Because we believe in being good stewards of what God has entrusted to us, we encourage you to thoughtfully consider the advantages of giving appreciated stock to Germantown United Methodist Church.

By giving appreciated stock to a charitable organization such as GUMC, you avoid paying capital gains tax on the increased value of the stock. Because you are giving to a charitable organization, your gift is deductible for the market value of the stock at the time it was given.

Please ask your financial advisor if this is a viable option for you.

Appreciated Securities are a Win-Win:

  • GUMC receives a gift as good as cash that will be used for God’s work.
  • Donors receive a charitable tax deduction equal to the fair market value of the stock and avoid capital gains tax on the appreciated value of the stock.
  • A reminder: You can accelerate your tax deduction and, at the same time, significantly help GUMC by giving stock before year-end in payment of your pledge for next year. The church will earn interest on the deposited funds and will be able to use your contribution for next year’s operating expenses. You, of course, get to take credit for the gift against any tax liability for this year.

Steps to Give Securities to GUMC

1. Notify Sharon Panis at 901-758-6530 or spanis@germantownumc.org.

2. Notify your broker to transfer a specified number of shares of stock to Germantown United Methodist’s account at Merrill Lynch. To do this, please complete and send the Stock Gift Form – for Broker (pdf) to your broker.

Please note that Germantown United Methodist policy is to immediately sell all stock gifts and deposit the proceeds from the sale into the church bank account.