DONATE REAL ESTATE FOR
CHARITABLE USE

Our 501c3 nonprofit accepts property donations throughout the entire United States. Donate a house, land, commercial property, residential property, farmland, and more!
We do all of the paperwork and you help those in need while receiving a Fair Market Tax Deduction.

Donate Any Property

Land Contracts

Land Donations to Charity

COCAS land donation process is fast, easy and convenient! Your land donation can be recreational, agricultural, residential, commercial or mixed use acreage and we offer a current market value tax deduction to all qualified donors. You can donate land anywhere throughout the United States and free yourself from a financially burdensome property holding while helping those in need.

Selling Unwanted Land? Here’s a Better Alternative!

In many circumstances, selling is not ideal for unwanted property due to the many costs involved that may outweigh the actual land worth. Because of this, many people hold on to their unused land for lack of a better alternative, continue paying property taxes, maintenance and upkeep costs, (list goes on as you know) without ever seeing a return on their investment.

Rather than holding on to land you do not want, donate land to Real Estate with Causes and reap the rewards of helping the families and worthy causes we support and a claim a Current Market Value Tax Deduction.

To donate land – Call 706-584-6057 or Complete The Following Land Donation Form

Land Contract Donations to Charity

A Land contract donation is one of the easiest and most fulfilling ways to unburden oneself from land ownership. Through a land contract donation, it is possible to help others while you ease your real estate obligations. There are a number of possibilities when it comes to land donation, making the donation of land a serious consideration for many property owners.

The benefits of a Land Contract Donation include:

The ability to free yourself from the obligations of land ownership —for many, this is preferable when land was gifted or inherited, when land that seemed a useful purchase is proving to be much less so, or a partnership has gone awry.
Freedom from financial responsibility of land ownership — property taxes alone can be very burdensome, especially if you were not prepared to be a land owner (again, often the case in gifts of land contracts).
Tax incentives — land contract donation can net you a significant tax advantage that can be taken immediately or over five years (or more) depending on the property and donation specifics (assuming that you donate to a qualified non-profit charity; COCAS is such a charity).
Freedom from liability — untended property can still carry the risk of being held liable for circumstances that may occur on that property; transfer of ownership through land contract donation is a good way to help others while freeing yourself from liability.
Helping others! Your gift of land contract donation will help fund worthy programs and/or house needy individuals. It’s something you can feel great about regardless of your motivation!

To donate a land contract – Call 706-584-6057 or Complete The Following Land Donation Form

Donate commercial property and improve your portfolio! Commercial property, whether held by a commercial entity, a company or business, or a private individual—should be an asset. Commercial real estate is a very solid asset class that has a place in many investment portfolios. Far too often, however, commercial property becomes more of a liability and a financial drain. In cases such as this, the situation can be turned on its head; donate commercial real estate that is not performing and enjoy a number of financial benefits.

Commercial Property From Red To Black Again

If you are holding onto an underperforming commercial property, you probably know the many ways that that property is hurting your financial bottom line. Unfortunately, not every commercial real estate investment turns out profitably. The property holding alone could be the one reason that your company or business is not turning a profit. If the property has sat vacant longer than expected, other investors have probably checked it out and there’s a reason it isn’t selling. You may be thinking, as many commercial property holders are, that if you could just unload that burdensome property, you could get your business back in the black.

Fortunately, changes to charitable donation laws make it possible to donate commercial property, unload property burdens, and still benefit financially in the end. Not only will the cost of owning and maintenance disappear when you donate commercial property, but significant tax advantages can be enjoyed as well. Current Market Value Tax Deduction.

The donation of commercial property qualifies you or your business for a tax benefit based on the current fair market value of the property – not on the purchase price of the property. Deductions vary according to the structure of your organization, and we are here to help clarify the tax advantages of donating commercial property to charity (it is also recommended that you discuss this with your own tax advisor).

Enjoy These Benefits when you Donate commercial property to charity:

Sizable, lasting tax benefit / deductions for years to come
Freedom from property taxes
Freedom from property maintenance and other obligations
Freedom from liability and insurances
Benefit of knowing that you/your business has helped others
Positive face forward to the public for your generous company
Peace of mind knowing that your commercial property is no longer a drain or burden

To donate commercial property – Call 706-584-6057 or Complete The Following Land Donation Form

Industrial Property Donations to Charity

The Tax Benefits Of an Industrial Property Donation can be very beneficial to those looking to rid themselves of unwanted industrial properties. Whether you are a private individual or a structured, legal corporate entity, you stand to gain many tax benefits when you choose to donate instead of selling industrial facilities, mixed property type and flex use buildings.

