She explained that real estate and other personal property account for 40 to 60 percent of a household’s net worth on average. Camougis explained that development officers can make a compelling proposition to donors that they could get more bang for their charitable buck by donating appreciated property.Ĭamougis said that real estate as a percentage of household net worth can vary widely depending on household income level, with lower net-worth households sinking more of their net worth in real estate than most higher net-worth households. Real estate donations offer donors a way to give a gift, with additional benefits that a cash donation doesn’t have, such as deferring capital gains tax and getting rid of any carrying expenses. “When you look how people’s net worth is held, most people have most of their net worth in illiquid assets like real estate and other properties,” said Camougis. Not including FY 2009, Estroff said TNC averaged 17 real estate gifts a year and an average eight charitable real estate bequests a year for the previous five years.Ĭaroline Camougis, managing director of New York City-based Delphi Partners, which deals exclusively with non-cash charitable gifts, explained that now it’s harder than ever to get a donor to write a check for $100,000. “When they don’t know what’s going to happen with the economy, when they’ve seen their other sources of income, retirement and otherwise, contracting, they are hard pressed to give anything away,” said Estroff. He explained that he’s seen an increase in promising inquiries since July and that a renewed and returning confidence about the economy might have helped increase the number of inquiries received. Harry Estroff, real estate gifts manager at TNC, said the number of gifts and dollars raised was down for trade land gifts during Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, but he is hopeful for FY 2010. The trade land program has raised nearly $300 million for the Arlington, Va.-based organization since it began in 1981. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) takes two types of real estate gifts: land that donors give to be permanently protected or gifts called “trade lands,” which are real estate gifts that the donor permits the organization to sell to support the mission.
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