Tax Strategies to Benefit both Donor and City Mission

calculator, pen and paper for working on taxes

You Can Give City Mission a Boost with Your Required Minimum IRA Distributions...and Pay No Taxes on the Gift!

If you are a high income senior citizen who donates to City Mission, are you taking advantage of a great tax loophole to maximize your gift? Clients across the country are using this strategy to enhance their charitable giving, especially since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act practically eliminated the need to itemize.

As you know, once you have hit the "magic age" of 70 and 1/2, the IRS requires that you take a required minimum distribution on your IRA annually. If you don't meet the deadline, the IRS charges a steep 50% penalty tax.Research shows that 83% of all seniors hate paying taxes on the required minimum distribution from their IRAs. So why not give it City Mission...and avoid paying tax on the gift altogether? The resulting increase in donations can provide a real boon to the homeless men, women, and children in Southwestern PA. The higher the tax bracket, the more you give!Here's how you do it:

Designate City Mission as the required minimum distribution recipient for the year in which you turn 70 and 1/2. (NOTE: The first payment can be delayed until April 1 of the following year.)
For subsequent years, make the donation to city Mission by December 31.

You will pay NO TAXES on this gift, and City Mission will receive the full amount. And you won't inadvertently slip into a higher tax bracket and end up paying more taxes overall. This doesn't mean more money for you...but it does mean that your donation is larger...often by quite a bit.

You will pay NO TAXES on this gift, and City Mission will receive the full amount. And you won't inadvertently slip into a higher tax bracket and end up paying more taxes overall. This doesn't mean more money for you...but it does mean that your donation is larger...often by quite a bit. For example, for a person in the top tax bracket (37%) whose required minimum distribution is $100,000, wants to donate the money, City Mission would receive only $63,000 after taxes overall. If they utilize the charitable giving loophole, City Mission would receive the full $100,000 as a gift...and you would pay no taxes on this generous donation!

To learn more about this tool to meet the government's IRA tax rules but also boost to charities read this December, 1, 2019 Pittsburgh Post Gazette Article

March 9, 2020

Sue Gartland

Social Media Manager

Sue has a vast career in gospel rescue missions adding great value to the City Mission team. Sue has been in many roles in the mission and is always filling in where she is needed - which is A LOT!

sgartland@citymission.org

PTSD Awareness Story

June 26, 2020

A symptom of PTSD known as hyper-vigilance makes combat veterans feel constantly on edge or “keyed-up.” Many who suffer from PTSD have difficulty relaxing and enjoying everyday life. They struggle to sleep, so they are always exhausted, and they have difficulty maintaining work performance or building relationships.

“Keep Looking Forward”

City Mission CFO Denny Kennedy outside the chapel

June 19, 2020

“I love working at the Mission,” smiled Denny Kennedy, City Mission’s new Chief Financial Officer, who was hired back in late February. “It’s nice to be around people who have a passion for what they do. How could you not be inspired?”

City Mission Launches New Website

June 12, 2020

We have completely redesigned our website with you in mind - streamlining menus, simplifying navigation, and building a responsive layout across all platforms and browsers. We have also improved the structure and are increasing the volume of City Mission’s content.

City Mission Thrift Stores Reopen

June 12, 2020

City Mission Thrift Stores were closed for retail shopping for over two months during the COVID quarantine, but they never completely closed during that time. All of City Mission’s seven thrift stores remained open to accept donations, and five of them were used as Pop-up Pantry sites to distribute food bags to those in need during the crisis. The Pop-up Pantry program gave away over 4,000 bags of food in eight weeks.

We’re All In This Together

City Mission mothers and their children have an impromptu celebration

April 24, 2020

These are fearful times, and a homeless shelter is probably the last place you’d choose to hunker down at a time like this. But the residents at City Mission are responding to this crisis with remarkable patience, compassion, and togetherness.“They are adapting to this challenging situation and doing so with a smile,” explained Leah Dietrich, City Mission’s Director of Residential Programs. “That is such a blessing. I’m proud of them for their response and impressed with all that they are acc

Happy Earth Day, Everyday at City Mission

earth day flyer stating "help the Homeless" and save the planet

April 22, 2020

When you donate to our City Mission Thrift Stores, your donation makes a far bigger impact than you might think. Whether you are looking to be kind to the planet this Earth Day or to help those in need in our community, donating your unwanted items to City Mission helps to make the world a better place, one small act at a time.

Stay at Home-School at City Mission is Working!

A city mission child resident, donning a protective mask, gets home schooled

April 21, 2020

Just like you, our Women with Children Shelter families are staying home to learn. Our staff have created a structured, quiet, school room environment using our CTEC classrooms for our school age kids who study with their moms by their side. Our childcare center has been rearranged into a Head Start classroom where pre-school age children can learn together.

Operation Face Mask Protects City Mission Residents

City Mission Residents poss with their new cloth face-masks

April 19, 2020

When City Mission staffer Sue Gartland called professional quilter Melanie Scott to ask if the Martha Washington Quilter’s Guild could make masks for City Mission residents, she answered yes without hesitation. “I was just sitting around home like everyone else, watching the news and feeling depressed,” she reported. “But I kept thinking about our healthcare

City Mission and Citizens Library Partner to Build a Better Community

Washington, PA - Citizens Library exterior view

October 23, 2018

City Mission is working with the Citizens Library to expand the resources available to help restore its residents to sustainable, independent living. The collaboration is a natural one. “Our primary goal is to help prepare people for life outside these four walls,” said Steve Nicholas, the City Mission Director of Career Training and Education. “Partnering

Pop-Up Pantries in Four Locations

March 19, 2020

As there are many individuals who are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 business closures, City Mission is coordinating Pop-Up Pantries for anyone in need at four different locations across Washington County. Depending on the quantities of supplies secured and the extent of the virus’ impact, City Mission intends to host the pantries for three to four weeks. Each pantry client will receive a bag of groceries featuring non-perishable food items and paper products.

