Turning the family business into a giving opportunity


“The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…” (Psalm 24:1)

In considering what is “the Lord’s,” we tend to think of cash as the only asset God’s people can give to advance the work of His kingdom. In actuality, there are a number of assets God has entrusted to Christians which can be a tax-deductible donation. We refer to these gifts as complex because they are not as simple as cash and a local church is usually not equipped to facilitate such gifts.

Complex gifts include private business equity, real estate, oil and gas interests, and cryptocurrency among other things. Most of the wealth in congregations is in these non-cash assets, especially private business equity.  Moreover, giving such assets converts the greatest amount of tax into Kingdom funding, frequently doubling the tax savings from giving a comparable amount of cash. (Gifts of marketable securities have the same type of effect although typically not of the same magnitude as complex gifts.) Though offering plates are not able to receive such gifts, the PCA Foundation has deep expertise in helping Christians donate complex assets. 

In this three-minute video, hear how one business owner found a way to give generously and creatively through making a complex gift:

Other examples of complex gifts the Foundation has facilitated include a donation of real estate which PCAF then donated in-kind to a ministry, and several donations of real estate the Foundation liquidated, placing the proceeds in donor-advised funds for granting to churches and other ministries. The Foundation also has facilitated the donation of cryptocurrency gifts of over $13M. Of course, it processes gifts of millions of dollars in marketable securities each year. 

Our president served formerly as general counsel to one of the country’s largest foundations, a leader in complex-asset giving, where he supervised the research, development, and implementation of all complex giving strategies.

In collaboration with the PCA Foundation, church and ministry leaders can invite their donors to give beyond the offering plate using the assets God has entrusted to them. Whether it is your vacation home, your cryptocurrency, or your software company, we can help you donate it as a tax-deductible gift. 

To learn more about complex gifts, visit pcafoundation.com/resources/gifting-instructions

If you’re interested in making a complex gift or have further questions, contact our president, Tim Townsend, at ttownsend@pcanet.org.