[JOURNEY IN GENEROSITY | APRIL 2025 | Featuring Mike & Christine Wicks, Jay & Hilde Dryden]
The Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville can help donors both simplify and amplify their charitable giving by accepting gifts of appreciated assets such as stocks, real estate, or closely held business interests. Donating these assets can provide significant tax benefits, allowing donors to avoid capital gains taxes while maximizing their charitable impact. By simplifying the process of giving complex assets, the Community Foundation helps donors support the causes they care about most in a tax-advantaged way. These gifts not only fuel current giving but can also grow over time, amplifying generosity for generations to come. Let us help turn your generosity into lasting impact. Combining the tax savings of donating appreciated assets with the flexibility of a donor advised fund can provide a win-win for tax savvy philanthropists!
Read more about the options: What to Give – Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville
SMART PHILANTHROPY
Learn how these donors are incorporating non-cash gifts into their charitable giving plans.
NON-CASH GIFT: STOCKS
Smart Giving Made Simple: Mike & Christine Wicks’ Generosity Story
When Mike and Christine Wicks wanted to make a meaningful impact in their community, they turned to the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville to help streamline their giving. By donating appreciated stock to their donor advised fund, the Wicks were able to maximize their charitable support while minimizing their tax burden.
“Even with the best of intentions, details and logistics can often prevent giving opportunities,” Mike shared. “I am thankful that the Community Foundation has the staff, technology, and systems to make the giving process easy, convenient, accurate, and tax advantageous. Not only can they receive cash, but also appreciated equities. By donating appreciated stock to our donor advised fund at the Community Foundation, we were able to avoid taxes otherwise paid on those gains. They also ensure the accuracy and eligibility of the donations.”
This kind of generosity is exactly what the Community Foundation is designed to support. By simplifying the process of giving non-cash assets like appreciated stock, the Foundation helps donors like the Wicks make the most of every gift. Their donor advised fund provides flexibility in timing their charitable distributions while continuing to grow the impact of their generosity.
The Wicks’ story is a powerful example of how the right tools and trusted partnerships
can amplify giving. The Community Foundation stands ready to help others do the
same—turning complex assets into simple, strategic generosity that benefits the entire community.
Mike Wicks’ story serves as an inspiring example for us all. Read more here:
Sit Down With Success: A Conversation With Mike Wicks – Huntsville Business Journal
Mike & Christine Wicks
Over the last several years I have grown fond of this Winston Churchill quote that shapes my thinking throughout the day: “We make a living by what we get; but we make a life by what we give.”
– Mike Wicks
NON-CASH GIFT: REAL ESTATE
From Property to Purpose: How the Drydens Turned a Rental Home into Generosity
Jay and Hilde Dryden believe in leading by example—especially when it comes to generosity. As parents, they work hard to instill their values in their children, showing them what it means to give with intention and purpose. So when the Drydens found themselves with a rental property they no longer needed, they saw an opportunity to give back in a meaningful way. Instead of selling the home and facing a substantial tax bill, they donated it to the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville in 2022.
“If we had sold it, we would have faced a significant capital gain,” Jay explained. “By donating it, however, we were able to fund our upcoming charitable giving while also benefiting from a valuable tax deduction. I didn’t have a single charity in mind for that large of a donation, so it was easier to divide that amount among the causes I typically support. And by donating the property instead of selling it and paying taxes first, I ended up with more to give. Not to mention, I didn’t have to deal with the hassle of selling a house. The Community Foundation handled everything—finding a realtor, marketing, and all those details—so it really simplified the process.”
By turning a piece of real estate into a vehicle for generosity, the Drydens amplified their impact—and created a powerful legacy for their family to witness. The Community Foundation was honored to make it easy.
Jay & Hilde Dryden
Given the recent appreciation in values, almost anyone is likely to incur a substantial capital gain when selling real estate. So, why not prefund your charitable giving for the next few years while also avoiding the taxes?
