Support Our Life-Changing Work

You can donate via credit card one time or monthly. Please follow the steps below to make a secure credit card donation.

1. Visit our donation page and choose Give.
2. Select the donation amount you wish to contribute. If you would like to make a reoccurring donation, choose Give Monthly.
3. Under Donation Options, you can choose to dedicate your donation and/or request a company match. You can also skip this step.
4. Click Continue to see a summary of your gift. You will have the option to cover the donation fees for United Way of Central Maryland, so we won’t have to pay the service fee charged to us for processing. That means more dollars come to us!
5. Before submitting, you can also choose to receive updates from us on our work and impact, and donate anonymously if you prefer. Continue to process your gift.
6. When your donation is processed successfully, you will receive a confirmation email and a tax receipt from the United Way of Central Maryland to acknowledge your generous contribution.
   

Note: If you encounter any issues or have questions regarding your donation, please contact us. We are here to assist you throughout the donation process. Thank you for your support!

Please follow the steps below to make your check donation via a secure P.O. box. 

1. Make your check payable to: United Way of Central Maryland 
2. Complete a copy of our donation form.   
3. Mail your check and donation form to: 
   United Way of Central Maryland 
   P.O. Box 64282 
   Baltimore, MD 21264-4282
4. Once your check donation is received, United Way of Central Maryland will send you an acknowledgement letter to express our gratitude for your generous contribution. 

Donating securities is easy and you could be saving on taxes while helping others. When donating stock, most people simply transfer the stock directly to United Way as described below rather than selling it. This allows you to claim a charitable contribution on the day of the transfer to United Way and not have to pay the capital gains tax on the securities. United Way will be responsible for any fees related to the sale of the stock.  

1. Identify the stock you want to donate.  
2. Contact your investment advisor and send a written request that shares will be transferred into United Way of Central Maryland’s account. (Stock certificates do not need to be put in United Way’s name.)  
3. Send a copy of the letter to Donor Services-Stock, Attn: April Crews, United Way of Central Maryland, 1800 Washington Blvd., Suite. 340, Baltimore, MD 21230 to inform us of the transferred shares. We will contact the investment advisor regarding the immediate sale of the shares.  
4. If you are donating stock certificates, please sign the back of the certificate(s) and submit with a brief letter stating the amount of shares and what type of stock is being donated to the previously stated address.  
5. United Way of Central Maryland will send you a receipt for the mean value (average of the high and low price) of the shares on the date the shares are received in United Way’s account.  
6. United Way has accounts with most major firms. Please click here for a list of our preferred Investment Advisors.  

Tax-Advantaged Giving

Income tax laws encourage contributions to public charities like United Way by providing—within the tax code—income tax deductions for donors who itemize on their federal tax returns.

Donors can make gifts at reduced costs: for example, if you make a cash contribution of $10,000 to United Way, you may claim a deduction of $10,000 on your income tax return. In this scenario, if you are in the 37% marginal income tax bracket, you will reduce your overall federal tax liability by $3,700.* In effect, you can give United Way $10,000 at a cost to you of $6,300.

Gifts of Appreciated Stock

If your gift was in appreciated stock as shown in the chart, with a cost basis of $3,000 (therefore gain of $7,000), the cost to you would still be $6,300, which is more advantageous to you than selling the stock directly and paying the capital gains tax.

*There may be additional savings in avoiding Maryland state income tax. Charitable gifts are subject to the deduction limits set by the Internal Revenue Code. Any excess deductions can be carried over an additional five years. Additionally, charitable deductions are subject to the phaseout of itemized deductions for certain high-income taxpayers. This material is intended to be illustrative only; we encourage individuals to review their plans with their own tax counsel to ensure that their particular circumstances are fully considered when calculating the tax consequences of any charitable gift.

Email us or call 667.217.4769 for answers to your questions about stock donations.

Simplify your giving and amplify your strategic philanthropic goals by supporting United Way through your Donor Advised Fund (DAF.)

We sincerely appreciate your interest in donating to the United Way of Central Maryland through a Donor Advised Fund (DAF). Your contribution can support our ongoing efforts to improve lives in our community. Please follow the steps below to make a donation from your DAF. 

Steps: 

1. Contact your Donor Advised Fund provider and request a distribution to be made to the United Way of Central Maryland. 
2. Provide your DAF provider with the following information: 
   Name: United Way of Central Maryland 
   Address: 1800 Washington Blvd. Suite 340
   Tax ID: 52-0591543 
3. Instruct your DAF provider to include your name and contact information with the distribution. 
4. Notify the United Way of Central Maryland about your DAF donation by submitting a form.
5. United Way of Central Maryland will provide you with a tax receipt and acknowledgement letter for your generous contribution. 

Any taxpayer that is 70.5 or older with a traditional IRA can give a tax-free gift called a QCD to the United Way of Central Maryland.