City Mission Still Open and Helping Homeless and Community

Exterior of the City Mission Chapel during the Coronavirus

March 19, 2020

Dear Friends,Thank you for your continued support of City Mission. With all that is going on today, we need you now more than ever. As a valued partner providing to those in need, we want to make sure we share the latest of what is being done, especially regarding the Coronavirus. You may have seen in our recent communications, City Mission is taking precautions to protect our vulnerable population of residents and to help mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus.

Tips for De-Cluttering

a cluttered up closet full of coats, clothes, tools and other personal effects

March 16, 2020

Spring is only a week away, and as the temperature warms, many people are motivated to embark on annual spring-cleaning rituals. After several months of living with doors and windows closed, both dust and possessions have accumulated in our homes, and now is the perfect time to try to reduce both. Along with the typical spring-cleaning tasks, such as having rugs and draperies cleaned, laundering mattress covers and pillows, and clearing out unwanted items from closets, you might also consider the following clutter culprits as prime targets for removal during your cleanup.

It's Time to de-Clutter and Donate!

a cluttered kitchen with various arrangements of junk all over the counters

August 21, 2019

Are you looking for a place to donate clothing to? Look no further! City Mission Thrift Store will take your clothing donations! You can drop your items off at any one of our seven Store Locations or in one of our City Mission Donation Bins in an area near you. Your Donations Help Change Lives!

“Such a Blessing”

Nurse Cyndi administers alpha-stim therapy to resident Dave

April 6, 2019

“Our goal is to help people manage their pain,” said Cyndi Urbanowicz, a retired flight nurse and one of the medical volunteers at the clinic. “Unfortunately, most of the residents we see have chronic pain. We’re helping to decrease their pain and other symptoms.” Sadly, the need for a drug-free pain management clinic like the one at City Mission is overwhelming. More than 30% of all Americans have some form of acute or chronic pain, and pain-relieving opioids are now the most commonly-prescribed class of medications in the United States.

City Mission to Hold Expungement Day

March 30, 2019

The Legal Clinic at the City Mission in Washington, Pa., as well as Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services and the Washington County Bar Association, are coming together Friday, March 29, to host a free criminal expungement clinic for residents of the City Mission homeless shelter and income-eligible members of the public. The “Expungement Day” program will take place at the City Mission from 9 a.m. to noon. The Mission is located at 84 West Wheeling Street in Washington.

City Mission Lends A Hand to Government Employees

January 24, 2019

Over 800,000 workers and their families across the US are currently being affected by the Federal Government shutdown. No paycheck means no money for mortgage payments, groceries, or household items. City Mission has recently introduced a 'Show Your Government ID Program' for furloughed or out-of-work federal government employees in Southwestern PA. This program will continue for the duration of the shutdown. Just show your government ID at City Mission, 84 West Wheeling Street, Washington PA , for you and your family to receive:

City Mission Celebrates Grand Opening of Women with Children Shelter

inside view of new women with children's shelter

October 23, 2018

Families with children are the fastest-growing homeless population in the US. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, 41% of the homeless population is comprised of families, and 84% of these families are headed by single women. That is why City Mission has expanded their Women with Children Shelter, doubling their capacity to house women and children in need.

Twelve Steps & Biblical Comparisons

September 27, 2018

Did you know that each day, more than 700,000 people seek treatment for addiction? During the month of September, we celebrate with our program residents and the 23 million people in recovery who have made the brave decision to start their journey toward healing and renewal.At City Mission we offer Biblically-Based-counseling to the men and women participating in our Life Recovery Programs.

How Can I Help the Homeless?

3 signs on a fence: don't give up; you're not alone; you matter.

January 15, 2018

Excerpt from Union Gospel Mission webpage - "How to Help People who are Experiencing Homelessness" ‍1. Give them food, coupons, or gift certificates, or refer them to a local social service agency. If a person is hungry, offer him/her food, coupons, or gift certificates to nearby restaurants or grocery stores. Or refer him/her to an agency that can provide food and shelter such as a local soup kitchen. Never give out cash. The money you give to “help” that person could be used to buy drugs or alcohol instead.

Addressing Addiction

pen and paper in preparation for writing a letter

January 11, 2018

Recently a resident of City Mission's Life Recovery Program faced the reality of addiction in a letter: To my addiction: Today I realize for the first time with total clarity the damage you’ve done and the intention you have for me. You plan to keep me in bondage to failure, loss, hopelessness and misery, to finish me off in the ultimate bondage of death. For so long you have managed to convince me not to fight for more than anything you allow.

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

photo of soldier lying on the ground - during a combat engagement in Vietnam

March 29, 2018

Today is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Our nation stops to remember our servicemen and women who served in the Vietnam War. As a nation, we didn’t do our part in welcoming home these war veterans from a conflict that continues to haunt so many of them.