Who Is Industrial Property Donation For?

Industrial property donation may be a very good consideration for you if:

You were gifted or inherited an industrial property and the asset has become more of a burden or liability
Industrial property taxes are unbearable and you are concerned about your liability in reference to the property or to structures, equipment, machinery, etc. on the property
You hold an industrial property—either paid off or with mortgages or liens—that you would like to see benefit others
Industrial property is draining you or your business financially—due to the unexpected nature of the gift, unrealized purchase potential, or even catastrophic destruction of property on the site

Tax Deduction Benefits when you Donate Industrial property include:

Tax benefits vary according to your status as owner of an industrial property and according to the legal structure of your organization. Our very experienced team that has years of dealing in real estate transfers and your accountant, tax, or financial advisor can tell you more about the specifics of your situation, but the following is a general overview of the tax advantages of industrial property donation.

Individuals can benefit from industrial property donation by deducting the full fair market value of the property if it has been held for more than a year.

Corporate donors may deduct up to ten percent of the corporation’s net profit (assuming you have held a controlling interest for more than a year and that the property has been held for more than a year).

S-Corporations, Partnerships, and LLC’s cannot claim a deduction for an industrial property donation, but the contribution will pass on a pro-rated basis (calculated according to percent ownership) to shareholders, who can then claim the deduction on their personal return. (*Partnerships and LLC’s can claim deductions without having a basis in the company.)

In each instance, excesses can be carried forward and deducted for up to five years, so that the donated industrial property can continue to produce tax advantages for several years after the industrial property donation.

To donate industrial property – Call 706-584-6057 or Complete The Following Land Donation Form

Rental Property Donations to Charity

We all know land, commercial property and house donations are one of the better known types of charitable property donations in the United States. However some don’t realize, apartment and condominium owners can enjoy the benefits of property donation as well! You can donate an apartment, condominium, multi-family residences or even an entire housing complex to charity easily with our 501c3 not for profit charitable organization.

Nearly any type of apartment, condo, or housing unit can be donated through our charity.

As the owner of any of these types of properties, you have the option to:

Donate single apartments
Donate duplexes or triplexes
Donate apartment complex
Donate condominium or single townhouse units
Donate corporate housing
Donate rental homes

Why Donate An Apartment Or Condo

There are many reasons why people choose to donate apartments, condos, and multifamily housing units; your decision to become a property donor of an apartment or similar type of housing is to be applauded. The motivation behind the decision to donate is personal, but among them are reasons like:

The desire to give back to the community that has supported them.
The desire to help others meet housing needs (get families off the streets!).
Freedom from maintenance and repair of units/buildings or rising condo fees/association fees.
Freedom from the hassle of being a landlord.
The desire to secure tax advantages while giving to others – donate an apartment, condo, or other rental property and enjoy years of tax benefits!

It is also worth noting that with the right partner (our charity), you can donate apartments, condos, and housing complexes even if the property is still mortgaged.

Charities that will accept mortgaged properties are few and far between, but they do exist and can be a godsend to those in need of unloading an unwanted property (COCAS is one of the only charities that accept mortgaged apartments and condos for donation).

To donate rental property – Call 706-584-6057 or Complete The Following Land Donation Form

Rural Property / Farmland Donations to Charity

Looking for a meaningful and convenient way to protect local farmland and keep our local farms thriving?

Donate farmland to COCAS! Trusted by thousands, our farmland donation process is fast, easy and convenient! Think of a land-use and we have dealt with it; vegetable farms, orchards, cattle and other livestock, forestland, hunting grounds, pasture, vineyard, gentleman’s ranch and even aquaponic farms have been donated. Your farmland donation can be farm / land related to any and every agricultural approach throughout the Americas and Canada.

We excel at and are here to help you with your property donations. Donating farmland for conservation purposes is a great reason and many commercial farm owners know in their hearts now is the time to help others. We offer a fair market value tax deduction to all qualified farmland donors that is unmatched from other like-minded nonprofits.

Selling Farm Land? Here’s a Better Alternative!

In many circumstances, selling is not ideal for unwanted farmland acres due to the many costs involved that may outweigh the actual farmland worth. Because of this, many people hold on to their acreage for lack of a better alternative, continue paying property taxes, maintenance and upkeep costs, (list goes on as you know) without ever seeing a return on their investment. Rather than holding on to property you do not want, donate farmland to COCAS and reap the rewards of helping great causes and a Fair Market Value Tax Deduction.

