Matched Gifts To Our Endowment Fund
As 2021 comes to an end, we’re highlighting a special giving opportunity for the long-term sustainability of our mission.
Friends and supporters,
Our mission of helping Sudanese change makers create a better Sudan is the work of a lifetime, if not longer. No matter what happens —be it a global pandemic, a military coup, or something else outside of our control— we need to always have financial resources at our disposal to keep our doors open to our Sudanese partners.
This is why Operation Broken Silence self-started an Endowment Fund in 2016. It was an unusual step for a nonprofit to take, and we got more than a few raised eyebrows at the time. One question that I’ll never forget receiving was “If the needs in Sudan are so great today, how can y’all justify asking people to give to a fund that won’t immediately help?”
It was a fair question with a simple answer: our Sudanese partners value reliability. They need to know that we’ll always be there, even when the going gets rough. Having an Endowment Fund is the only way to build long-term reliability into our mission.
In March 2020, COVID-19 ground giving to a halt as we cancelled critical events, closed our office, and went remote. Our Endowment Fund gave us space to adapt, launch new fundraising efforts, and help our Sudanese partners continue their work with minimal disruption. Simply put, our Endowment Fund worked in a time of extreme crisis.
One of our biggest supporters noticed how useful this fund is. Earlier this year, they offered to match all donations made to our Endowment Fund, up to $25,000 total. As of the time of this posting, roughly $11,500 of the matching gift remains.
Here are a few ways you can help us claim these remaining funds and put them to work for our mission.
GIVE ONLINE
The fastest way to have your gift matched is to make a donation online.
GIVE CRPYTO
Your crypto donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law, if you pay taxes in the U.S. Donating crypto is safe and fast with our widget:
Select a crypto and enter your gift amount.
Type in your email and basic info (or choose to give anonymously).
Make your gift!
You can elect to receive an automatic tax receipt at the email address you provide. This donation confirmation will help you close the loop when calculating your taxes.
Crypto charitable donations are processed quickly and safely with The Giving Block and Gemini Trust Exchange. Please note that all crypto gifts are nonrefundable.
OTHER WAYS TO GIVE
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Endowment in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
Donate from your DAF, gift stock, and discover other ways to give.
Our top priority has always been meeting the needs of our Sudanese partners. That isn’t changing, but we must ensure that our Endowment Fund is always slowly growing in the background. Our effectiveness as an organization is largely dependent on our reliability.
I hope you’ll consider joining me in making a matched donation right now. This is an easy way to help our mission grow more resilient over the long haul. Happy holidays.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Endowment Fund FAQ
What is the Endowment Fund and how does it work?
Our Endowment is made up of a series of strategic investments, including a mutual fund, cryptocurrencies, and cash savings. Earned dividends and interest are used to support our mission, with the principal remaining largely untouched. These investments are overseen by our Board Treasurer, Executive Director, and Certified Financial Planner. Our various holdings are with Shoemaker Financial and the Gemini Trust Exchange.
What happens after I make a donation to the Endowment Fund?
It depends on your giving method. The first thing that happens though is that you receive a donation receipt for giving confirmation and tax purposes.
If you give cash, your generosity is deposited into a business advantage savings account and starts earning interest. Once a certain amount of donations arrive, those gifts are invested in a mutual fund. At that point, your gift starts generating a much higher level of quarterly and annual dividends, effortlessly multiplying your impact on our mission year after year.
If you donate an investment, such as a stock or cryptocurrency, we will evaluate the long-term quality of your gift. It may be kept as is or sold and reinvested elsewhere in line with our investment strategy.
How much of all donations given annually are allocated to the Endowment Fund?
The only donations that are invested are ones in which the donor intentionally gives to the Endowment Fund. This can be done through a specific giving form, posts like this one, or through direct communication with our staff. No portion of general or program-specific donations are allocated to the Endowment Fund.
What are the best ways to give to the Endowment Fund?
Donating stock, mutual funds, or cryptocurrencies are preferred giving methods. These can be the most tax-efficient ways to give, especially if you have held an investment for longer than one year. By making a charitable gift, you may be eligible to significantly reduce what you would otherwise owe in capital gains taxes. As with any tax-related questions, be sure to consult a qualified professional tax advisor.
Have additional questions before giving? Reach out to us here.
About Us
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
We focus on empowering Sudanese change makers and their critical work. Learn more.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.
