Why donate?

We make the most of all the resources we receive. Alchemist improves access to local and healthy food for thousands of low-income people, empowers under-resourced food entrepreneurs, and empowers neighborhoods to pursue grassroots solutions for food access and park creation. We have only a few employees and the dedication of our volunteers and interns to do a great deal of important work.

We provide meaningful resources and programs for individuals, families and communities who seek affordable, healthy food and community spaces. Our programs, presentations and informative materials reach across Sacramento and Yolo counties and across cultures and economic sectors.

Want more information about Alchemist, including summaries of our programs and financial reports? Please see our detailed profile by clicking here.

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More Ways to Donate

Your tax-deductible contribution to Alchemist CDC is vitally important to sustaining and expanding our programs.

There are almost as many easy ways to donate as there are reasons to support us.

Tax ID #: 20-1891448

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What your donation buys:

  • $500 provides a month of maintenance at a community pocket park.
  • $346 allows us to operate CalFresh processing at one farmers’ market for a week.
  • $200 provides fresh California-grown produce to 20 families through Market Match incentives.
  • $50 allows us to purchase and plant one fruit tree.
  • $15 allows us to start vegetable seedlings from seed for community gardens.

Donate by mailing a check to:

Alchemist CDC
4625 44th Street, Ste 33
Sacramento, CA 95820

Donate real estate or property

Are you looking to donate real estate or property to a 501(c)3 tax-deductible non-profit? Do you want to ensure that your gift not only provides you with tax benefits, but also makes a real impact? By donating to Alchemist Community Development Corporation (Alchemist CDC), you can be sure that your gift creates a legacy for the good of communities in the Sacramento region.

If you are interested in exploring such a donation, please contact us to begin a conversation. We are happy to speak with you and work with you to explore the possibilities of a real estate donation. Every property is unique and we can discuss together whether a property might be put the most effective use by allowing Alchemist CDC to sell it, to integrate the property into our operations, etc.

Contact Real.Estate.Donation@alchemistcdc.org

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)

If you have reached federal retirement age (73 at time of writing), the law requires you to withdraw a portion of your money from your employer-sponsored retirement plan on an annual basis. The minimum amount that must be withdrawn is known as a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). Failing to withdraw the RMD will result on a 50% tax on the amount not withdrawn. Fortunately, this provides an excellent opportunity to grow your own charitable giving and to make a difference to causes that matter to you.

Individual retirement arrangement (IRA) owners age 70½ or over can transfer up to $105,000 to charity tax-free each year (qualifying married couples can transfer up to $210,000 in most cases). These transfers, known as qualified charitable distributions or QCDs, offer eligible older Americans a great way to easily give to charity before the end of the year. And, for those who are at least 73 years old, QCDs count toward the IRA owner’s required minimum distribution for the year. By making use of Qualified Charitable Distributions, donors may be able to avoid the phaseout of other tax deductions or stay out of higher income tax brackets.

Fidelity Charitable explains:

…because QCDs reduce the balance of the IRA, they may reduce required minimum distributions in future years. QCDs are also not counted toward the maximum amounts deductible for those who itemize their giving on their taxes—the $105,000 can be above and beyond those limits. For these reasons, a QCD can potentially enable a donor to give a bigger charitable gift than they could if they just donated cash or other assets…

How QCDs are made: Qualified charitable distributions are made directly to the eligible charity from a traditional IRA, inherited IRA, inactive Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan and inactive Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) IRAs. (Inactive SEP and SIMPLE IRAs are accounts that no longer receive employer contributions.)

The money is a direct transfer to the charity that never passes through the hands of the IRA holder. Instead, the IRA custodian can either send an electronic transfer of funds or a check directly to the charity.  For a QCD to count toward your minimum annual IRA distribution, it must be made by the same deadline as a normal distribution, which is usually Dec. 31 of the tax year in question.

When you make a Qualified Charitable Distribution to Alchemist CDC, you not only help offset your tax liabilities, but help cultivate thriving communities in the greater Sacramento area. Our work targets catalytic opportunities where every dollar given generates multiple benefits. Your charitable investment in Alchemist CDC will return a strong return on investment in the form of empowering new food business entrepreneurs, supporting California’s small farms, helping low-income families to access and afford nutritious California-grown produce, growing food to address hunger for some of the most vulnerable school-age families in the region, and more.

If you have questions or would like to learn more about the difference your QCD gift can make for generations, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Please note, this brief overview of QCDs and RMDs is meant to provide a basic overview of the program but is not legal or fiduciary advice. Please contact your own attorney or accountant for advice specific to your unique situation.

Investment Policy Statement (IPS)

Our Investment Policy Statement (IPS) is currently in development with our Finance Committee, in order to ensure it is up to date with changing needs and developing strategies. The updated IPS will be posted when complete, but in the meantime, please rest assured that all funds received are presently deposited in FDIC-insured accounts and that our present strategy aims to maintain liquidity with minimal risk.

Alchemist CDC does not presently have an endowment, but hopes to establish one in the future. If you are considering a major gift with a possible desire to help establish an endowment, please reach out to us.