To donate farmland – Call 706-584-6057 or Complete The Following Land Donation Form

Create a Life Estate - Guaranteed Income For Life!

COCAS charitable gift annuity program is setup to help you, the donor, increase your current income from property you own while enjoying significant tax deductions.

Payout rates ranging from 4.9% – 11.5% (depending on your age)
Substantial income tax deduction and capital gains tax deduction

Charitable Gift Annuity

A Charitable Gift Annuity is a donation that falls in the category of Planned Giving. It involves a contract between you the donor, and Real Estate with Causes, whereby the donor transfers property to our 501c3 charity in exchange for a partial tax deduction and an income stream, expressed as a percentage of the original principal amount, to not more than two people for life.. Generally, there are three “versions” of each “type” of agreement. The “versions” are:

“Single Life” Agreement…
Pay only one person for their lifetime..

“Two Lives in Succession” Agreement…
Pay person “A” and then if person “B” survives person “A”, pay person “B”..

“Joint and Survivor” Agreement…

Pay two annuitants simultaneously with both names on the annuity payment check, each getting half of the payment, and at the demise of the first to die, pay the survivor the full annuity amount. This is used for married couples who file joint tax returns and/or who live in community property states.

A person who receives payments is called an “annuitant” or “beneficiary”. The fixed payments (called the “annuity”) are fixed and unchanged for the term of the contract. The annuity payments are NOT called “income”, for a portion of the payments are considered to be a partial tax-free return of the donor’s gift, which are spread out in equal payments over the life expectancy of the annuitant(s)…

Life Estates

There are also ways of donating a home but still being able to enjoy it during one’s lifetime. Property owners can create a life estate, which allows them to live in the house, with the understanding that the property title will be transferred to a given charity upon death. Owners still receive the charitable tax deduction while they are living, and depending on the property and its income potential, they may even be able to get lifetime annuity. At the same time, they avoid passing on the tax burden to family members after death.

A life estate is an especially attractive option for large trophy properties, in cases where heirs may be unable to afford the ongoing maintenance costs and property taxes. That way, even if one’s family is no longer able to enjoy a home, by donating real estate they can keep more of what in the long run is more useful: cold cash.

If a married couple sells their personal residence but retains a life estate in the residence, does retaining the life estate disqualify them from exclusion of gain on the residence?

A life estate is an interest for life in property. It is very common to sell or give property away while retaining a life estate: the seller or donor retains use of the property so long as he or she lives; COCAS takes possession of the property only upon death.

To donate property – Call 706-584-6057 or Complete The Following Land Donation Form

Donate House To Charity - Charitable Home Donations

A house donation to charity is a winning situation all around. A charity house donation will allow you to enjoy the peace of mind that comes with philanthropic giving, and the peace of mind of securing a meaningful tax donation while freeing yourself from a financially hindering property holding.

When you donate a house to charity, you help yourself

Become free from costly and unprofitable properties (this can be an inherited property, a real estate investment that has failed to deliver, or a home that is complicating plans for relocation…)
Gain large tax credits that can reduce taxes for years to come.. Current Market Value Tax Deduction Real Estate
Avoid brokerage fees paid to real estate brokers/agents/professionals

Donate a House and Support Meaningful Causes!

COCAS is made up of volunteers who freely give of their time for the betterment of society and individuals in need.

Your house donation helps our charity by bringing in sizable funds, much more sizable than a car, boat donation or the average fundraising drive. We invite you to check out some of the Nonprofit causes your house donation supports.

When you donate a house, you help our charity gain access to funds from house donations which in turn fund many programs that better the lives of individuals and society as a whole.

Complete The Following Land Donation Form to get started with your House Donation today! Or call 706-584-6057 Toll Free

A real estate donation is a way for businesses and private property holders to give their unused, unwanted or underperforming titled property to our charity to be used to support deserving societal issues and causes that we support.

In very basic terms, a property owner or owners transfer ownership of their property to our charity then we either rehabilitate and use the property, hand control over to a needy family or utilize the asset to generate resources to support the many families and individuals, programs, services, and organizations that depend on our work.

Given the variety of properties and the diverse needs of residents, there is virtually no limit to the uses for a real estate donation.

