Tax deadlines tend to bring charitable giving into sharper focus. You may have finalized contributions, gathered documentation, or had conversations with your CPA about how your philanthropy fits into your overall financial plan.
After the deadline has passed, it’s tempting to move on. But the weeks immediately following filing your tax return are a great time to take a step back and reflect – when the details are fresh. This is especially important in 2026, because so many tax laws have changed.
Here are some tips for the 2026 tax year and beyond.
Give appreciated assets instead of cash
Instead of giving cash, it’s a smart move to give appreciated assets – such as stocks, mutual funds, real estate, or closely held business interests – directly to your fund at The Community Foundation or to another qualified charity. You may be able to avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation and deduct the full fair market value, if you itemize.
“Bunch” to surpass the standard deduction
The standard deduction was increased under 2017 changes to the tax laws and has stayed high ever since. As a result, savvy donors often “bunch” multiple years of donations into a single tax year to exceed the standard deduction and claim a tax deduction for that year. Donor advised funds are handy tools for taking advantage of this strategy to maximize your charitable giving and provide regular grants to the charities of your choice.
Make IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), if you’re eligible. Taxpayers 70½ or older can directly donate to charity from their IRAs, which can help satisfy RMD obligations without increasing their taxable income. (Currently, QCDs can fund other types of funds at The Community Foundation, but not donor advised funds.)
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