Tax Benefits
The Endow Iowa program is part of an effort to enhance philanthropic activity in the State of Iowa by encouraging contributions to community foundations. The program provides significant additional tax incentives for individual, business or organizational donors of community foundations.
Giving through the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation community allows you to give to the causes you care most about. Your gifts create lasting changes throughout Hamilton County and the Endow Iowa Tax Credit Program offers you generous tax incentives to make it easier for you to give. Those who give to a permanently endowed fund at a qualified community foundation or affiliate organization, including Enhance Hamilton County Foundation, are eligible to receive 25% tax credits for their gifts. Charitable donors who give are also eligible to take advantage of the federal tax deductions along with the Endow Iowa tax credits.
Tax credits are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with approximately $4.5 million available annually statewide. The Endow Iowa tax credits can be claimed by individuals, businesses or financial institutions.
Over $95 million has been invested in community foundations through Endow Iowa since 2003, improving residents’ lives both now and for years to come.
Supporting Endow Iowa helps build Iowa’s Community Foundations:
Endow Iowa endorses the importance of philanthropy and encourages all Iowans to invest in their communities through endowment funds. These funds are permanent resources that build the capacity for communities to become self-sufficient by providing financial support to charitable projects and community betterment programs now and in the future.
Community endowments help citizens promote, plan and prepare for the future and manifest their own community visions. More than 1,500 Iowa leaders are engaged in the community foundation movement annually.
Wealth often leaves Iowa’s communities and counties because there were no vehicles in place to receive gifts. Endow Iowa creates and provides the tools and vehicles to create endowment funds while strengthening existing community foundations. It is a low-cost way to positively impact Iowa forever.
Endow Iowa establishes community endowments that create eternal financial sources to fund community betterment.
Planned giving creates a way for Iowans to leave wealth to their local communities and at the same time avoid federal estate taxes and the capital gains tax that force many wealthier citizens out of the state. Collectively, if Iowans would gift even 5% of their estates annually into endowment funds at community foundations, we would see more than $245 million each year reinvested into community-based endowment funds that would grow to even greater levels in time.
The Iowa Economic Development Authority is the agency administering the Endow Iowa Tax Credit program and tracking of tax credits spent for the year.
For more information on Tax Benefits, click here.
Endow Iowa Tax Calculator
The Endow Iowa Tax Calculator is designed to be a flexible tool to help you understand the potential tax savings for gifts made through Endow Iowa and the long-term impact of giving to an endowed fund.