JEMS Ministry - Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society

Supporting Our Ministries

Outright Gifts :::

Cash and Checks
By far, most of the gifts given to JEMS is cash or checks. It's the easiest gift for a donor to make and for the organization to receive. If the donor lives outside of the United States, the gift should be a money order in American dollars.

If you itemize your deductions, you can take a full tax deduction, up to 50% of your adjusted gross income and carry-forward any excess up to five additional years.

Click HERE for information about Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT)

Auto Donations
If you have an unwanted car, truck, heavy equipment trailer, mobile home, boat, or motor home, you can donate it to any of the JEMS ministries funds. The funds include: JEMS General, JEMS Building, AACF(campus), Music Ministry, Sports Ministry, Mount Hermon, Career/Young Adults and Youth, Pacific Northwest (PNW), Japan Missions, Brasil Missions, Nichigo, 55+, Women's Ministry, and Men-4 -Missions. For more information, please call JEMS at (213) 613-0022.

Stocks, Bonds, and Real Estate
Assets such as these that have gone up in value are a great way to give. You save on capital gains tax and get a charitable income tax deduction for the full fair-market value. You can take the income tax deduction up to 30% of your adjusted gross income and carry-forward any excess up to 5 years.

Tangible Personal Property
Gifts of assets like cars, jewelry, art, etc. are also welcomed. You generally get a tax deduction for the full fair market value.

Gifts Through a Charitable Trust :::

The charitable trust pays you a lifetime income
You may be hesitant to give a substantial asset to JEMS because you need the income from the asset to maintain your own standard of living. You can give through a Charitable Remainder Trust, which will pay you a lifetime income. If married, both spouses will be included as income beneficiaries. Funding such a trust with highly appreciated stock will enable you to lock in your gains. Real estate is also a good asset to use, as is cash.

The charitable trust saves you taxes
You save capital gains taxes on highly appreciated assets such as stocks and real estate that you put into the trust. This means that you get an income based on the full value of what you put into the trust, not the net after tax. You get a partial income tax deduction on the value of assets you put into the trust. And you save on estate taxes, because at your passing, the assets will go to JEMS as a memorial in your name.

The charitable trust can help your heirs as well
Because the assets go to JEMS at your passing, you may want to consider an asset replacement option, funded by insurance and paid for by tax savings and increased income from your trust. At your passing, the insurance proceeds would go to your heirs, free of estate tax and probate expenses.

Gifts through your Will or Living Trust :::
For many, this is an ideal way to give. You retain control over your assets and have maximum flexibility to plan your estate. At your passing, you can direct your assets to those causes about which you feel supportive. Your bequest to JEMS will not only go to a worthwhile cause, but it will make a statement and leave a legacy that will live on after you pass away.

Options for your heirs
It is essential that we all fulfill our obligation to our heirs. Sometimes it is not the wisest thing to give them everything all at once. While most heirs can handle this bonanza, some cannot. And once the money is spent, for whatever reason, it is gone. How can we pay the taxes, fulfill our obligations, and even consider a gift to JEMS? Consider the 10/10 plan.

The 10/10 Plan
We have developed a plan that will help you achieve all three objectives of saving taxes, remembering your heir, and JEMS as well.

For part of your estate, consider putting some assets into a 10/10 plan at your passing. The plan is designed to pay 10% to your heirs for 10 years. They receive 100% of this part of your estate, but in a way that can help them learn about money management. They may blow much or all of the money distribution, but hopefully will learn some lessons that will help them with the later distributions. After 10 years, the Plan terminates and the remainder will be a gift to JEMS as a memorial in your name. Because JEMS eventually gets the balance, you get a significant estate tax charitable deduction when the plan is funded.

Retirement Plans
For many individuals, giving through their retirement is a wise choice. There are assets, which, if left to the children, would force the recipients to pay income taxes on what they receive. It would make more sense to leave your heirs other assets that would not be subject to income tax. Your spouse should be the primary beneficiary of your retirement plan because there is no tax to a surviving spouse. Naming JEMS as a subsequent beneficiary is a good option for many of our friends.

Please note that recent laws have provided a reduction in income and estate taxes. Estate taxes may even be eliminated in 2010 (but restored in 2011). Your generous gifts to JEMS are still welcome. Lower taxes mean more dollars for you and your family, making gifts even easier for most taxpayers.

While all of these gift giving plans have great benefits, they can be complex. Therefore, before making these gifts, you should first check with your professional advisors.

For more information, please contact Mr. Cary Tamura through JEMS at (213) 613-0022.