Gifts of Stock & Mutual Funds

Donating shares of stock is a tax-savvy way to help save lives!

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Gifts of Stock and Appreciated Securities

When you gift stocks and other securities, you make an outsized impact without taking money directly out of your bank account. Plus, neither you nor the American Heart Association will be taxed on the gains for appreciated assets you donate.

Meet your giving goals, enjoy potential tax benefits, and contribute to the mission of the American Heart Association. That’s a triple-win.

The American Heart Association works with FreeWill, making it easy for you to donate stock and other securities.

Benefits

  • You may receive immediate income tax savings.
  • You may be able to avoid capital gains tax on appreciated stock.
  • When you give appreciated stocks directly to charity, your gift can be up to 20% larger because you avoid the taxes you’d incur from selling and donating the cash.
  • Stock gifts are easy to transfer using our platform powered by FreeWill.
  • Donations of appreciated securities may be designated for a specific fund or purpose in the association’s mission.

How it works

  1. Select which securities to donate

    You’ll need your brokerage name, account number, stock name, and number of shares you want to donate. Donors generally incur the greatest tax benefit when donating appreciated stock that has been held for more than a year. Please contact your brokerage if you have any questions.

  2. Submit a request to transfer the securities

    Use our free, secure, and confidential online tool to complete the necessary forms in as little as ten minutes. Submit them securely online through DocuSign or choose to print and mail the completed forms yourself.

  3. We receive your gift

    Your stock is transferred to the American Heart Association. Once complete, you’ll receive a tax acknowledgment for the market value of your gift.

Ready to get started?

Make a Gift of Stock Online
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You can complete your gift and support our mission in as little as ten minutes. Our free, secure, and confidential online tool through FreeWill walks you through the process step-by-step.

Make a Gift of Stock By Phone or Mail
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If you've donated stock previously and are familiar with the process, access the American Heart Association's brokerage and DTC information.

Start a Gift as a Financial Advisor
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Are you a financial advisor working on behalf of your philanthropic client? Use this tool to request a securities transfer on behalf of your clients.

Resources to Help Make Your Gift

Additional information about one of the most advantageous ways to make an impact on a heart-healthy future:

Donor Spotlight: Patti and Joe Brayton

Patti and Joe Brayton

Having a well-known cardiologist as a father was a point of pride for Patti Brayton. She saw first-hand the amazing personal care he provided for over 30 years in their community outside Chicago. After losing her mother as a teenager, Patti grew up attending cardiology events as her father's "plus one," so she has always felt at home in a ballroom. Her connection to matters of the heart became even stronger when her husband Joe co-founded a company providing medications for heart transplant patients and those with congestive heart failure (CHF). Patti eventually lost her father to CHF and she and Joe began actively supporting their local American Heart Association in his honor. "It felt good to honor him by giving back and fighting for the hearts of others, the way he had for so many decades," said Patti. After her retirement, Patti turned her attention on the Dallas Cotes du Coeur Gala, helping raise lifesaving funds through its silent auction. She and Joe became so active they were asked to chair the event. They took the helm of the 2022 gala and helped to lead it to a sold-out success, raising $5.5 million for the mission of the American Heart Association.

At the same time they were planning for the event, Patti and Joe were taking their support of the AHA to new heights in another way as well - through a substantial gift of stock. The timing was perfect and it just made sense. The couple had purchased this stock several years earlier, watching its value ebb and flow. At times they thought about selling it - their initial investment had appreciated more than ten times over - yet the taxes would prevent the sale from being very profitable.

"People don't think about tax implications," Patti said. "But if you give it away, nonprofits benefit. If you've made a lot of money in a stock and need a tax write-off, do it." For Patti and Joe, a stock gift was the perfect way to take a small initial investment and turn around and make a positive impact for a nonprofit close to their hearts. As the Braytons say, "This is good for everybody!"

Additional Information

See How this Gift Can Cost You Less

For example, you purchased stock 5 years ago for $1,000. Between the date you purchased the stock and today, that stock has increased in value from $1,000 to $5,000. This increase in value is commonly referred to as a capital gain. If you transfer stock as a gift to the association today, you may be potentially making a $5,000 gift that only costs you $1,000.

For More Information

If you have any further questions about the benefits of charitable donations of stock and other securities, please email [email protected] or call 888-227-5242.