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Your charitable dollars matter more than ever. So how can you be sure you’re making the greatest impact? Fidelity Charitable is here to help. The Giving Account, a donor-advised fund sponsored by Fidelity Charitable, is like a charitable investment account with the sole purpose of supporting charities you care about. It’s an easy way to potentially give more, and eligible Amazon employees have access to an exclusive fee discount. Ready to get started?
*By using this benefit offered by Amazon, you understand and agree that Fidelity Charitable may verify your employment status by confirming personal information provided by Amazon to Fidelity Investments®.
Donate cash, stocks (such as vested Amazon shares that you’ve held for more than one year), and more to immediately qualify for tax savings.
Your charitable contribution is invested according to your preferences—so it could grow tax-free while you decide which charities to support.
You advise on which charities receive support from your Giving Account.
Donating appreciated assets, like vested shares of Amazon stock, helps Brandy give more to her local children’s hospital and save more on her taxes.
Brandy wants to donate $10,000 to a children’s hospital and is planning to fund her gift by selling some Amazon stock that she’s held for a few years after it vested. However, because her shares have appreciated in value since she received them, she’s concerned that the capital gains taxes she owes will reduce the amount she has to give. How can Brandy still make her $10,000 donation using her appreciated Amazon stock?
Brandy remembers that charities don’t pay capital gains taxes on gifts of stock, so donating appreciated stock directly to charity (instead of selling it and giving the after-tax proceeds) can minimize her tax burden whether she itemizes her taxes or not. She decides to contribute $10,000 worth of Amazon shares to her Giving Account, and because Fidelity Charitable is an independent nonprofit, she doesn’t have to pay the capital gains taxes she would have otherwise owed. Now she can take an income tax deduction for her contribution; recommend a $10,000 grant to the children’s hospital; and consider the same approach of using vested, appreciated Amazon shares for future giving.
Donating appreciated assets, such as vested shares of Amazon stock, can help you give more and save more—and the Giving Account makes it easy.
You may be subject to the Amazon Insider Trading Policy when contributing Amazon shares to Fidelity Charitable. Please review the policy FAQs on Inside Amazon prior to contributing shares, including the preclearance and window period requirements if applicable to you.
See how the Giving Account can streamline recordkeeping by simplifying giving, granting, and tracking.
Charlie believes in giving back to their community and generously supports dozens of nonprofits throughout the year. Between their planned giving, donating to friends’ fundraisers, and responding to urgent crises like a wildfire relief fund, Charlie is overwhelmed by receipts and has a hard time consolidating statements at tax time. Charlie wants a solution that will make giving and recordkeeping easier.
Fortunately, Charlie’s new Giving Account can help. After setting up recurring contributions into the Giving Account, Charlie has a ready reserve of funds set aside just for charitable giving. Now, they always know how much they have to give when needs arise. Then, scheduling monthly gifts out to charity is easy on the digital donor portal, and Charlie can even add donations they made outside the Giving Account for a complete view of their impact. Finally, instead of searching for dozens of receipts at tax time, Charlie can instead download statements from Fidelity Charitable that include all of their giving that year.
It shouldn’t be a chore to support the causes you love. From setting up recurring contributions from your bank into the Giving Account to automating grants to your favorite nonprofits, Fidelity Charitable makes it easier to be a consistent giver.
In a high-income year, see how the bunching strategy helps him make more of a difference.
Ashwin’s equity awards are vesting this year, and he’s expecting the influx of income will bump him into a higher tax bracket. When considering how he could offset that new tax burden, he remembers he may be able to take an income tax deduction for his charitable giving. Ashwin annually writes a $10,000 check to his local food bank and is proud to support their efforts fighting hunger in his city. However, he realizes that he doesn’t have enough other itemizations to surpass the standard deduction. How can Ashwin achieve more tax savings with his charitable giving?
He decides to use his new Giving Account and try the “bunching” strategy. He contributes $30,000, or three years of planned giving, to his donor-advised fund and qualifies for an income tax deduction for the same amount—thus exceeding the standard deduction threshold that year. Not only can Ashwin now realize more tax savings from his philanthropy, but he can also continue making his same $10,000 gift to the food bank while investing the remaining $20,000 to potentially grow the amount he’ll give next year.
In a high-income year when you want to give more to charity—and offset more of your taxes with a charitable tax deduction—combining the bunching strategy with your Giving Account can be a smart move.
