Ways to Give

Cash is the easiest way to contribute, whether by check, credit card, or actual cash. Donors who make gifts of cash are eligible for a charitable deduction in the year the gift was made. Our giving portal allows you to give through ACH, credit card, Apple or Google Pay, Venmo, or PayPal. You can direct your gift to specific programs or to the shelter’s greatest need, allowing us to use the dollars for the most immediate needs. 

Donate here

Checks can be made payable to the Animal Rescue League of Berks County and can be mailed to:

The Animal Rescue League of Berks County, Inc.

58 Kennel Road

Birdsboro, PA 19508

Consistent dependable income is critical in animal welfare, especially during our high-volume summer months when funds are low and animal populations are high. You can donate monthly to ensure the ARL has the funds it needs every month. Learn more here.

Whether memorializing a loved one or celebrating a special achievement, birthday, holiday, anniversary, or other occasions, a gift given in honor or in memory of someone offers them or their family a unique way to let them know how much you care. Learn more about how we recognize and report to those named in your donation here.

Publicly traded stocks may be donated to the Animal Rescue League as a charitable gift. Donors are eligible for a tax deduction for the fair market value of the appreciated stock. By donating appreciated stock to the Animal Rescue League of Berks County, you can avoid capital gains taxes that would otherwise occur at the sale of the stock. Contact us for more information at scole@berksarl.org

Donating a gift of cryptocurrency to the ARL is an easy way to make a difference in your community, impacting today and transforming tomorrow.

Donating cryptocurrency is a non-taxable event, meaning you do not owe capital gains tax on the appreciated amount and can deduct it from your taxes. This makes Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency donations one of the most tax-efficient ways to support your favorite cause.

You can make your cryptocurrency donation by visiting our 3rd party partner site here: https://www.cryptoforcharity.io/. Your donation will get converted to cash that the ARL can accept and use for animals in need. Simply visit the site, search “Animal Rescue League of Berks County”, and enter in the required information. The ARL will receive the donated funds within 30 days.

A bequest is the most common form of planned giving. By including a charitable contribution in your will, you are able to make a gift that is simple, and in many cases larger than you could make during your lifetime. A bequest can take the form of a specific item (such as a home) or a specific amount of money, or may serve as a “residual bequest,” where the remainder of your assets become a gift after all other specific bequests have been paid out. Gifts made to charity by bequest are deducted from the donor’s federal estate tax. Adding a charitable bequest to an existing will does not require rewriting your entire will. Charitable bequests may be added through an amendment to an existing will, known as a “codicil.”

Don’t have a will yet? The ARL has partnered with FreeWill to help you update or start your estate plan today. Click below to learn more about including the ARL in your estate plan or get started today by creating your own legal and safe will today, at no cost to you.

Learn more about all of our planned giving options here.

You can use assets held in an individual retirement account (IRA), 401(k), 403(b), or similar account to donate to the ARL. Retirement accounts, while very attractive from a tax standpoint during lifetime, are the most heavily taxed assets in an estate at death. To make a gift using retirement assets, you need to fill out a form with your retirement plan administrator designating the ARL as the new beneficiary. There is no cost, and the beneficiary can be changed at any time.

You may make a deferred gift of life insurance to the ARL in several ways. For example, you may make a gift of a life insurance policy by irrevocably designating the ARL as the owner and beneficiary of the policy. Alternately, you may designate the ARL as a percentage beneficiary of a life insurance policy you own.

When the ARL is named the owner and beneficiary of a policy, it will retain the original policy in its offices. For policies in which premiums are still being paid, donors have the option of either paying the premium directly or making a contribution to the ARL in the amount of the premium well in advance of the due date.

Each method has different tax consequences, and the donor should determine the best method for payment in consultation with his/her financial advisor.

Charitable Remainder Trusts allow you to transfer assets to a trust, take an immediate tax deduction and receive an income for your lifetime. The size of the deduction varies with the age of the income beneficiaries.

Charitable Remainder Trusts are used to guarantee a retirement income while making a significant charitable gift. They usually require a minimum of $100,000 in initial contribution, though many banks have higher minimums if they are serving as a trustee. The donor may serve as the trustee of the trust, though for most people, a bank trust department or other corporate trustee is the best choice.

Residential property, commercial or industrial sites, and undeveloped land are attractive assets for charitable giving. The ARL can accept a piece of real estate, or a partial interest in a piece of real estate to the ARL under the following guidelines.

• All gifts of real estate must receive prior approval from the ARL’s Board of Directors;
• No gift of real estate shall be accepted without first being appraised by a party chosen by the ARL that shall have no business or other relationship to the donor.
• Real estate shall not be accepted to fund a charitable gift annuity without seeking an opinion as to the permissibility of this action under the laws of the state(s) or province(s) involved and approval by the gift acceptance committee.
• Special attention will be given to the receipt of real estate encumbered by a mortgage, as the ownership of such property may give rise to unrelated business income for ARL and disqualification of certain split-interest gifts unless handled in a proper manner.

Virtually anything of value can be donated to charity. Boats, cars, artwork, etc. have been used to establish philanthropic legacies. There are special rules that apply to the donation of personal property, and you should discuss your plans with the ARL ahead of time to ensure we can accept your gift.

Donors can support any one of our programs directly or choose to restrict their gifts to broader areas such as cats or dogs specifically. Some of the most common funds donors enjoy supporting at the ARL are as follows:

• Patriotic Paws –  A program that provides veterans in Berks County a loving shelter pet at no cost to the veteran. 
• Jack and Noel’s Fund –  A program that funds life-saving medical procedures to shelter pets with extraordinary needs.
• Bogey’s Academy for Behavior Dogs  – A program that provides dog training vouchers to new adopters and families who may be thinking of surrendering their dogs.

• Contact us to discuss your specific area of interest at scole@berksarl.org.

The needs of each donor are different, and these are only a few of the many ways that you can give to the animals in the ARL’s care. For more information, please contact Chief Development Officer, Stacey Cole, at scole@berksarl.org or 610-621-4020

Redner’s Receipts – Local grocery store chain Redner’s Markets gives 1% back to charities through their Save-A-Tape program. Shoppers who use their Redners Rewards card will receive receipts that show a Save-A-Tape total at the bottom. All receipts can be turned over to the ARL which will be redeemed by the organization for cash! Please note, receipts must not be older than 3 years from the current date and may not be cut or highlighted. Receipts can be dropped off at the ARL anytime.

Community Aid – Through a partnership between the ARL and Community Aid, ARL’s supporters can donate directly to Community Aid on our behalf, and based on the weight of those donations, we get quarterly monetary support! Learn more about how to support ARL through Community Aid.