The Sweeney's

A Gift of Appreciated Securities

One of the ways donors can make a gift to The Green Dragon Foundation (GDF) is through a gift of appreciated securities. It allows donors to make a significant contribution at a reduced cost. Federal tax laws allow a charitable deduction for the full market value of securities on the date of the gift.

LAHS alum, Ali Goulstone Sweeney ’93, of Denver, CO, made such a gift this year. Ali has been a generous and loyal supporter of GDF since 2009. “We feel it is important to give to communities we love, and Lewisburg is one of those communities,” she explained. “We also feel that education is the key to a different future. The Green Dragon Foundation is a way we can meet both of those priorities.”

After graduating from LAHS, Ali attended and then graduated from Cornell University. “When I got to Cornell, I realized that I had a good education. However, many of my classmates were from larger communities with larger budgets and, as a result, had different opportunities in high school that prepared them in different ways for success in college. We feel that the foundation is the best way to ensure that Lewisburg students have the same opportunities for arts, technology and other enriching programs, regardless of the tax base that supports their education.”

“Giving a gift of stock allows us to give a charitable contribution while rebalancing our portfolio without paying capital gains taxes,” Ali explained. “It is almost as easy to give a gift of stock as it is to write a check-we just have to fill out a different form. We have invested in the stock market since we were very young. With the recent growth of the market, our investments have also grown, but not always at the same rate. We prefer to own a variety of stocks, and so occasionally rebalance our portfolio to maintain that variety.”

For more information about making a gift of appreciated stock, contact The Green Dragon Foundation office at (570) 522-8433.