Thursday July 10, 2025
Private Letter Ruling
Foundation's Set-Aside Approved
Foundation is tax-exempt under Sec. 501(c)(3) and a private foundation under Sec. 509(a). Foundation’s original certificate of incorporation listed its purposes as a home for needy women, maintenance of a public park and constructing a center within the city. Foundation requested approval to set aside funds in connection with constructing a sports and activity center. The facility will function as an indoor park and host youth activities and sports as well as community functions. Foundation requests the approval of a set-aside rather than immediate payment of funds due to considerable pre-construction planning that will be required. Furthermore, Foundation expects that site development, contractor selection, design and construction will take up to two years. Foundation requests the approval of a set-aside and expects distributions will be completed no later than 60 months from the date of the first set-aside.
Under Sec. 4942(g)(2)(A), an amount set aside for a specific project may be a qualifying distribution if it meets the requirements of Sec. 4942(g)(2)(B). Section 4942(g)(2)(B)(i) allows for a set-aside if the organization establishes that the amount will be paid within five years, and the project can be better accomplished using the set-aside than by an immediate payment. Under Reg. 53.4942(a)-3(b)(2), projects that require long-term expenditures requiring more than one year’s income may be better accomplished using a set-aside. Here, the Service determined that Foundation’s set-aside is approved under Sec. 4942(g)(2).
PLR 202519012 Foundation’s Set-Aside Approved
5/9/2025 (2/13/2025)
Dear * * *:
Why you are receiving this letter
We received your October 2, 2023 request for approval of a set-aside under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 4942(g)(2). Based on the information furnished, your request is approved.
You are recognized as tax-exempt under IRC Section 501(c)(3) and as a private foundation under IRC Section 509(a).
What you need to do
Document your approved set-aside(s) in your records as pledges or obligations. You must pay the set-aside amounts within 60 months after the date of the first set-aside, as required under IRC Section 4942(g)(2).
Take into account the amounts set aside when determining your minimum investment return under IRC Section 4942(e)(1)(A) and the income attributable to your set-asides when computing your adjusted net income under IRC Section 4942(f).
Description of set-aside request
Your purpose of requesting a set-aside is to construct a sports and activity center.
You are requesting q for the fiscal year M, and an additional set aside of r for the fiscal year N.
Your project can be better accomplished by the set-aside rather than immediate payment of funds, because of considerable pre-constructing planning. Additionally, site development, contractor selection, design and construction are expected to take up to two years.
Your original certificate of incorporation included a home for needy women and maintenance of a public park for the residence of Y. If there is an availability of remaining resources, you plan on constructing a Z in Y. This space will be operated on a not-for-profit basis for the benefit of the community. It is anticipated to host youth activities and sports as well as community functions. It will function as an indoor park.
Your amounts to be set aside will be paid within the specified period of time that ends not more than 60 months after the date of the first set-aside.
Basis for our determination
IRC Section 4942(g)(2)(A) states that an amount set aside for a specific project, which includes one or more purposes described in IRC Section 170(c)(2)(8), may be treated as a qualifying distribution if it meets the requirements of IRC Section 4942(g)(2)(B).
IRC Section 4942(g)(2)(B) states that an amount set aside for a specific project will meet the requirements of this subparagraph if, at the time of the set-aside, the foundation establishes that the amount will be paid within five years and either clause (i) or (ii) are satisfied.
IRC Section 4942(g)(2)(B)(i) is satisfied if, at the time of the set-aside, the private foundation establishes that the project can better be accomplished using the set-aside than by making an immediate payment.
Treasury Regulation (Treas. Reg.) Section 53.4942(a)-3(b)(1) provides that a private foundation may establish a project as better accomplished by a set-aside than by immediate payment if the set-aside satisfies the suitability test described in Treas. Reg. Section 53.4942(a)-3(b)(2).
Treas. Reg. Section 53.4942(a)-3(b)(2) provides that specific projects better accomplished using a set-aside include, but are not limited to, projects where relatively long-term expenditures must be made requiring more than one year's income to assure their continuity.
In Revenue Ruling 74-450, 1974-2 C.B. 388, an operating foundation converted a portion of newly acquired land into a public park under a four-year construction contract. The construction contract payments were to be made mainly during the final two years. This constituted a "specific project." The foundation's set-aside of all its excess earnings for four years was treated as a qualifying distribution under IRC Section 4942(g)(2).
Additional information
This determination is directed only to the organization that requested it. IRC Section 6110(k)(3) provides that it may not be used or cited as a precedent.
Visit www.irs.gov/setasides for more information.
We'll make this determination letter available for public inspection after deleting personally identifiable information, as required by IRC Section 6110. Enclosed are Letter 437, Notice of Intention to Disclose — Rulings, and a copy of the letter that shows our proposed deletions.
- If you disagree with our proposed deletions, follow the instructions in the Letter 437 on how to notify us.
- If you agree with our deletions, you don't need to take any further action.
Keep a copy of this letter for your records.
If you have questions, you can call the contact the person shown above.
Sincerely,
Stephen A. Martin
Director, Exempt Organizations
Rulings and Agreements
Enclosures:
Redacted Letter 4797
Letter 437
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