Tax Smart Gifts

Conscious giving can also be practical giving. For those who want their generosity to go further, that allows your own finances to be tended wisely in the process, there are several options to choose from. You can both support Emberlight and lighten your own tax burden at the same time. We invite you to consider whether one of these paths fits your circumstances.

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IRA Charitable Rollover (QCD)

If you are 70 ½ years or older, you can direct a gift to Emberlight straight from your IRA through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). The transfer moves directly from your account to ours, so it is never counted as taxable income to you, and it can also satisfy some or all of your required minimum distribution for the year. It is one of the simplest ways we know for a gift to do double duty: supporting the Sanctuary while easing what you owe.

To make a QCD gift, ask your IRA administrator to send the distribution directly to Emberlight: Center for Conscious Living & Dying, Tax ID 87-3657907, 83 Sanctuary Road, Swannanoa, NC 28778.. We are glad to provide any documentation your administrator requires, giving@emberlightway.org

Donor Advised Funds (DAF)

If you hold a donor advised fund, recommending a grant to Emberlight is often one of the easiest gifts you can make. The tax benefit of your original contribution to the fund was already realized when you made it, so a grant recommendation to us costs you nothing further and reaches our work quickly.

Simply contact your fund administrator and recommend a grant to Emberlight: Center for Conscious Living & Dying, Tax ID 87-3657907, 83 Sanctuary Road, Swannanoa, NC 28778.

A Deduction Without Itemizing

Beginning with the 2026 tax year, a new law lets you claim a deduction for your gift to Emberlight even if you take the standard deduction rather than itemizing. Single filers can deduct up to $1,000, and married couples filing jointly up to $2,000.

Your gift qualifies whether you give by check, card, bank transfer, or online. Gifts of stock or goods do not qualify under this provision, and neither do gifts made through a donor advised fund.

Roughly nine in ten people take the standard deduction. If you are among them, a gift to Emberlight may now count at tax time in a way it did not before.

A Note on the Details

We are not attorneys or financial advisors, and no two situations are alike. Your own advisor is the right person to tell you what makes sense for you.

We are glad to be part of that conversation. If it would help to gather information, talk through options, or simply think out loud with someone, reach out to giving@emberlightway.org

We'd Love to Hear From You

If you are considering a tax smart gift, or have already recommended one, let us know. It lets us thank you properly and put your generosity to work where it is needed most.

Reach out to us at giving@emberlightway.org or 828-329-0823.