Ways of Giving

The Programs of Commonwealth Youthchoirs

Ways of Giving in Support of Commonwealth Youthchoirs

Online
Make a one-time or recurring gift online:
Donate to Commonwealth Youthchoirs

 

By Mail
Please make checks payable to Commonwealth Youthchoirs and mail to:
Commonwealth Youthchoirs
35 W Chelten Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19144

By Phone
Please call 215-849-1762 to make a credit card gift or pledge by phone.

Gifts of Stock
While most donations to Commonwealth Youthchoirs take the form of cash gifts, donating appreciated securities is a way of giving that benefits both donors and charities. There are two primary advantages:  Any long-held appreciated stock or mutual funds with gains (meaning they were purchased over a year ago and have a current value greater than their original cost) may be donated to a public charity and a tax deduction taken for the full fair market value of the gift—up to 30% of the donor’s adjusted gross income. Please note that a gift of securities can come from an IRA if you are age 70-1/2 or older, or from a personal account at any age. This means you avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation. The more appreciation the securities have, the greater the savings to you. Please be sure to consult an attorney or tax advisor regarding your specific legal or tax situation.
To transfer stock, directly from your account to our account, please give your broker this information for DTC transfer:  
DTC #5198
Credit to Account:  53M02767
Name of Account:  Commonwealth Youthchoirs, Inc.
Tax ID #23-3074341

Merrill Lynch
470 Norristown Road, Suite 101
Blue Bell, PA  19422
Contact: Terry McDonough
Phone:  484-530-5337
Please also call Emily Harmar, Development Director, at 215-403-7030 or email her at development@cychoirs.org to inform her of your gift intention and to ensure that your gift is properly credited and acknowledged promptly.
IRA Distribution
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 made permanent qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from individual retirement accounts. This tax law allows a donor age 70 ½ or older to make a distribution from an IRA to a charitable organization without being taxed. Please note your donation must be a direct transfer from your IRA to the charity.

Gift Planning
You can support Commonwealth Youthchoirs now and in the future through a planned gift. For instance, it is easy to include Commonwealth Youthchoirs in your will or to name CY as a beneficiary of your retirement plan. To find out more, or if you have already done this, please call Emily Harmar, Development Director, at 215-403-7030. Please also be sure to discuss your situation with legal and tax advisers to determine the most advantageous and appropriate gift according to your circumstances.  

Planned gifts may take any of the following forms:

  • Bequests
  • Retirement Assets (IRAs or Qualified Plans, like 401k)
  • Charitable Gift Annuities
  • Charitable Lead Trust
  • Charitable Remainder Trust
  • Gifts of Appreciated Securities
  • Gifts of Real Estate

Corporate Matching Gift
Double or triple your gift Commonwealth Youthchoirs by submitting a matching gift through your employer.
Corporate Support through EITC
Commonwealth Youthchoirs is proud to be an approved Educational Improvement Organization (EIO) under Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. Through EITC, eligible companies can receive tax credits for contributions to innovative educational programs, such as ours. Read more here.
Gifts in Honor or Memory
Each year Commonwealth Youthchoirs receives many gifts in honor or memory of singers, alumni, parents, staff members, and friends of our organization. When honor or memorial gifts are received, the Development Office notifies the honoree or a family member and credits the gift appropriately. If making a honorary/memorial donation by mail, please include the name and address or email of the person(s) to receive an acknowledgement of the donation; if making a donation online, please include the acknowledgement information in the comments section.
Amazon Smile
You can benefit CY while you shop by participating in Amazon Smile.

Volunteering Commonwealth Youthchoirs succeeds in its events and programs because of the many gifts of time and talent that community members give in support of our organization. From volunteering for a specific event to leading a committee, there are many ways you can be involved. Please contact Emily Harmar, Development Director, at 215-403-7030 or email her at development@cychoirs.org to find out how you can make a difference for our singers.   If you have any questions about the EITC program and how your business or company can participate or if you would like more information, please contact Emily Harmar, Development Director, at development@cychoirs.org or 215-403-7030.