay excise tax, there frequently is more available for charity.

Your fund can be set up in a day, rather than requiring months.

Your fund is managed by a full-time, staffed organization with expert advisors.

Your administrative expenses are minimized while your dollars to the community are maximized

The minimum required to establish and name a fund at Astraea is $10,000.

There are a number of giving options and opportunities for establishing funds. Each one is slightly different and provides the donor with varying levels of involvement in the grantmaking process. It is also possible to structure your gift to include more than one kind of fund.
For donors who want specific charities or individuals to benefit from their fund, or want assistance managing the check-writing and correspondence involved with grantmaking, Astraea can professionalize your charitable giving without the responsibilities and costs entailed in running a private foundation. With a donor-advised fund you can refer requests for support to us, suggest we make payments to any charity you choose, or you can tell us your interests or area of focus and we can bring proposals to you. If you wish, you can have your gifts remain anonymous. We take care of all the clerical tasks.

While your recommendations cannot be binding (our board has final say under Internal Revenue Service rules), we take the donor's suggestions very seriously, and as long as they are consistent with Astraea's mission, they will be approved.

TYPES OF FUNDS
Unrestricted Funds
Field of Interest Funds

Support Our Endowment As a global foundation with a U.S. and International Grants Program, Astraea plays a unique role in the ongoing struggle for LGBTI rights, economic justice, racial equality and the eradication of the many "isms" that diminish people and our world.  Astraea has a well-established track record as an innovative philanthropic entity that partners with individuals and other foundations who believe, as we do, that meaningful change can occur when collective resources are acutely focused.

In 1999, we launched Astraea's Endowment Campaign with the goal of ensuring a permanent financial reservoir of support for the Foundation.  Although our Campaign was successfully completed, we will continue to build the Fund in the coming years to ensure that Astraea and our community have the resources needed to bring about lasting social change.

To contribute to the Endowment, please contact Alexandra Teixeira, Philanthropic Partnerships Officer, at 212-529-8021, ext. 13 or email: ateixeira@astraeafoundation.org.

There are many ways of making a planned gift to Astraea. Each option is expressive of a donor's particular interests and each has a distinct tax advantage. Moreover, a variety of assets may be appropriate for charitable gift purposes.

Deferred Gifts
In many cases a deferred gift enables a donor to make a more significant contribution to Astraea than would be possible by an outright gift. Most often such gifts are funded with cash or stock and take the form of life income arrangements, which generate income for the donor during her lifetime or for a term of years. The principal then reverts to Astraea. The donor receives immediate tax benefits for the contribution while helping insure Astraea's future strength. The donor may name an income beneficiary other than herself, and she may also extend the income interest to include the life of a second or survivor beneficiary.

Charitable Remainder Trusts
Cash, securities or real estate are put into an irrevocable trust. This trust pays income annually to you (or another beneficiary that you choose) with the remainder of the trust benefiting Astraea upon your (or their) death. You qualify for tax advantages at the time the gift is made and the trust is exempt from estate taxes at the time of your death.

Charitable Lead Trusts
Cash, securities or real estate are placed into an irrevocable trust. In this case the trust pays income to Astraea for a certain period of time. At the end of the trust period, the entire trust principal plus any appreciation and undistributed income returns to the donor or the designated beneficiaries. A lead trust can work well for donors who have estates worth $1 million or more and fund the trust with a minimum of $100,000.

Women Will Circle Women Will is a Giving Circle for women and allied men who have made planned gifts and bequests to Astraea Foundation.

Astraea has been the beneficiary of gifts entrusted to us by generous donors.  Too often, these gifts have gone unrecognized because they have come at the end of a donor's life.  The Women Will Circle provides a way for Astraea to recognize and thank donors who have designated us as a beneficiary of their estate during their lifetime and to involve them more intimately in the Foundation's work.

Women Will Circle members will be recognized in Astraea publications and at special events.

If you would like to designate Astraea  as a beneficiary in your will, insurance policy or retirement fund, please contact the Development Department at 212-529-8021.