Real Estate Philantropy and Other Services for Nonprofits and Private Property Owners
bidwell By Dennis Bidwell July, 2016 It is clear to me that the likelihood of a non-profit receiving desirable real estate gifts (properties that are marketable, free of environmental and title problems, and with net value of at least $100,000) increases as the organization puts more effort in to marketing and outreach efforts. Conversely, non-profits that … Read more…
by Dennis Bidwell April, 2016 I’ve previously written about bargain sales – appropriate for situations where a property owner is ready to dispose of a property, has charitable desires, but isn’t in position to give the entire property away. By selling the property to a non-profit at a discounted price, the property owner gets cash … Read more…
By Dennis Bidwell February 2016 As I work with non-profits around the country, helping them attract and structure charitable gifts of real estate, I am finding more and more of them choosing to engage their board of directors in the real estate gift process. Here’s why. First, a very large majority of real estate donors … Read more…
By Dennis Bidwell December, 2015 Take-aways from this gift scenario: 1. A retained life estate gift can accomplish essentially the same charitable results as leaving a property by bequest, with two important exceptions: the owners are entitled to a current income tax deduction when they donate the property subject to a retained life estate (unlike … Read more…
By Dennis Bidwell December, 2015 In my experience there is often someone or some office in a non-profit organization—perhaps the CFO, maybe the general counsel’s office—that is exceedingly cautious about accepting real estate gifts. Often this is due to a bad experience from 20 years ago, such as the now legendary story of the gift of the former … Read more…
By Dennis Bidwell October, 2015 Based on survey results and years of collective experience of those of us who are practitioners in the real estate gift field, it is possible to describe the profile of the individual or couple who make substantial gifts of real estate. I venture to say that at least 80% of … Read more…
By Dennis Bidwell June 2015 I have recently been asked by several clients to help them conduct an “audit” of their institution’s readiness to actively pursue real estate gifts. At the end of this audit exercise, sometimes the conclusion is: “We’re just not ready to tackle real estate gifts. We’ll come back to it in … Read more…
By Dennis Bidwell February, 2015 Experience continues to show that the likelihood of an organization receiving “good” real estate gifts (properties that are marketable, free of environmental and title problems, and with net value of at least $50,000) increases as a function of the effort expended in marketing and reaching out to likely real estate … Read more…
By Dennis Bidwell December, 2014 Q: What’s the best way to approach a donor about a possible real estate donation? A: First, you’re on the right track by thinking in terms of approaching potential donors, rather than waiting for them to contact you about their real estate. In fact, the most transformative real estate gifts … Read more…
By Dennis Bidwell September 2014 Though it happens far less frequently than it used to, I still encounter development staff who are frustrated that their institution is not more open to considering real estate gifts. Sometimes this caution is housed in the office of the CFO, the General Counsel, or maybe even the Chief Development … Read more…