Our Mission is to help individuals with autism and their families experience more joy and achieve meaningful life outcomes.
Ways To Give
NEW! For Autism Acceptance Month, we’re partnering with the community “Side by Side” to raise funds for SGCA! Learn more here.
Without our donors’ support, we would not be able to continue changing the lives of individuals faced with autism in Western North Carolina. Your donation will be used to help those in need and continue the work done here at SGH.
St. Gerard Center for Autism (formally St. Gerard House) is dedicated to financial transparency. View our 2024 990 Form for a complete picture of our financial standing.
St. Gerard boasts a 96% Charity Navigator Score.
St. Gerard Center for Autism is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 45-0948760 and is currently registered in the state of North Carolina and South Carolina.
New! Supporter Levels
All pledges and donations to SGCA are transitioning to new supporter levels that helps give more opportunities to donors at all levels, while honoring commitments and gifts from the past!
We’re beyond grateful for all of the continued support of the Hendersonville Community and beyond, and our new levels create engagement opportunities in person and online, so that each supporter for St. Gerard Center for Autism feels what they truly are; a part of our team!
Dollars that transform into life changing care
In our commitment to partner fully “side by side” with our supporters in the local Hendersonville community and beyond, here are the ways that donated funds are utilized to continue our work in supporting individuals and families on their journey with autism in Western North Carolina:
- “Feed The Need” our Adult Day Program for teenagers and young adults with autism and similar developmental disabilities
- Materials and equipment that help SGCA continue to provide a nurturing environment for clients with varying sensory sensitivities and needs
- Staff Development and Continuing Education for our BCBA’s, RBT’s, and Administrative Staff (this includes professional conference fees for our professional therapists to learn from experts in the field and bring back new and evidence based strategies to help our clients succeed)
- Onboarding and training that strives for excellence in comprehensive ABA therapy
- Family Group Night, a free community outreach event held monthly in Hendersonville (and soon in Brevard!) that provides a healthy family meal, supportive care for children and adults with disabilities, and a time of social, emotional and educational support for parents and caregivers leading their families on their journey with autism
- Community Advocacy for the Autistic Community – Participation in group discussions in Western North Carolina to ensure the community on the autism spectrum is included and prioritized
- Community Partnerships – Partnerships with IAM, Salvation Army, Thrive, Smart Start Henderson County & Transylvania County, and more!
Online Giving
The easiest way to support SGCA is by giving online! You can donate once, request an invoice if you’d like to set up a pledge, or set up a recurring plan!
Recurring plans can be set up to run:
- Weekly
- Every Other Week
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Monthly
Bequest | Planned Giving
A general bequest is a great way to make a legacy gift to St. Gerard Center for Autism. You can leave a percentage of your estate or a specified dollar amount using the suggested language as follows. Please discuss this with your tax professional and/or legal counsel.
I give __ percent of the residue of my estate to St. Gerard Center House DBA St. Gerard Center for Autism, EIN 45-0948760, a charitable corporation located in Hendersonville, North Carolina, for its general charitable purposes.
or
I give the sum of $__ to St. Gerard House DBA St. Gerard Center for Autism, EIN 45-0948760, a charitable corporation located in Hendersonville, North Carolina, for its general charitable purposes.
Stocks & Bonds
St. Gerard Center for Autism is grateful for the donation of stocks and bonds. To facilitate stock transfers, we work with the Community Foundation of Henderson County. The following information can be shared with your stock brokerage firm to transfer stock or mutual funds to SGH.
- Account Holder: Community Foundation of Henderson County
- Broker: Charles Schwab
- Acct#: 24520753
- DTC#: 0164 code 40
Please also contact our Development Team at development@stgerardhouse.org to inform us of your donation.
If you would like to work with our team to initiate a transfer, please provide the following information when you reach out: name, mailing address, email, phone number, number of shares, type of stock, and transfer date.
IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)
You can give any amount (up to a maximum of $108,000) per year from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) directly to a qualified charity, such as St. Gerard Center for Autism, without having to pay income taxes on those funds. This popular gift option is called a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), but it’s also referred to as an an IRA Charitable Rollover.
These distributions may help satisfy an individual’s required minimum distribution (RMD) for that year. A QCD offers an exclusion from taxable income rather than a deduction, so this strategy is not limited to taxpayers who itemize their deductions. As a result, it may be used by non-itemizing donors who do not ordinarily receive any tax benefit for their charitable gifts.
To benefit from this gift opportunity, the following qualifications (among others) must be met:
- The donor must be age 70 ½ or older at the time of transfer.
- The 2025 annual limit for QCDs is $108,000 per individual, or $216,000 for married couples filing jointly.
- This limit is indexed for inflation starting in 2024, with no minimum amount required.
- The gift must be transferred directly from the IRA account by the IRA administrator to St. Gerard House DBA St. Gerard Center for Autism.
- Donors with check-writing ability for their IRAs may use this feature to complete their gift.
Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)
Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) are minimum amounts that IRA and retirement plan account owners generally must withdraw annually. The SECURE 1.0 & 2.0 Acts raised the age the you must begin taking RMDs from age 70 ½, to age 72 with SECURE 1.0, to age 73 with SECURE 2.0 (73 if you reach age 72 after Dec. 31, 2022). While IRA owners may still make tax-free QCDs beginning at age 70 ½, the QCDs will not also help satisfy their RMDs until they turn 72 (73 if you reach age 72 after Dec. 31, 2022) and are required to take RMDs. In addition, donors must now reduce their QCDs by the amount of any deductible contributions they make to their IRAs after age 70 ½.
Why Consider This Gift?
- Your gift will be put to use today, allowing you to see the difference your donation is making.
- Beginning in the year you turn 73, you can use your gift to satisfy all or part of your required minimum distribution (RMD).
- You pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your deductions.
- Since the gift does not count as income, it can reduce your annual income level. This may help lower your Medicare premiums and decrease the amount of Social Security that is subject to tax.
You can use tax-free IRA QCDs to make an outright charitable gift
- Making an unrestricted gift to St. Gerard Center for Autism
- To honor or recognize a friend or loved one
Tip
It is important to let us know of your gift because many retirement plan administrators assume no obligation to notify a charity of your designation. The administrator also will not monitor whether your gift designations are followed. We would love to talk to you about your intentions to ensure that they are followed. Thank you for your support!
At Any Age
No matter your age, you can designate St. Gerard Center for Autism as the beneficiary of all or a percentage of your IRA, and it will pass to us tax-free after your lifetime. The process is simple and only requires you to contact your IRA administrator for a change-of-beneficiary form; or, you can download a form from your provider’s website.
