A charitable gift which appears to be non-tax motivated

The Salwen family of Atlanta, Georgia have decided to make a significant charitable gift.  What is unusual is method of making that gift and the motivation behind it.

According to Rusty Dornin, Sale of 1 house will help 30 villages, CNN.com, July 2, 2008, the Salwens are going to sell their 1912 historic mansion with over 6,500 square feet of living space and donate half of the proceeds to charity which are estimated to be $800,000.

Rather than taking this step for tax reasons, the Salwens are doing so after the family discussed that they needed to do something to show that people do not need as much as they think they need. 

Once the house sells, which may take a long time considering today’s housing market, the money will flow through The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta for the eventual benefit of villages in Ghana.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Attorney at law, Florida Probate Attorney Wills and Estates Law Firm) for bringing this development to my attention.