Ways to Help

Support / Ways to Help

Membership and Donations

The Friends of Madera Canyon prides itself in getting the greatest possible conservation impact from your membership and donation. You can be confident that your gift will help protect Madera Canyon for generations to come. We rely on an alliance of donors like you who believe in the core value of conservation through education in Madera Canyon.

As a non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, your donations to The Friends of Madera Canyon are tax-deductible.

Unrestricted Gifts

These tax deductible contributions help us meet our annual operating expenses. When you allow us to use your gift where it is needed most, you give us the flexibility to prioritize your gift based on the board’s needs.

Restricted Gifts

These tax deductible contributions are restricted to specific Friends’ projects — for example the adult/youth education programs (Education Fund) and the annual scholarship we provide to graduating high school seniors (Scholarship Fund).

Questions? Need more information? Please contact us.

Friends of Madera Canyon
PO Box 1203, Green Valley, Arizona 85622-1203
info@friendsofmaderacanyon.org

Qualified Charitable Distributions
– a Win Win Way to Give

Changes in the tax laws have all but eliminated deductions for many. However, if you are 70 ½ years of age and have a tax deferred IRA account subject to a Required Minimum Distribution, QCDs are something you ought to consider for all your charitable giving.

A QCD is a way to give some of those tax deferred dollars to a qualified (501 (c)3) non-profit, like the Friends without paying tax on those donations as a withdrawal. At the same time, it reduces your taxable income from your RMD but counts as part of your annual RMD.

For example: Mary has a traditional IRA and has an RMD of $15,000. She decides to give $1,000 to FoMC. Your financial advisor or broker prepares a check for the same in the name of FoMC and either sends it directly to them or to you for distribution. If your former employer still matches funds, you can even double down by sending the proper form to FoMC to complete and submit.

At tax time, the RMD will show $15,000 – $1,000 (QCD) reducing her taxable income. You do not have to file and itemized return and can still use the standard deduction. Anyone who meets these requirements and is not considering a QCD is, in effect, losing part of the purchase power of each dollar equivalent to their tax bracket.

Find more information here: Investopedia.com/articles/financial-advisors/032116/how-use-qcd-rule-reduce-your-taxes.asp. Talk to your broker or financial planner for more details.

More Ways To Give

Memory Wall Plaques

Remember loved ones with plaques ‘In Memory of’ that recognize departed spouses or first order relatives — mothers, fathers, sons or daughters — who had a special recognition of this extraordinary place in their lives. The BOD committee follows operations plan criteria for ‘In Memory of’ plaques.

The fee for ‘In Memory of’ plaques of $5,000 includes engraving and continued maintenance of the wall, as well as a donation to support Friends of Madera Canyon operations, Canyon projects, and Education programs. The wall offers Proctor a beautiful and meaningful entry and introduction to Madera Canyon.

To receive an application form, contact info@friendsofmaderacanyon.org.

Honor Wall Plaques

The Friends of Madera Canyon Honor Wall, through partnership with the U. S. Forest Service, stands at the Bud Gode Interpretive Nature Trail at Proctor. A natural stone wall holds granite ‘In Honor of’ plaques with engraved names of volunteers who devoted extraordinary time and talent in support of the mission and programs of the Friends of Madera Canyon. The committee is guided by the operations plan with criteria for selection of names of volunteers to be recognized by ‘In Honor of’ plaques.

Tribute Gifts

Donations to the Friends of Madera Canyon can be made as a memorial gift in memory of a friend or loved one — as an honorary gift to pay tribute to a special family member, friend, or business associate. This is a wonderful way to permanently recognize those outstanding individuals who have left special impressions on our lives.

Bequests

Including the Friends of Madera Canyon in your will is another great way to make a lasting contribution to environmental conservation and education and to the lasting beauty of Madera Canyon. It also makes you eligible to join the Friend’s Madera Society, a small select group of others like yourselves who have included the Friends in their will.

Gifts of Securities

Donating stock or mutual funds can be arranged to support the Friends’ efforts. Either you or your banker/stock broker simply informs us of your intentions to transfer the stock to the Friends’ account. It’s that simple.

Matching Gifts

Matching gifts are initiated by donors whose company offers such a program. If your employer does not have a matching gift program, an inquiry from an employee sometimes helps motivate management to set one up. Matching gifts from your employer are a good source of steady, predictable income for the Friends.

In-Kind Gifts

The Friends often accept in-kind gifts, whose value (determined by you) is tax deductible. Let us know what you would like to offer in support by writing to us: info@friendsofmaderacanyon.org.