There Are Many Ways To Give
When you support Oakland public schools and programs, you’re investing in our collective future and ensuring that all Oaklanders can be healthy and productive members of society. Whether you’re a parent, business leader, neighbor, alumni, or caring friend, there are many ways to give.Looking to make a tax-deductible gift in 2024?
Learn about different giving opportunities.
You can make a donation today to support the Oakland Public Education Fund, a local school, or a variety of educational programs.
Donate Online
Donate Online to Support the Oakland Ed Fund
Donate by Check
Please make your check payable to the Oakland Public Education Fund. If your gift is for a specific fund, program, school, etc., please specify that in the memo line.
Mail to:
Oakland Public Education Fund
PO Box 71005
Oakland, CA 94612
Gifts of stock or other appreciated property offer two-fold tax savings: as a donor you pay no capital gains on increased value of the appreciated property, and you receive an income tax deduction for the full market value at the time of the gift. Transferring securities is easy.
Please email giving@oaklandedfund.org if you are making a stock gift and we can provide the relevant brokerage information.
Many employers offer a Matching Gifts Program that can double or even triple your personal gift to the Oakland Ed Fund, a local school, or educational program. Some employee matching programs require submitting proof of a donation through a company portal, and then the company will provide a match gifts. Other programs allow employees to donate through a company portal and have their donations matched automatically.
If you have questions about matching gifts, please contact us and/or your Human Resources Department.
Please notify us if you are making a stock gift and we can provide the relevant brokerage information.
Donating During Your Lifetime
In order to donate retirement plan assets during your lifetime you will need to take a distribution from the retirement account, include the distribution in your income for that year, account for any taxes associated with the distribution, and then contribute cash to the charity—with one exception. People who are age 70 ½ or older can contribute up to $100,000 from their IRA directly to a charity and avoid paying income taxes on the distribution. This is known as a qualified charitable distribution. It is limited to IRAs, and there are other exclusions and considerations as well.
Donating as Part of Estate Planning
By contrast, there can be significant tax advantages to donating retirement assets to charity as part of an estate plan. When done properly, charitable donations of retirement assets can minimize the amount of income taxes imposed on both your individual heirs and your estate.
Bequests
An excellent way for you to support the Oakland Education Fund and to leave a lasting legacy is to make a bequest in your will or living trust. You can choose to designate your bequest be used for a general or specific purpose so you have the peace of mind knowing that your gift will be used as intended. Charitable bequests are exempt from federal estate taxes. If you have a taxable estate, the estate tax charitable deduction may offset or eliminate estate taxes, resulting in a larger inheritance for your heirs.
We recommend that you consult an estate lawyer or expert around specific bequest language, and we do have sample bequest language if you or a designee requires help. Please contact us for more info: giving@oaklandedfund.org.
The Ed Fund accepts gifts in-kind to our organization. We can also help facilitate some in-kind donations to schools.
For more information, please email giving@oaklandedfund.org.