What I’ve learned about giving more than cash

by Parker Samelson

Before I came to NCF as an employee, I was a giveropens in a new tab. I’d already seen the value of having a plan for generosity and a place where my giving could be organized, prayed over, and put into action. And now, as part of the NCF Rocky Mountains team, I get to help others do something I care deeply about: steward what God has entrusted to them and use it to bless others.

As I’ve been meeting with givers across Colorado, I’ve noticed a few things many people wish they’d known sooner:

1. NCF is uniquely positioned to help you make asset gifts.

One of the most meaningful things NCF does is help givers turn non-cash assetsopens in a new tab into charitable dollars they can use to support the causes they care about most. Our local office is connected to a national team of gift planning attorneys who work every day with the details of complex asset gifts.

I had a conversation recently with a giver who typically makes cash gifts to his Giving Fund. But I knew he was a business owner, so I wondered if there might be an opportunity for him to give business interests instead. After we talked about the potential value of a gift of business interests, we connected him with our gift-planning team so he could explore how to reach his giving goals more effectively.

2. There are more types of complex gifts than most people realize.

When people hear “non-cash assets,” they often think of appreciated stocks or securities. Those are great to give but the category is much broader. NCF helps facilitate gifts of real estate, business interests, life insurance, royalties, and more. I recently met a giver who was able to make a gift of the intellectual property of his business and use it to unlock significant resources for the kingdom.

Just last year, Colorado givers made $21 million in complex asset gifts, contributing to the more than $6 billion in complex assets NCF has helped facilitate nationally since 1982.

For many givers, giving from assets beyond cash can help them give more strategically and free up resources for the ministries and causes they already love.

3. Giving during your lifetime lets your family experience generosity together.

Earlier this year, our team hosted Jeff Rutt and his family for our Generations of Generosity event. They shared how donating a majority share of their company helped shape their family’s legacy of generosity. The Rutts’ generosity didn’t come as a surprise to their children, as they’d intentionally included the next generation in conversations about faith, worldview, and stewardship. When the time came to give, they were all part of the conversation and joyfully made the gift together.

Hearing about the clarity and unity the gift created between the generations was moving. As a Next Gen giver myself, it was meaningful to hear how multiple generations came together to give.

For many families, generosity is the entry point to shaping family legacy and unity between generations. NCF’s recent research report on Next Gen Stewardship found that there is often a major disconnect between generations on expectations and vision for the legacy of the family. The Rutts shared that not only did the complex gift create clarity, but it also created motivation among the family and the company employees to grow the business to unlock more charitable resources.

With NCF’s support and resources, asset gifts can become part of a much bigger story to create meaningful impact and unite a family around shared purpose.

If your family is considering how to use your resources for greater impact, or if you’re hoping to bring your family together through the act of giving, I’d be glad to help you begin that conversation.

Email me at psamelson@ncfgiving.comopens in a new tab to get started.