From the PG Calc Blog:
Preparing for Tax Season

Ready or not, it's year-end again, which leads us right into tax season – that "most wonderful time of the year!" Here is our quick review of the tax reporting process for life income gifts...

Read the full blog post.

Year-End Giving: What a Difference a Day Can Make

What prompts the flurry of calendar year-end gifts? That all-important – to many of your donors – current year charitable deduction. A day late, however, and a gift made on January 1st rather than December 31st means the deduction is “lost” for a year. And with the special 100% of AGI limit for cash gifts to public charities available this year only, missing that date could be especially painful. Here is a reminder of the rules for establishing the date of gift.

Cash (Check)

If handed to you in person, the gift is made that date or as of the date on the check, whichever is later. If mailed to you through the U.S. Mail, the gift is made as of the postmark date. Whoever is charged with opening the mail should understand the importance of keeping the envelope. A check might be dated December 31, but if the postmark is January 2, the gift has been made in the new year, not the old.

Stock

When transferred electronically - the most common practice - the gift is complete on the date the shares are received in the charity’s account. If a donor hands over actual paper certificates and powers, then the gift date is determined the same as noted above for cash. If the transfer is completed by reregistering ownership of the shares, the date of the gift is the date of the new stock certificate. Reregistering ownership of stock shares can take up to several weeks, so it is wise for donors to avoid this approach near year-end.

Credit Card

The gift is made as of the date the charge is posted to the donor’s account. The amount charged to the donor is the amount of the gift. Any fee assessed to the charity does not reduce the gift amount; it is a cost absorbed by the charity.

May your organization receive many timely gifts this month!

PG Calc Is Here for You During the Holidays!

Each year the holiday season occurs exactly when planned giving activity reaches its high point. While other professional areas tend to be winding down, gift planning professionals are stretched to the limit, trying to close each and every gift possible before December 31. PG Calc understands that dynamic, and we want you to know, we are here for you! Please rest assured that our Client Services group will be working and available during the last two weeks of December, save for Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Don't hesitate to call us if you need help with our software, or if you simply want to discuss a particular gift plan. We'll be with you right up to the end!

During the weeks of December 21 and December 28 we will available during our regular weekday support hours from 8:30 am – 6:30 pm ET, except as follows:

Thursday, December 24: 8:30 am to 4:00 pm ET
Friday, December 25: CLOSED

Thursday, December 31: 8:30 am to 4:00 pm ET
Friday, January 1: CLOSED

Contact Client Services at 888-474-2252 or support@pgcalc.com.

ACGA Announces Rates Will Stay the Same

The American Council of Gift Annuities announced December 8 that it will not be revising its current schedule of suggested maximum gift annuity rates. The ACGA Board made this decision at its meeting on November 17, 2020 after reviewing its assumptions underlying the current ACGA rates that went into effect on July 1, 2020. Its announcement noted, in particular, that interest rates have not changed materially since the current rates were announced in May. The ACGA mentioned in the same message that it is embarking on its next decennial study of gift annuitant mortality. It expects to release the results of the study at the next ACGA Conference, which will be in Louisville on April 20-22, 2022.

PG Calc Satisfaction Survey 2020

Last week PG Calc launched a satisfaction survey to gather opinions about our products and services with the goal of better serving our clients. The 5-10 minute survey is intended for clients and non-clients to understand which aspects of our software, gift administration services, consulting, marketing services, and support are most beneficial and what future offerings are of greatest interest.

We value your insights! Complete the survey and include your contact information, and you will be entered in a drawing to win a free year of PGM Service, or if you don’t own PGM, $735 worth of other support, marketing, training, webinars, or consulting.

If you have not already done so, please take the satisfaction survey.

Client Feedback From the Survey

Thanks for the feedback we're getting from our clients through the satisfaction survey. Here's what a few had to say:

• "Keep up the wonderful work. We are very pleased with our partnership."
• "Missed seeing you at ACGA and NACGP this year. Hope we can meet live next year!"
• "Your customer service is among the best out there."
• "Briefly inherited another software program and switched as soon as I could. PG Calc has always been my go-to company."
• "You guys are awesome! I am always confident that you will provide an excellent solution in a timely manner."
• "I greatly appreciate how much help you've been to me over the years."
• "Love that someone actually answers the phone and you get a very prompt response."
• "I have used PG Calc for over 20 years at 4 nonprofit organizations and have recommended you to many people over the years. Unrivaled customer service. Consistently accurate and comprehensive calculations. Now super easy to use remotely - just in time, too! Thanks."

We look forward to learning more about what you like about PG Calc and how we can serve you better as responses continue to come in.