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In-Kind Donations

Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind accepts a wide array of in-kind donations of goods and services from our generous supporters.  Here are some of the ways you can sustain our mission:

• Donate used eyeglasses.  Sponsor a collection drive at work or in your church or simply send us an old pair you no longer use. 
• Donate advertising space in your local newspaper, community guide, homeowner’s association mailings or local magazines.  Your gift helps spread the word about CLB’s community based programs and services.
• Donate gas cards.  Your gift helps us provide transportation services to our consumers throughout the Washington , DC metro area.
• Donate books on tape or CD
• Donate unwanted portable CD and cassette players
• Donate packs of batteries.
• Donate toys for visually impaired children (click here for our toy guide)
• Donate large print books or magazine subscriptions.
• Donate gift certificates. 
• Donate office supplies.

• Donate food or beverages for upcoming events.

• Donate your time! 

Gifts/Bequests

All CLB programs are made possible through the generosity and commitment of people like you. 

Over the years revenue from bequests has enabled CLB to help hundreds of adults and children who are blind and visually impaired live independent and productive lives.  A planned gift to CLB help to ensure the future of the services and programs we provide in your community and may further your financial goals.

A bequest may be for a fixed dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or a residuary percentage of your estate.  If you wish to include CLB in your will, please contact the Office of Development at 202-454-6481.

A planned gift is any charitable contribution, immediate or deferred, that considers the donor's personal financial, tax, and estate planning situation and that requires the participation of the donor's professional advisors.  Planned gifts can be as simple as an outright gift of cash or as sophisticated as a charitable trust.

Planned gifts to Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind can be made in a variety of ways.  Your planned gift or bequest will allow us to continue our work in the Washington metropolitan area on behalf of the blind and visually impaired populations. 

Gift planning is a simple process and may be made through a variety of avenues such as gifts of life insurance, savings bonds or other assets including real estate.  A donor who has accumulated funds in a pension plan or IRA may also make a gift to CLB from such an account.  If this gift is made at death, it can lower estate taxes through the charitable deduction it provides.

If you are considering such a gift, please let us know so we can help you complete the planning process in a way that benefits your estate and makes clear your intention to Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind.   By demonstrating your commitment to the mission of CLB you ensure the long-term strength of our organization.

Some of the most common ways to fund gifts are:

Cash - Cash gifts of any size can have an immediate impact on the programs of CLB and are an easy way to give.  Donate by phone, mail a check, or make a gift online (rollover links to donation page) using your credit card.

Charitable Trust - can provide significant charitable and tax benefits. During the term of the trust, a percentage of the assets are paid out each year to the charity of your choice, and at the end, all of the remaining assets can return to you or pass to your heirs. Gift or estate tax paid on this gift can be reduced because the present value of the payments to the recipient is subtracted from the value of the gift.  

Life Insurance - the gift of a life insurance policy can be a way to combine charitable objectives with tax advantages for you if you have a life insurance policy that you no longer need.  An irrevocable gift of life insurance may be appropriate when the growth of your assets or the reduced needs of your dependents make the policy unnecessary.

Planned Gift - deferred, planned or estate gifts: different names for planning your future gift to Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind.

Property - Includes tangible personal property (art work, book collections or antiques). You can give real estate (homes, cabins, commercial buildings, farm land, and condos) and in certain cases you can continue to use the asset during your lifetime.

Retirement plan assets - One frequently overlooked way you can make a charitable contribution is by using your IRA, qualified retirement plan assets, or commercial annuities.
 
Securities - Gifts of bonds, treasuries, mutual funds and stock, bonds that have increased in value are a win-win opportunity for you and the CLB under current tax laws.