Frequently asked questions
What types of bank accounts can I use to give?
You can give online from your checking account, Google Pay, or these credit card providers: Mastercard, Visa, Discover, or American Express.
Are there any processing fees?
Yes, Lakeside uses a credit card processor that has agreed to reduce the rate on both debit/credit cards and ACH transfers (e-check). When you give using a credit/debit card, there is a 2% processing fee. When you give using ACH (e-check), there is a .5% fee. We recommend ACH whenever possible due to its low processing fee.When giving online or texting, you have the option to cover the processing fees for Lakeside. When covering the processing fee, the fee will be added to your account as an additional donation and appear on your year-end giving statement.
Can I change my personal information, amount or frequency of my gift once I have set it up?
Visit Lakeside.org/Give and select the "Give Now" option, it will send you to a giving page that also has the option to "Sign In".
- Follow the prompts to sign in, using the email address or phone number associated with your account.
- Once logged in, you will see a one time giving option or you can click the recurring option to view/edit your current schedule.
- There is also the option to download a current or past year giving statement for your records.
Can I designate my gift to a particular department or ministry?
All offerings are given to the general fund to support the mission of LCC. From time to time we have other opportunities, “On Mission”, where you can give above and beyond to support these important ministries.
Are there tax advantages in giving my required minimum distribution (RMD) directly to Lakeside?
What many retirees don't know is they can donate all, or a portion of, their required minimum distribution (RMD) directly to Lakeside or any 501(c)(3). It's called a qualified charitable distribution or QCD. You can also make charitable distributions directly from an IRA before RMDs begin. With a qualified charitable distribution, a check is sent directly from an IRA to charity. This allows the donor to exclude the amount from taxable income. For retirees who are charitable and over age 70 1/2, a qualified charitable distribution is worth considering. For more information, contact your financial advisor or tax advisor on how to correctly set up this transaction.
If you regularly participate in the biblical principle of tithing but would like to donate above and beyond toward a specific project or need that falls outside of our normal operating budget, contact one of our pastors. We would love to have a conversation with you about some of our big dreams!
Can I donate stocks to Lakeside?
We do accept stock gifts at Lakeside Christian Church. Giving stock, you have owned more than one year and which has gone up in value can provide a double tax benefit.The increase in value is called appreciation and can result in capital gain income tax when the stock is sold. The amount taxable is typically the sale price less than your basis, which usually is what you paid for it. In other words, if you paid $1,000 for 100 shares of stock and later sold it for $3,000, you would pay tax on the $2,000 increase in value. However, making a charitable gift of the stock can avoid the long-term capital gain income tax. Additionally, the amount you can deduct on your income tax return is the entire fair market value of the stock at the time of the gift, up to 30% of your adjusted gross income of the year. The five-year carry forward of any unused deduction also applies. In the above example, the tax deduction would be $3,000, the value of the stock, rather than $1,000, the amount paid. This is in addition to avoiding the capital gain income tax. You should also consult your tax advisor to be sure it makes sense for you.
Can I donate through my employer's matching program?
Employee Matching Gifts are donations a company makes to match its employees’ charitable contributions. Employee matching gifts are typically at a dollar-for-dollar rate, but some companies go even further by tripling or quadrupling their employees’ donations. Approximately 2/3 of companies with matching gift programs match employee donations to nearly any 501(c)(3) organization.
Here are just a few participating companies: Toyota, Fidelity, Gap, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Delta Airlines, Verizon, Ford, Mazda, BP, Exxon Mobile, Microsoft, Google, Disney, Home Depot, Starbucks
Millions of individuals work for companies that will match their donations. Take the extra step and ask your employer if they participate in a match program!
Will I still receive regular contribution statements from Lakeside?
Contribution statements will be sent via email in January. You can also login to your My Lakeside account to view or download your statement.