Damien’s Giving Account helped him cultivate a passion for giving in his family with features that brought them closer together in shared generosity.
Damien is approaching retirement and considering how he wants to continue his charitable giving after he stops working—and how to include his two adult children and his grandchildren in his legacy of giving. He knows he wants to pass on his values around giving back, but he isn’t sure where to start.
Fidelity Charitable has a number of resources that Damien can use to cultivate a passion for giving in his family. During the holidays, he decides to send each grandchild a $50 Gift4Giving, like an electronic gift card they can use to make a grant to charity using funds from Damien’s Giving Account. Damien also named his children as the successors on his Giving Account, ensuring that they can continue his philanthropic legacy after his passing.
Now when Damien’s family gets together, they talk about the causes that matter to them and collectively decide which nonprofits to support. Damien’s generosity brought his family closer together, and the Giving Account made it easy.
Discounted fees
The Giving Account has no minimum initial contribution requirement and low annual fees. Nonprofits receive 100% of the dollars you grant, so it’s typically a cheaper option than giving with a credit card since nonprofits don't have to pay any processing fees.
Even better, eligible Amazon employees in the U.S.* can qualify for up to a 50% discount on the annual administrative fee.
Save on taxes
Qualify for an income tax deduction with contributions you make to Fidelity Charitable if you itemize your taxes.
Donating appreciated securities (such as vested Amazon shares that you’ve held for longer than one year) can help you save on capital gains taxes, whether you itemize your taxes or take the standard deduction.
Giving made easy
View the Giving Account alongside other Fidelity Investments® accounts and enjoy single sign-on from Fidelity.com and Fidelity NetBenefits®. Plus, donating from your Fidelity portfolio, such as Amazon shares, is easy.
Fidelity Charitable also accepts stock and other assets from different financial institutions such as Morgan Stanley or Computershare. Whatever you want to give, Fidelity Charitable is here to help.
*Eligible U.S. employees include those who are actively employed by Amazon in a full-time capacity and are benefits-eligible. For the discount to apply, the eligible Amazon employee must be the Primary Account Holder on the Giving Account, be solely invested in the Fidelity Charitable investment pools, and not enrolled in the Charitable Investment Advisor Program.
Opening a Giving Account is fast and simple, and there's no minimum initial contribution required to get started. Click here to get started.
Not sure how it will work for you? Check out our demo, or open a Giving Account now and explore all the features before you decide when and what to give.
Tip: If you have a Fidelity Investments account, you'll want to make sure your personal information matches. Whether you have a Fidelity Investments account or not, you can use your personal or work email address when opening the Giving Account.
The Fidelity Charitable Giving Account has no minimum initial contribution requirement and low annual fees.
There are two types of fees for the Giving Account: an annual administrative fee and investment fees. The administrative fee is based on your Giving Account balance and covers costs for Fidelity Charitable, such as processing transactions and providing donor and nonprofit support. The investment fees are based on the mutual funds that your balance is invested in and can vary depending on your investment selection.
The annual administrative fee schedule starts at 0.60% (60 basis points) with a minimum of $100 per fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
Eligible Amazon employees qualify for up to a 50% discount on administrative fees but are still subject to the minimum administrative fee of $100. For the discount to apply, the eligible Amazon employee must be be the Primary Account Holder on the Giving Account, be solely invested in the Fidelity Charitable investment pools, and not enrolled in the Charitable Investment Advisor Program.
Example administrative fee based on average Giving Account balance:
$5,000
$100
$100
$25,000
$150
$100
$50,000
$300
$150
The administrative fee of 0.60% is charged to the investment pool on a daily basis and affects the net asset value of the Giving Account pool holdings. If the $100 minimum has not been met at the close of the fiscal year (June 30), the Giving Account will be assessed the difference between $100 and the 0.60% fee. Such charges take place at the end of the fiscal year, and any Giving Accounts that have not been open for the full 12-month cycle will have a prorated fee.
A Giving Account that qualifies for the Amazon discount would receive any discounts owed after each quarter, in arrears.
You may contribute Amazon securities to Fidelity Charitable, but you may be subject to the Amazon Insider Trading Policy, as well as preclearance and window period requirements if applicable to you. Please visit the Amazon Insider Trading Policy FAQ for information related to gifts of Amazon securities.
By using this benefit offered by Amazon, you understand and agree that Fidelity Charitable may verify employment status on a quarterly basis by confirming personal information provided by Amazon to Fidelity Investments about full-time, active, and benefits-eligible Amazon employees as determined by your employer.
