St. Mary's Ryken is recognized as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN #52-0681146).

Donations to SMR are made with no goods or services exchanged and are tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law.

Tax-deductibility of Event Sponsorships and Auction Purchases is permitted to the extent of the support value minus the value of benefits received in exchange. Donors who purchase items at a charity auction may claim a charitable contribution deduction for the excess of the purchase price paid for an item over its fair market value (FMV). FMV was provided in your original receipt.

If you need more information about FMV of benefits received, contact the Development Office at development@smrhs.org.

Consult your tax professional on the deductibility of your charitable giving. Please retain this letter for your tax records.

At St. Mary’s Ryken High School, we are deeply grateful for the generosity of alumni, parents, grandparents, friends, and community partners who support our mission of providing a Catholic, college preparatory education in the Xaverian tradition.

We welcome gifts of all sizes and kinds, including:

• Cash, checks, and credit card contributions
• Marketable securities (such as stocks and bonds)
• Bequests and other planned gifts
• Life insurance policies
• Real estate and other property (subject to review and approval)
• In-kind contributions that support our educational and extracurricular programs

Guidelines for Gifts

Gifts must support the mission and values of St. Mary’s Ryken.

Restricted gifts will be used for the purpose designated by the donor, provided that purpose is consistent with the needs of the school.

Certain gifts — such as real estate, business interests, or those with special conditions — require additional review and approval by the school’s leadership and Board of Trustees.

Donor Recognition and Privacy

We honor donor intentions, respect donor privacy, and provide official gift receipts in accordance with IRS regulations. Recognition opportunities are available for many types of gifts, though donors may also choose to remain anonymous.

Questions?

Our Development Office is here to help you explore ways to make a lasting impact. Please contact us at development@smrhs.org for more information.

St. Mary's Ryken High School welcomes gift-in-kind donations that help to support the School’s mission. Through gift-in-kind donations, supporters help SMR strengthen programs to provide the best possible educational experience to our students. Unlike contributions of cash or securities, in-kind gifts allow donors to receive the benefit of a charitable contribution without drawing on their cash reserves.  

Gifts-in-kind are tangible personal property (other than real property) that is subject to personal ownership. Examples can include personal collections of art, books, coins or movies; cars, boats, and aircraft; animals, such as livestock; equipment; software; printed materials; and food or other items used for hosting dinners. 

Such property may include gifts donated for the purpose of being auctioned at charity fundraising events. In accordance with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations, donations of time, professional services, or partial interest gifts for auctions (examples: hotel stays, admission tickets, vehicle or property leases, etc.) are not deductible.  

The following steps are involved in the process of donating a gift-in-kind: 

• The school must determine whether or not it has a need for the gift  
• Prior approval must be received by the department involved with the acquisition 
• The value of the gift must be determined (itemized receipt, appraisal or statement of value) 
• The staff member, using the Gift-in-Kind form, must record all preliminary information and submit the form to the Development Office.
• If the gift is equipment and valued at $5,000 or more, the gift will need to be recorded for inventory purposes 
• A charitable donation tax receipt will be issued by the Development Office. 

The Development Office reserves the right to decline any gift that does not further the school's mission or involves special maintenance or other conditions the school would be unable to satisfy. Generally, food and meals for student organizations and teams are not permissible. Donations where the donor or staff member(s) receive a tangible benefit, such as a meal or gift, will not be considered. Donations of alcohol require a detailed explanation to be considered.  

The donor is responsible for arranging to deliver the gift, any appraisal, and compliance with IRS requirements.  

In accordance with IRS regulations, the donor is responsible for determining the value of an accepted gift. Before presenting a gift of tangible property to SMR, donors should first establish the fair market value of the gift. An appraisal from a recognized independent appraiser is needed for items valued at $5,000 or more. School personnel are not qualified appraisers, and federal regulations do not permit the school to give appraisals or estimates of value. Generally, the fair market value of a gift-in-kind is deductible. 

• If the value of a gift is $500 or more, the IRS requires donors to file IRS Form 8283 and comply with its regulations pertaining to non-cash charitable contributions 
• If the donation is valued at more than $5,000, the donor must obtain a qualified appraisal and submit an appraisal summary with the return claiming the deduction 
• Specific IRS rules exist for contributions of vehicles, boats, and airplanes that may limit the donor’s charitable deduction 

The summary above is based on IRS publications and provides basic guidelines regarding tax deductions for gifts-in-kind. This summary is not intended to serve as a complete account of the requirements or limitations covering tax-deductible gifts. SMR recommends that donors consult their tax advisor when considering gifts-in-kind. 

Revised: 9/25

St. Mary’s Ryken (SMR) gratefully accepts gifts of stock as an alternative to cash donations. Donations of appreciated stock offer some of the largest tax saving to donors, generally allowing you to avoid capital gains tax and deducting the current full market value of the stock. Additionally, due to the discretionary nature of stocks, donors are often able to make larger gifts with greater impact when donating stock.

Publicly traded securities (stocks, bonds, and mutual funds) are acceptable. Gifts of securities are valued at the average of the high and low quoted selling prices on the date the donor relinquished dominion and control of the assets in favor of SMR. If the security was not traded on that date, SMR will use the average valuation of the trading days immediately prior to and immediately after when the security was given. Neither losses nor gains realized by SMR’s sale of the securities after their receipt, nor brokerage fees or other expenses associated with the transaction should affect the value reported to the donor.

Gifts of Stock/Securities to St. Mary’s Ryken may be directed to:

Cheryl Plunkett
Assistant Vice President; Wealth Management Associate
MERRILL WEALTH MANAGEMENT
300 W. State Street, Suite 200
Media, PA 19063
T 610-565-9937
F 610-628-4695
cheryl.plunkett@ml.com

DTC ELIGIBLE
DTC # 8862
Client Name: St. Mary’s Ryken Inc.
Client's Account Number: 434-02XXX
PHYSICAL CERTIFICATES
Cheryl Plunkett
Assistant Vice President; Wealth Management Associate

MERRILL WEALTH MANAGEMENT
300 W. State Street, Suite 200
Media, PA 19063