Ways to Give

An investment in the MECC Educational Foundation Inc. is an investment in the community. There are many ways to give to the MECC Foundation.

Cash or Check

You may visit the MECC Foundation office, located in Room 219 of Dalton Cantrell Hall on the MECC campus, or send a gift by check to:

MECC Foundation
3441 Mountain Empire Road
Big Stone Gap, VA 24219

If you would like to designate your gift for a special purpose, please enclose a note or make a notation on the memo line of your check.

Donate Online

Click here to make a secure donation online.

Corporate and Matching Gifts

Many organizations match their employees' contributions to qualifying nonprofit organizations.

Please contact your organization's business or human resources office to determine if your organization has a matching gifts program.

Gifts-in-Kind

You may support the Foundation through gifts of goods or services.

Stock

Contributing appreciated stock to the MECC Foundation is an excellent way to achieve your charitable giving goals, while receiving valuable tax benefits. You may designate the contribution toward the project(s) of your choice. In addition to helping the Foundation further its work, you may receive several benefits, including:

• Avoidance of capital gains tax on 100 percent of the stock's appreciation
• Charitable income tax deduction of the stock's full market value

Planned Giving

Donors who choose to establish planned gifts to benefit MECC ensure their legacy will continue for many generations. Estate funds may be added to an existing endowment or used to create new opportunities at MECC. Whichever avenue you choose, financial planning allows you to direct estate funds to the area of your choice.

Some options for planned giving include:

• Bequests
  
  You may name the MECC Foundation in your will. Your will can include gifts in the form of property (cash, securities and personal property); a percentage of your estate; or the residue of your estate (property remaining after other bequests have been fulfilled). Here is sample language for an unrestricted bequest to the Foundation:
  
  I give and bequeath to the Mountain Empire Community College Educational Foundation Inc. the sum of ______ dollars ($__) (or percentage of estate) for the use and benefit of Mountain Empire Community College, in the manner and for the purposes determined by the discretion of the MECC Educational Foundation Board.
  
  
• Retirement Savings
  
  You can name the MECC Foundation as a beneficiary of all or of a portion of your retirement funds. You will need to contact the administrator of your Individual Retirement Account (IRA), 401(k), profit sharing account, or other retirement plan for details concerning this type of gift. Such a gift would come to the MECC Foundation at the time of your death or the death of your spouse.
  
  An outright gift will help your family avoid some or all of the income and estate taxes that must be paid on these assets. Without a gift, income tax is assessed because the plans are deemed to be income in respect of a decedent (IRD). The estate tax is reduced through the claiming of a charitable deduction.
  
  
• Charitable Gift Annuities
  
  A charitable gift annuity is a method of planned giving whereby a donor gives a charitable organization an asset (usually appreciated securities or real estate) in return for a fixed income stream for life. The income from the gift annuity will always remain the same, providing the donor with a secure income that is not subject to market fluctuations. A portion of the gift annuity income is tax-free because it is considered a return of principal. In addition, the donor receives a current income tax charitable deduction for a portion of the gift. By funding a gift annuity with a highly appreciated asset, such as stocks or real estate, a donor can also reduce significantly the amount of capital gains tax he/she would owe if he/she simply sold the asset.