By Denny Rodgers, Racial Justice Ministry

If you are of the age when you must take Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from your IRAs, you can elect to make Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) to eligible co-organizations like, for example, our church. Your broker will send checks directly to them, and you will not be taxed on that part of your distribution. Moreover, if your employer has a matching funds program, you can double the impact of your contributions. My broker confirms that each organization qualifies, but you can do that yourself. 

To get the tax benefit, make sure your name is included on the check. On your tax return, enter your total distribution as reported on your 1099Rs and calculate the taxable amount by subtracting the total of your QCDs.