Annual Report

Donate Online

Partner With Us

The ongoing needs of Life Challenge are met through the generous gifts of those individuals and organizations who believe in our vision. We receive no federal, state, or local government funding. Have you considered using the following methods to help support Life Challenge of Southeastern Michigan?

Ways to Give:

Most gifts received by charities are in the form of checks or cash, credit or debit card, or electronic funds transfers.

Give Online: We can securely take your credit card gift of any amount over the internet via PayPal. Your contribution is tax deductible. Life Challenge of Southeastern Michigan is registered as a 501(c)3 organization with the Internal Revenue Service.

Give by Phone: Call us at 1 313.531.0111.
Give by Mail: Life Challenge of Southeastern Michigan, 17667 Pierson St., Detroit, MI 48219.

Securities:

Individual stocks or mutual funds that have increased in value provide an additional tax-advantaged way to give to qualified charitable organizations. If you donate an appreciated security that you have held longer than one year, you can deduct the market value of the security at the time of the gift as an itemized deduction on your Federal tax return, up to 30 percent of you adjusted gross income. However, you do not have to pay tax on the capital gain of the security that you donated.

Legacy Gifts:

You may want to consider how you can support Life Challenge beyond your lifetime through your estate plan. Properly structured planned giving not only continues support for the ministry of Life Challenge, but can also help reduce estate and income taxes for your heirs. We want to encourage this act of stewardship and help you create a legacy of giving in your family. Some possibilities include:

● Giving through a will or living trust. You may leave a percentage, or a specific amount, after you have provided for your family.

● Making Life Challenge one of the beneficiaries on your life insurance.

● Making Life Challenge one of the beneficiaries on qualified retirement plans such as 401(k), 403(b) and IRA’s. This potentially saves taxes since the portion designated for a qualified charity such as Life Challenge is not subject to income or estate taxes under current law.

● Charitable Gift Annuities, which can provide income for you or others during your lifetimes, and also provide a current tax deduction for a portion of the gift. Consult with your attorney or financial advisor.

Special Tax Saving Opportunity:

You can once again receive special tax credits by contributing to Life Challenge through the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan. The end of the year is fast approaching, and we would like to encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity.

Here’s how it works: Gifts to the Community Foundation are eligible for a credit on your Michigan tax return of 50% of the amount you contribute, up to a $200 credit for married persons and $100 if you are single. Additionally, the gift can also be deducted on your federal return if you itemize your deductions.

Below is an example of the tax benefits of a $400 gift for a married couple filing jointly who itemize on their federal return:

Thus, the married couple in the above example who are in the 25% federal tax bracket can make a $400 contribution to the Community Foundation designated for the benefit of Life Challenge at a net cost after tax savings of only $100 to themselves. That’s great news!

How does Life Challenge benefit? Your contribution goes into a “permanent endowment fund” through the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, from which we receive semi-annual interest payments on the principal. Since participating in this program (1991), we have received over $100,000!

How does Southeastern Michigan Benefit? The Foundation issues grants to organizations and ministries that benefit the community.

Make your check payable to Community Foundation not Life Challenge and send directly to:

Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan
333 West Fort Street, Suite 2010
Detroit, MI 48226

Be sure to put “Life Challenge” in the memo portion of your check, and be sure to have your letter postmarked no later than December 31, 2007.

We recommend you consult with a professional advisor before selling or giving any securities to a charity, and always consult a tax advisor about current tax law regarding charitable gifts. Life Challenge of Southeastern Michigan does not render tax or legal advice for any purpose. Life Challenge of Southeastern Michigan is registered as a 501(c)3 organization with the IRS.

For answers to questions or further information:

Please call 1.313.531.0111 and ask to speak to a Development representative.