Year-End Giving: How Your Support Helps Families This Winter

The Critical Need for Winter Housing Support

Winter presents unique and urgent challenges for families experiencing housing instability. As temperatures plummet and heating costs soar, the gap between having a safe place to call home and facing the harsh elements becomes a matter of survival. For vulnerable populations—including families with young children, elderly individuals, and those with chronic health conditions—secure housing during winter months is not just a comfort; it's a necessity.

The statistics paint a sobering picture. Emergency shelter demand typically increases by 40-50% during winter months, while available resources remain stretched thin. Families facing eviction or living in inadequate housing conditions struggle with impossible choices: pay for heat or buy groceries, fix a broken furnace or keep up with rent payments. These decisions have cascading effects on health, education, and long-term stability.

Realty Foundation's winter housing support programs address these challenges head-on. Through emergency rental assistance, utility payment support, and connections to permanent housing solutions, we help families weather the storm—literally and figuratively. Our comprehensive approach ensures that no family has to choose between warmth and other basic needs.

This winter, we're serving more families than ever before. The economic pressures of recent years have pushed many working families to the brink, and the seasonal spike in heating costs can be the tipping point. Your support during this critical time helps us respond quickly to emergencies while building long-term solutions that break the cycle of housing instability.

Understanding Year-End Tax Benefits

Making a charitable contribution before December 31st offers significant tax advantages that can maximize the impact of your generosity. Understanding these benefits helps you make informed decisions about your year-end giving while supporting causes that matter to you.

Tax Deduction Basics

Donations to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations like Realty Foundation are tax-deductible, meaning you can reduce your taxable income by the amount of your contribution. For taxpayers who itemize deductions, this can result in substantial savings. For example, if you're in the 24% tax bracket and donate $1,000, your actual cost after the tax deduction is effectively $760.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act increased the standard deduction significantly, which means fewer taxpayers itemize. However, for those who do itemize, charitable contributions remain one of the most valuable deductions available. Additionally, the law allows donors to deduct up to 60% of their adjusted gross income for cash contributions to public charities, providing flexibility for larger gifts.

Strategic Giving Approaches

Several strategies can enhance the tax benefits of your charitable giving. Bunching donations—making multiple years' worth of contributions in a single year—can help you exceed the standard deduction threshold and itemize. Donating appreciated assets like stocks or real estate allows you to avoid capital gains taxes while claiming a deduction for the full fair market value.

For donors aged 70½ or older, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs offer unique advantages. You can transfer up to $100,000 annually directly from your IRA to qualified charities, satisfying required minimum distributions without increasing your taxable income. This strategy is particularly valuable for those who don't itemize deductions.

It's important to note that tax laws are complex and individual circumstances vary. We always recommend consulting with a tax professional or financial advisor to determine the best giving strategy for your specific situation. Our development team is also available to discuss various giving options and how they might align with your financial and philanthropic goals.

Our Holiday Matching Gift Campaign

This year, we're thrilled to announce a special matching gift campaign that doubles the impact of your donation. Thanks to the generosity of several major donors and local businesses, every dollar donated to Realty Foundation between now and December 31st will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000. This means your $100 donation becomes $200, your $500 gift becomes $1,000, and so on.

The matching gift campaign represents a unique opportunity to maximize your charitable impact during the season when need is greatest. Our matching donors have stepped forward because they understand the critical importance of winter housing support and want to inspire others to join them in making a difference. Their leadership gifts create a multiplier effect that extends far beyond their individual contributions.

How the Matching Campaign Works

The process is simple and transparent. When you make a donation through our website, by mail, or by phone before midnight on December 31st, your gift is automatically eligible for matching. You'll receive immediate confirmation of your donation and notification that it has been matched. There are no complicated forms or additional steps—just make your gift, and we handle the rest.

All donation amounts are eligible for matching, from $25 to the maximum individual match limit. Whether you're making your first gift to Realty Foundation or you're a longtime supporter, your contribution will be doubled. We encourage donors to give at whatever level is meaningful to them, knowing that every dollar—and its match—goes directly toward helping families secure stable housing.

Real Impact of Matched Donations

To understand the power of matched giving, consider these examples of what your doubled donation can accomplish. A matched $100 donation ($200 total) can provide emergency utility assistance to prevent a family's heat from being shut off during a cold snap. A matched $250 gift ($500 total) can cover application fees and deposits that help a family move from temporary shelter into permanent housing.

A matched $500 donation ($1,000 total) can provide comprehensive case management services for a family for an entire month, including housing search assistance, financial counseling, and connections to community resources. And a matched $1,000 gift ($2,000 total) can cover emergency rental assistance that prevents an eviction and keeps a family stably housed through the winter months.

These aren't hypothetical scenarios—they're real interventions that happen every day through Realty Foundation's programs. The matching campaign allows us to serve twice as many families with the same level of community support, extending our reach and deepening our impact during the most critical time of year.

Making Your Year-End Gift

We've made it easy to contribute to Realty Foundation before the December 31st deadline. Multiple giving options ensure that you can choose the method that works best for your circumstances and preferences. Every donation, regardless of size or method, is deeply appreciated and put to immediate use supporting families in need.