If you’re an American taxpayer aged 70.5 or older, you may donate up to and including $100,000 from your IRAs each year without having to treat the withdrawals as taxable income.  

Potential Benefits of an IRA Rollover: 

• Avoid taxes on transfers of up to $100,000 from your IRA to our organization 
• Satisfy your required minimum distribution for the year 
• Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions 
• Make a gift that is not subject to the 50% deduction limits on charitable gifts 

How an IRA Charitable Rollover Gift Works: 

• Contact your IRA administrator to make an IRA Charitable Rollover Gift 
• Contact United Way here {link to form} to let us know your gift is coming 
• Your IRA funds will be directly transferred to United Way to help continue our important work in central Maryland 
• NOTE: IRA Charitable rollover gifts do not qualify for a charitable deduction. 

By making a planned gift to United Way, a gift in your will or living trust, ensures future funding to support our critical programs.

Your gift to our endowment can provide significant benefits to you and help build a permanent savings account for United Way’s future. Our endowment provides the financial stability and flexibility we need to continue to create lasting solutions to our region’s most pressing needs. 

ENDOWMENT ASSETS: $35 million (June 2023; Based on unaudited financial reporting)  

ANTICIPATED CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ENDOWMENT TO UNITED WAY PROGRAMS:  $1,200,000 (Fiscal year 2023)  

ANNUAL ENDOWMENT SUPPORT:  

Each year, the United Way of Central Maryland Board allocates up to five percent of the endowment balance to augment and support United Way programs that would not otherwise be fully funded through our annual campaigns. Without this endowment support, many vital programs that improve lives and neighborhoods would be curtailed or eliminated. 

ENDOWMENT GIFT ADVANTAGES:  

There are many ways to give that require no cash outlay, provide significant tax advantages or generate income for the donor. While some endowment gifts are in the “current” form—including cash, marketable securities or real estate—most are in the “deferred” form—including will or trust designations, life insurance, designation of retirement plan assets upon death, or annuity. 

Common Gift Options: 

• Gift of Cash/Securities or Real Estate: Offers immediate tax deduction and potential avoidance of capital gains tax with appreciated assets.  
• Will/Trust Beneficiary: Simple to establish; provides flexibility and control. 
• Beneficiary of Retirement Plan: Simple, avoids potential double taxation (estate tax and income tax) on retirement funds.  
• Beneficiary of Existing or New Life Insurance Policy: Donors with existing, fully-paid policies can easily assign their beneficiary benefits to United Way. Additionally, the United Way Life Program provides the opportunity to name United Way as beneficiary under a five-premium program that is particularly attractive for young donors eligible for low premiums. With United Way matching 50 percent of the annual premium up to $2,500 per year, this program offers a low-cost approach to making a large gift. 
• Charitable Gift Annuity: This “win-win” option provides the donor with an income stream, a portion of which is tax-exempt, as well as a charitable deduction (based on IRS formula), and United Way receives a lump sum gift.  
• Charitable Trusts: There are many such trusts, adjustable to estate, income and tax needs of donor. Examples include:  
  • Charitable Remainder Trust—An efficient way to transfer appreciated property, benefit from the charitable income deduction and reduce estate taxes, while still reaping the benefits of the underlying assets for income. 
  • Charitable Lead Trust—A portion of trust income is first donated to United Way, and after a specified period of time it transfers the remainder of the trust to the trust beneficiaries (donor or donor designated recipients). The beneficiaries face lower gift taxes and estate taxes with this type of trust. 

For more information, contact us here. A United Way representative will be in touch to answer any of your questions.  

Does your company run a workplace giving campaign? Many employers offer workplace giving options and where you can support United Way through payroll deduction, credit card and other giving choices. To learn if your employer participates, contact us. 

Join the 350+ local organizations, small and large, that engage employees through workplace giving programs. These programs bring together employees to learn about our community’s needs, offer efficient ways to give, and provide rewarding team-building experiences through volunteerism. 

Annually, United Way of Central Maryland is honored to have the opportunity to partner with many local businesses, offering employees an opportunity to give back to the community through Workplace Giving engagements.  

These efforts focus on bringing people together to tackle our community’s most difficult issues; a task no one person or organization can do alone. Whether you’re a small business, major corporation or even a non-profit, you can join more than 350 local businesses and organizations in Central Maryland that partner with us each year. 

Every workplace engagement is different and can be shaped around your organization’s culture. Setting up and running a campaign is simple and we are here to help you, every step of the way. We will provide you with the tools and resources needed to be successful. 

Through a workplace fundraiser, your employees will experience the satisfaction of seeing their donations turn into programs and services that impact people’s lives. When they see the needle moving on important social issues in our community, they will know your company or organization helped to make a difference, and they will feel proud of their collective accomplishments. 

We can help you set up your fundraiser so that employees can contribute through payroll deductions or easy-to-use online tools. Some companies double their impact by matching their employees’ investments dollar-for-dollar. Contact us about workplace giving.