IRS Tax Deduction = Current Market Value

The size of the tax deduction is determined by the current market value of your property, as opposed to the cost of the property when it was purchased. So if you purchased your property in 1971 for $92,000 and today it is worth $992,000, the current value is what you base your tax deduction on and in this case it will be quite substantial.

Why Donate Real Estate

A donation of real estate provides much-needed land, structures, and funds for our organization and the families we serve, but it also benefits our loyal donors.

Through a donation of any deeded properties, the owner of an unwanted or underused property can:

Qualify for large tax deductions—based on the current fair market value rather than the purchase price
Free him/herself from responsibility, liability, property taxes, insurances, and other financial obligations associated with upkeep and maintenance of a property
Prevent forfeiture of a gifted property due to inability to sell or maintain property
Secure an alternative means of unloading a cumbersome property without having to deal with real estate brokers or pay fees involved in the sale of real estate

START HERE

There are several major benefits of donating real estate to charity, ranging from the strictly financial to the more personal side of the coin. Here are the top four:

1. Eliminate capital gains tax on the property’s growth in value

If you were to sell the property instead of donating it, the increase in property value since you bought it would likely be subject to capital gains tax... Since assets donated to charity aren’t subject to capital gains tax, this is a way to make sure that a larger portion of the proceeds go to charity.

2. You may deduct the property’s value from your taxable income

You can deduct the property's fair market value from your taxable income—generally up to 30% of your adjusted gross income. This can bring meaningful savings, especially if the property is worth a significant amount of money.

3. Donating can simplify your estate plan

A donation of real estate can be a great way to simplify your estate plan. When you donate real estate, you remove it from your estate. helping to reduce your estate tax burden on your heirs.

4. Kick-start a multi-year charitable legacy

Because real estate is usually valuable, donating it can be a tax-efficient way to begin a long-term charitable journey. Proceeds can be used to fund charitable organizations as donors see high-impact opportunities, potentially over many years.

Things to keep in mind when donating real estate to charity

Before you donate your real estate to charity, there are a few things to keep in mind. Make sure that donating real estate is the right decision for you by considering the following:

Complete the necessary documentation for your charitable tax deduction

For property worth $5,000 or less, you simply need a receipt from the charity and you must complete Section A of Form 8283 and attach it to your tax return.

For property worth more than $5,000, in addition to the receipt, you must also have the charity complete Section B of Form 8283. Additionally, you'll need to get a qualified appraisal to deduct the property's value from your taxes.

Donate a debt-free property to avoid capital gains taxes

Don't donate property with debt. If you do, it might lower the value of your charitable deduction and the IRS may deem it a "bargain sale," in which you might be subject to some capital gains tax.

Donate marketable real estate

Property that is a good candidate for donation should be debt-free and also easy to market and liquidate. Marketability is important because the charity may not want or need the property and will likely want to sell it quickly.

Avoid prearranged sales

If you have a pre-existing agreement to sell the property before donating it to the charity, the IRS might see your donation as an "anticipatory assignment of income" to the charity. You then may be subject to capital gains taxes.

Consult with your financial advisor

You may consider consulting with a financial advisor and tax specialist to come up with a comprehensive charitable giving plan that's right for you. While donating real estate is easier than you might think, a financial advisor may give you personalized guidance for your tax situation.

How to donate real estate to charity

So we’ve already gone over all of the major things to consider. If your property is easy to market, is debt-free, and you've held onto it for over a year, donating could be a great way for you to make a difference.

That said, how do you actually donate the property?

Donating real estate to charity directly

Some charities may be able to accept gifts of real estate directly. If they accept real estate donations, they will often sell the property and use the proceeds to fund their programs. Some might keep the property to generate income or use it for their operations.

Unfortunately, not all organizations have the ability to take on ownership and responsibility for selling or maintaining a property. Gifts of real estate require special expertise to manage, and not all charities are equipped to handle this type of gift.

Some charitable organizations may also allow you to establish a charitable remainder trust with the property. With a charitable remainder trust, you can donate the property to the charity and receive income from the property for life or a term of years. At the end of the trust, the property would go to the charity. However, you likely need to make a very large gift to establish this type of trust, and it can take some time and additional fees to set up the trust.

Donating real estate to a donor-advised fund

Donating non-cash assets such as real estate can be more complex than other types of giving, requiring specialized knowledge and expertise. Many charities are not equipped to handle these types of gifts. That's why many donors choose to donate through a donor-advised fund (DAF).

