A new online calculator is available to facilitate working out the potential value of a planned gift in relation to the donor’s assets and income, hopefully designed to demonstrate to an individual that s/he is more able to be generous than s/he thought was possible.

"If a donor likes a charity, but can’t see a financial benefit to donating to it, or thinks s/he can’t afford it, s/he’ll defer a decision or make a negative one," contends Bill Petruck, President of FUNDINGmatters. "Also, we always find, in talking to donors, that they defer to their financial planner. Using the Giftabulator, they and their planner – and a fundraiser for the charity – can work out the implications of various ‘what if’ steps together."

The tabulator, claims the web site, enables the user to estimate an affordable charitable donation, granted the donor’s actual Annual Gross Income/Earned Assets mix, putting safety of the donor’s principal as a high priority but showing how to recognize surplus money and suggest it might be used for philanthropy.

The system can build in variables for percentage inflation and percentage return, calculate annual and multi-year pledge totals, break out the tax credit annually and multi-year, and break out the cost of the gift annually and multi-year.

Philosophy behind development of the instrument is to develop the ideal income/asset mix, based on tax avoidance, culture and vision fit, resources, and involvement and interest. This, contends the company, leads to a sum-of-the-parts effect – it increases giving while decreasing tax, leverages other giving, and increases giving while increasing the asset base.

Individuals need sophisticated advice and strategic guidance to capitalize on opportunities to preserve, grow and transfer their wealth; Wealthy families desire to simplify the management of multigenerational needs and lessen the profound emotional impact of wealth on family members; and the software can provide comprehensive, integrated wealth management strategies to address wealth management issues. The web site provides an example of "Jack Jackson" who has assets of $6 million, annual income of $200,000 and annual expenditures of $170,000, who wants to give 1% of his assets and 1% of his income to charity. It shows his annual gift, pledge years, total gift, total tax credit, and total actual cost.

The tool is being licenced to charities, lawyers, and accountants or other financial advisors for unlimited use for a $1,000 annual fee. Individuals can sign up for a limited free trial, inputting their own information and checking out the results.

For further information: William Petruck, President, FUNDINGmatters Inc., 416/249-0788, wpetruck@fundingmatters.com, www.fundingmatters.com, www.giftabulator.com.