If you are 70½ or older, you can make a tax-free gift to Baystate Health Foundation (BHF) directly from your individual retirement account (IRA). This is called a charitable IRA rollover or qualified charitable distribution (QCD). 

The advantages of a QCD

  • Tax benefits: A charitable gift transferred from your IRA directly to BHF will not be taxed and can satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD), maximizing benefits to both you and Baystate Health Foundation.
  • Ease: You do not need an attorney to make this gift; simply contact your financial advisor or account administrator.
  • Flexibility: You choose what lifesaving program or area of Baystate Health you wish to support.

Consider these important requirements to make an IRA charitable rollover:

  • You must be age 70½ or older when the gift is made.
  • The gift must come from a traditional IRA account. (401(k), 403(b), SEP IRA accounts, and other retirement accounts do not qualify.)
  • The gift must come directly from your IRA administrator to Baystate Health Foundation. 
  • You may give any amount, from your annual gift to a special gift up to $108,000.
  • The IRA rollover gift can count toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) if you have not already taken your RMD for the year you make your gift.
  • Although you don’t receive an income tax charitable deduction for the gift, you will not pay taxes on your IRA withdrawal. In effect, the IRA charitable rollover is a tax-reducing and tax-free way to make a gift.