Online Giving

Our secure online donation platform is the fastest and most convenient way to make your year-end gift. The process takes just minutes, and you'll receive instant confirmation of your donation along with a tax receipt. Online donations are processed immediately, ensuring your gift is recorded for the current tax year even if you donate on December 31st.

Our website accepts all major credit cards and electronic bank transfers. You can make a one-time gift or set up recurring monthly donations. For those interested in donating appreciated securities, our online system can facilitate stock transfers with guidance from our development team. All online transactions are encrypted and secure, protecting your personal and financial information.

Traditional Giving Methods

For donors who prefer traditional methods, we accept checks mailed to our office. To ensure your donation is credited for the current tax year, checks must be postmarked by December 31st. Please make checks payable to "Realty Foundation" and include a note indicating that your gift should be applied to the matching campaign if you'd like to take advantage of that opportunity.

You can also donate by phone by calling our development office during business hours. Our staff can process credit card donations over the phone and answer any questions you have about giving options, the matching campaign, or how your donation will be used. Phone donations are particularly helpful for donors who want to discuss specific giving strategies or have questions about memorial or tribute gifts.

Alternative Giving Options

Beyond cash and check donations, Realty Foundation accepts various forms of charitable contributions. Appreciated securities offer significant tax advantages, allowing you to avoid capital gains taxes while claiming a deduction for the full market value. Our development team can provide wire transfer instructions and work with your broker to facilitate stock donations.

For donors aged 70½ or older, Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs provide a tax-efficient giving option. These transfers count toward your required minimum distribution but aren't included in your taxable income. Contact our office for the specific information your IRA custodian will need to process a QCD to Realty Foundation.

We also accept donations of real estate, vehicles, and other assets. These gifts require additional coordination and planning, so we encourage donors interested in non-cash contributions to contact our development team well before the year-end deadline to ensure proper processing and documentation.

Your Impact: Stories from the Field

Behind every statistic and every dollar donated are real people whose lives are transformed by your generosity. These stories illustrate the tangible difference your year-end gift makes in our community, demonstrating how housing stability creates ripple effects that extend far beyond four walls and a roof.

The Martinez Family: From Crisis to Stability

When Maria Martinez lost her job last November, she faced an impossible situation. As a single mother of three, she had been living paycheck to paycheck, and the loss of income meant she couldn't pay December's rent. With winter approaching and the threat of eviction looming, Maria reached out to Realty Foundation in desperation.

Thanks to emergency rental assistance funded by donors like you, we were able to prevent Maria's eviction and keep her family housed through the winter. But our support didn't stop there. Our case managers connected Maria with job training programs and helped her secure new employment. Today, Maria is working full-time, her children are thriving in school, and the family has maintained stable housing for over a year.

"I don't know what would have happened to us without Realty Foundation," Maria shares. "It wasn't just the money—though that was crucial. It was knowing that someone cared, that we weren't alone, and that there was a path forward. That hope made all the difference."

Robert's Journey: Senior Housing Security

Robert, a 72-year-old veteran living on a fixed income, faced a different kind of crisis. When his furnace broke down in January, he couldn't afford the $2,000 repair cost. He spent weeks bundling up in layers and using space heaters, but his utility bills skyrocketed, and he fell behind on rent trying to stay warm.

Realty Foundation's winter assistance program, supported by year-end donations, covered Robert's furnace repair and helped him catch up on rent. We also connected him with energy assistance programs and helped him apply for additional benefits he was eligible for but hadn't known about. Robert now has reliable heat, stable housing, and peace of mind.

"At my age, I thought I'd be more secure," Robert reflects. "But life throws curveballs. The folks at Realty Foundation treated me with dignity and respect. They didn't just fix my immediate problem—they helped me build a more stable future. That's worth more than I can express."

The Broader Impact

These individual stories represent hundreds of families and individuals we serve each year. Housing stability creates cascading positive effects: children perform better in school when they're not worried about where they'll sleep, adults can focus on work and career advancement when they're not in constant crisis mode, and seniors can age with dignity when they have secure, safe housing.

Your year-end donation doesn't just provide temporary relief—it creates pathways to long-term stability and self-sufficiency. Every family we help represents a success story in the making, a future transformed by the generosity of donors who believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

Looking Ahead: Your Continued Support

While year-end giving is crucial, the need for housing support continues throughout the year. We invite you to consider becoming a monthly donor, providing steady, reliable support that allows us to plan programs and respond to emergencies with confidence. Monthly giving is convenient, flexible, and creates sustained impact that transforms communities.

As we enter the new year, Realty Foundation remains committed to our mission of ensuring everyone has access to safe, stable, affordable housing. Your partnership makes this work possible. Whether you give once a year or every month, whether you donate $25 or $2,500, your contribution matters and makes a real difference in real lives.

Thank you for considering a year-end gift to Realty Foundation. Thank you for believing in our mission and trusting us to steward your generosity wisely. And thank you for being part of a community that refuses to accept housing instability as inevitable. Together, we're building a future where everyone has a place to call home.