Eligible U.S. employees include those who are actively employed by Amazon in a full-time capacity and are benefits-eligible. For the discount to apply, the eligible Amazon employee must be the Primary Account Holder on the Giving Account, be solely invested in the Fidelity Charitable investment pools, and not enrolled in the Charitable Investment Advisor Program.
By opening a Giving Account as part of your company’s benefits offerings, you are consenting to share Giving Account activity at an aggregate de-identified level while you remain an employee. This may include but is not limited to total contribution amounts, total grant amounts, and the charitable sectors you give to (but not the names of the individual charities). This does not apply to any Giving Account you are listed on that is not associated with your company. You may opt out of the Employer Data Aggregation Policy at any time by calling Fidelity Charitable Donor Services at 800-952-4438.
Your Giving Account balance will be automatically credited quarterly as long as you remain eligible and your Giving Account balance meets the minimum. To see the discount, you can log in to your Giving Account online. Click "History" in the menu, then click "Statements & confirmations." The discount will appear on your statement as an "Administrative Adjustment."
Fidelity Charitable is well equipped to accept donations of many types of financial assets beyond just cash, including stocks, mutual funds, private business interests, cryptocurrency, and more. As an Amazon employee, you’ll be able to easily donate funds directly from your Fidelity Investments brokerage accounts, including vested Amazon shares you’ve held for longer than one year. Additionally, you can fund your Giving Account using assets held at other financial institutions, including Morgan Stanley and Computershare.
*Please note: Fidelity Charitable cannot accept credit card payments or payroll deductions at this time.
When you donate to Fidelity Charitable, you can take the same tax deductions as you do when donating to any other public charity.
*Please note: Fidelity Charitable cannot accept credit card payments or payroll deductions at this time.
If you have Amazon stock that vested over a year ago, you could consider using those shares to fund your charitable giving and potentially enjoy tax benefits.
When you donate stock to charity, you have two opportunities to potentially reduce your taxes. First, if you itemize your deductions, you can generally take a tax deduction for the full fair-market value of the stock you donated. Second, regardless of whether or not you itemize your deductions, donating stock to charity means neither you nor the charity pays capital gains taxes associated with the appreciation—so if your stock has grown in value, it might be a prime asset to give, especially when compared to giving cash.
Keep in mind that any vested company shares you plan on donating must meet requisite holding periods to realize the most favorable tax benefits (generally, one year from the date of vesting or exercise).
That means if you have Amazon stock that vested this year, donating those shares may not be an advantageous decision since you cannot eliminate capital gains on appreciated stock held for less than one year. However, you could consider offsetting the corresponding taxes from your newly acquired Amazon stock by donating other appreciated securities in your portfolio—including shares that vested last year or earlier.
Talk to your tax advisor about the tax treatment and implications for donating these types of assets. Fidelity Charitable and Amazon do not give tax or legal advice.
With the potential for triple tax benefits—an income tax deduction, the potential to minimize capital gains taxes owed on appreciation, and potential investment growth on your charitable balance—a donor-advised fund helps you maximize the funds you’ve set aside for charity so you can potentially give more.
Plus, you can give when it makes sense for you, with the flexibility to separate the timing of tax benefits from deciding which charities to support.
Using the Giving Account is often a cheaper giving method than using a credit card and ensures you’re providing 100% of the intended funds directly to the charity, without any added processing fees.
Fidelity Charitable make grants to 501(c)(3) IRS-qualified public charities—including your alma mater, your local food bank, or even sponsoring a friend in a charity race. Plus, giving is made easy through the Fidelity Charitable online donor portal and our app is available on iOS and Android. Learn more about the charities you can support.
For international causes, you can recommend a grant to an American charity that works overseas or to an American intermediary charity, which may result in an additional fee.
Want to make sure your charity is eligible? Use the Fidelity Charitable demo to test-drive the granting experience, which includes selecting a charity. Though Fidelity Charitable has a robust list of IRS-qualified public charities in its database, your charity may not always appear on the donor portal. You may still be able to support charities not included in the database. Once your Giving Account is opened, you can recommend a grant and fill in the charity details. Then, the Fidelity Charitable team of experts will perform due diligence and grant review to make sure the charity is eligible. Learn more about the grant review and due diligence process.
