Real Estate Philantropy and Other Services for Nonprofits and Private Property Owners
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…
by Dennis Bidwell August 2014 One of the more frequently-asked questions I get goes something like this: “How do I start talking to a donor about a possible real estate gift? Won’t they think I’m pushy or too personal if I bring it up?” First, you’re right to be thinking about these types of gifts. … Read more…
By Dennis Bidwell June 2014 Myth #1: If a property owner is offering a piece of real estate as a gift, there must be something wrong with it. Most of the time this is simply not true. These days property owners are exploring giving away perfectly fine pieces of real estate because: 1) they have … Read more…
By Dennis Bidwell April, 2014 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 … Read more…
By Dennis Bidwell February, 2014 Take-aways from this gift scenario: 1. A retained life estate gift of this sort can accomplish essentially the same things as leaving the property to charity in one’s will, except that in this case the donors are entitled to a very substantial current income tax deduction and enjoy the satisfaction and recognition … Read more…
by Dennis Bidwell October 2013 Land conservation organizations are especially well-suited to develop robust Legacy Giving programs (I prefer that term to “planned giving”) emphasizing real estate gifts. I truly believe that such efforts hold the prospect of long-term financial security and permanence for these organizations through endowments and stewardship funds. Why? Three reasons. First, … Read more…
by Dennis Bidwell October 2013 Take-aways from this gift scenario: Anytime a donor or property owner indicates they might be leaving your organization an interest in real estate through their will, you should acquaint them with the pros and cons of the retained life estate as a way of accomplishing essentially the same thing, but … Read more…