A DAF is a type of giving vehicle that allows donors to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction, and then recommend grants from the fund over time.

Donor-advised funds allow donors the flexibility to support their favorite charities through a range of assets, including real estate.

The benefits of donating real estate through donor-advised funds

If you're looking to donate real estate to a charitable organization, donor-advised funds have a few significant advantages over other ways of giving.

Compliance and paperwork done for you

Donor-advised funds are a type of giving vehicle that can handle non-cash assets such as real estate. This is a big benefit, as the process of donating real estate can be complex and time-consuming.

By utilizing a DAF, you know that a team of experts is evaluating, processing, and managing the donation on your behalf. You receive a simplified receipt, and the donor-advised fund takes care of the rest.

Flexible charitable donations

With tax-advantaged funds already set aside in your DAF, you can grant to your favorite causes when it's highest impact.

This means you can recommend grants to charities of your choice now, and recommend other grants later.

Save more come tax time

When you commit funds to a donor-advised fund, you can take an immediate tax deduction.

And since DAFs can accept complex non-cash assets such as real estate, there’s no need to sell the property and then donate the proceeds. You save the hassle and avoid the capital gains tax of selling the real estate.

Charitable dollars can grow tax-free

If you invest your DAF account, your balance can grow tax-free. This means that you can make an even bigger impact with your giving over time without having to worry about capital gains tax.

Ways to Donate Real Estate

WAYS TO GIVE

Make a Bargain Sale

A bargain sale occurs when you sell real estate that you’ve owned for more than one year to COCAS for less than its current fair market value, subject to our agreement. After we purchase your property: 1) You receive a cash payment from COCAS for the sale price, 2) you qualify for a charitable deduction for the difference between the sale price and the higher fair market value, and 3) we receive the property at a bargain price. You benefit financially, and so do we.

Use Property to Fund a FLIP Charitable Remainder Unitrust

Another approach is to use your property to fund what’s known as a FLIP charitable remainder unitrust. Such a trust can be set up to make lifetime payments to you or any other recipient you name after the property is sold. At your death, COCAS receives the balance (remainder) in the trust. Donating property to a charitable remainder trust may provide you with a number of potential benefits, such as an up-front capital gains tax elimination on the increase in the property’s value since you bought it, an income tax deduction for the present value of the remainder interest and income from the trust for the rest of your life once the property is sold.

Case study: making a larger gift while increasing tax savings

As he approaches retirement, Jim no longer wishes to manage a single-family rental property he inherited from his parents 25 years ago. Because Jim is charitably minded, he has considered selling the rental property and using the net sale proceeds to support various charities. Selling the rental property, however, will expose Jim to capital gains taxes on 25 years of appreciation. As it stands, Jim’s adjusted cost basis in the rental is $50,000 and the property has a current estimated value of $350,000.

Assuming a 15% federal capital gains tax rate upon sale of his rental property, Jim would realize capital gains on $300,000 of appreciation and owe an estimated $45,000 in federal capital gains taxes ($300,000 x 15% = $45,000). In this scenario, as shown in Option 1, after paying the federal capital gains taxes, Jim’s estimated net cash available for charitable giving is $305,000.

Jim’s financial advisor suggests that Jim could instead donate his rental property to a public charity, including to a donor-advised fund, as a way to potentially eliminate federal capital gains taxes ($45,000) and claim a fair market value income tax deduction ($350,000, based on a qualified appraisal), as shown in Option 2.

Disclosure

Real Estate:

Additional considerations

In addition to the potential tax benefits described above, the following considerations may apply.

1. Donate marketable real estate.

You may consider contributing real estate to charity as long as the charity can sell the property in a timely manner (i.e., it is a marketable property and relatively easy to liquidate). In addition, it makes sense to donate real estate where:

The property has been held for more than one year and has appreciated significantly.
The property is debt free. If there is debt on the property, you may be subject to IRS “bargain sale” rules, which can generate some capital gains tax and lower the value of your charitable deduction. In addition, the debt may be taxable to the charity when the property is sold (e.g., acquisition indebtedness).
You are willing to transfer the property irrevocably to the donor-advised fund or other public charity, which will negotiate the sale price and control the sale, often using an experienced intermediary.

DONATE REAL ESTATE FOR CHARITABLE USE

Our 501c3 nonprofit accepts property donations throughout the entire United States. Donate a house, land, commercial property, residential property, farmland, and more! We do all of the paperwork and you help those in need while receiving a Fair Market Tax Deduction.