To initiate a contribution of appreciated securities from your Fidelity account to Fidelity Charitable, including Amazon shares from vested RSUs if you’ve selected Fidelity as your broker, please follow the steps outlined below. For optimal viewing, we recommend you keep this page up to reference, then log in to your Giving Account using a new browser or window.
You may be subject to the Amazon Insider Trading Policy when contributing Amazon shares to Fidelity Charitable. Please review the policy FAQs on Inside Amazon prior to contributing shares, including the preclearance and window period requirements if applicable to you.
Steps for initiating a transfer from a Fidelity account to Fidelity Charitable:
What to expect after you request the transfer:
Fidelity Charitable will sell the shares and allocate the proceeds using the investment preferences you select for your Giving Account.
A contribution of stock will generally reflect as settled in your Giving Account on the third business day from the trade date; at that time, you will receive a notification from Fidelity Charitable. This means you’re able to start recommending grants to your favorite causes!
Please refer to Fidelity Charitable’s Program Guidelines for additional information on how Fidelity Charitable processes charitable contributions.
To initiate a contribution of Amazon shares from Morgan Stanley to Fidelity Charitable, please follow the steps outlined below. For optimal viewing, we recommend you keep this page up to reference and log in to your Giving Account using a new browser or window.
You may be subject to the Amazon Insider Trading Policy when contributing Amazon shares to Fidelity Charitable, as well as preclearance and window period requirements if applicable to you. Please review the policy FAQs on Inside Amazon prior to contributing shares.
Step 1: In order to process your contribution as efficiently as possible, please first notify Fidelity Charitable that you’ll be making a contribution. If you need assistance with this section, please call Fidelity Charitable at 800-262-6039.
Step 2: Request that Morgan Stanley transfer the shares to Fidelity Charitable. If you need assistance with this section, please call the Morgan Stanley Service Center at 801-617-7471, Monday—Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.
When you transfer shares from Morgan Stanley to Fidelity Charitable, Fidelity Charitable will sell the shares and allocate the proceeds using the investment preferences you select for your Giving Account.
A contribution of stock will generally reflect as settled in your Giving Account on the third business day from the trade date; at that time, you will receive a notification from Fidelity Charitable. This means you’re able to start recommending grants to your favorite causes!
Please refer to Fidelity Charitable’s Program Guidelines for additional information on how Fidelity Charitable processes charitable contributions.
To initiate a contribution of shares from a different financial institution to Fidelity Charitable, please follow the steps outlined below. For optimal viewing, we recommend you keep this page up to reference and log in to your Giving Account using a new browser or window.
You may be subject to the Amazon Insider Trading Policy when contributing Amazon shares to Fidelity Charitable. Please review the policy FAQs on Inside Amazon prior to contributing shares, including the preclearance and window period requirements if applicable to you.
Step 1: In order to process your contribution as efficiently as possible, please first notify Fidelity Charitable that you’ll be making a contribution. If you need assistance with this section, please call Fidelity Charitable at 800-262-6039.
Step 2: Contact your financial institution to transfer the shares to Fidelity Charitable.
Once the shares have been received, Fidelity Charitable will sell the shares and allocate the proceeds using the investment preferences you select for your Giving Account.
A contribution of stock will generally reflect as settled in your Giving Account on the third business day from the trade date; at that time, you will receive a notification from Fidelity Charitable. This means you’re able to start recommending grants to your favorite causes!
Please refer to Fidelity Charitable’s Program Guidelines for additional information on how Fidelity Charitable processes charitable contributions.
Fidelity Charitable will accept contributions from your personal savings or checking accounts with any U.S. bank. Your Social Security number should match the corresponding Social Security number on your bank account. Please follow these steps to set up electronic funds transfer contributions from your bank account.
Fidelity Charitable has a Donor Help Center to answer common questions about using the Giving Account. Additionally, the Fidelity Charitable website is a great resource. If you'd like to speak with a charitable representative, please call Fidelity Charitable at 1-800-262-6039.
For Amazon benefit questions, access My HR for more information on donor-advised funds. You can also start a live chat or phone call via My HR to speak to a representative.
Opening a Giving Account is fast and easy, and there’s no minimum initial contribution. For Amazon employees, it’s never been easier to get started with a more effective giving journey.
*By using this benefit offered by Amazon, you understand and agree that Fidelity Charitable may verify your employment status by confirming personal information provided by Amazon to Fidelity Investments.
Questions? Call us at 1-800-262-6039.
Resources
Inspiration to fuel your giving
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