Year-end always feels like a sprint. Donors are busy wrapping up the year, inboxes are overflowing, and your team is doing everything possible to make the most of the giving season.
But amid the rush, there’s still time to help your supporters make a real impact, and even save a little on their taxes while they do it!
The truth is, many gifts in December are made in the final stretch. In fact, roughly 10% of all charitable giving for the entire year happens in the last three days. And although those donors definitely want to help your cause, they are likely making those gifts to lock in tax benefits for the year.
That means every message you send, every story you share, and every opportunity you highlight between now and December 31 can make a difference.
So while there’s not much time left on the clock, there is time to be strategic. Here are three smart giving moves your donors can still make before the end of the year, and how your nonprofit can help them do it.
#1. Consider Giving Appreciated Assets
For donors who hold investments that have grown in value (such as stocks, mutual funds, or ETFs), giving those assets directly to the organization can be one of the most tax-efficient ways to give.
When donors sell investments and then donate the proceeds, they may trigger capital gains tax. But when they give the asset itself, they can often avoid those capital gains altogether and take a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the gift. That means more support for your mission and less going to taxes.
These gifts tend to be most effective when donors have held their investments for at least a year. Year-end is an ideal time to bring this up. Many donors (and their financial advisors) are reviewing their portfolios to find ways to optimize for taxes, and this is a way to make an impact before December 31. There is a reason that 10% of all charitable giving for the year happens in the last three days of the calendar year!
How to Incorporate Stock Gifts Into Your Fundraising
Make it easy for donors to take this step by including clear information about stock gifts on your website. A short “Ways to Give” section or dedicated stock donation page with contact information and next steps is vital to show donors that you can make it easy to give these types of gifts.
You don’t have to overhaul your year-end messaging to put stock gifts on your donors’ radar. A few subtle mentions can go a long way in reminding supporters that there are more ways to give than cash.
Here are a few easy ways to weave it in:
- On your website: Add a short section about stock gifts to your Ways to Give page with a “Contact us to learn more” link or simple form.
- In your appeals: Include a brief mention in a P.S. or footer line.
Example: “P.S. Did you know you can often make a bigger impact by donating appreciated stock? Contact us to learn how simple it is.”
- In your stories: Highlight that a recent project or program was made possible thanks to a stock gift.
Example: “Thanks to a generous donor who gave shares of appreciated stock, we were able to expand our outreach program this year.”
These small touches normalize noncash giving and invite donors to think creatively about how they can contribute.
To go more in depth and to learn how to identify the right donors, communicate the benefits, and confidently accept gifts of stock, watch our free, on-demand webinar, Unlocking Stock Gifts: A Toolkit for Nonprofits.
#2. Help Retirees Use Their IRA to Give
Giving directly from an IRA can be a powerful and tax-efficient ways to support the causes they care about. These gifts, known as Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), allow donors to transfer funds straight from their IRA to a qualified charity without counting that amount as taxable income.
Because these gifts can also count toward the donor’s Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), they’re especially valuable for people who are at least 73 years old and don’t need their full distribution for living expenses. Instead of increasing taxable income, in most cases, donors can satisfy their RMD and make an immediate impact.
This makes QCDs particularly appealing to donors who no longer itemize deductions, since they still receive a meaningful tax benefit even when taking the standard deduction.
Tip: Donors must initiate the transfer through their IRA custodian for the gift to qualify as a QCD. Funds can’t be withdrawn and then reissued to the nonprofit. Remind them that gifts need to clear by December 31 to count toward that tax year.
How to Incorporate IRA Gifts Into Your Fundraising
Many of your most loyal donors may not know they can give this way, so visibility and timing matter. You don’t need a separate campaign; just a few strategic mentions can help ensure your supporters and their advisors are aware of the option.
Here are a few ways to do it:
- Segment your outreach: If your CRM includes donor birth dates or age ranges, create a segment of donors aged 70+ and send a short, targeted email or letter about QCDs. You can use our QCD Appeal Letter Template to make it easy.
- Host an educational moment: Include QCDs as a topic in a donor newsletter, financial planning workshop, or brief video. Position it as “another way to give” rather than a technical tax concept.
- Update your website: Add a short section about IRA gifts to your Ways to Give page, with a simple “Contact us to learn more” form. Make sure your development or finance contact is clear for follow-up. Some custodians will mail checks directly to you, so make sure a mailing address is clearly listed.
#3. Bundle or Time Gifts for Tax Impact
Timing matters when it comes to charitable giving. For donors who itemize deductions, or who are right on the edge of the standard deduction, deduction stacking (or “bunching” gifts) can be a simple way to make their generosity go further.
Bunching your gifts means combining multiple years’ worth of charitable donations into one tax year so the total exceeds the standard deduction. In the following year, the donor takes the standard deduction again.
What is Changing: SALT Deductions
With the recent tax bill raising the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions from $10,000 to $40,000, a new planning opportunity has opened for high-net-worth individuals and couples. For nearly a decade, many households found themselves unable to benefit meaningfully from itemized deductions. The high standard deduction meant charitable gifts often provided no additional tax benefit. But now, deduction stacking has entered the conversation as a way to maximize both your generosity and your tax efficiency.
For 2025, the standard deduction for a married couple filing jointly is $31,500. Unless your itemized deductions exceed that amount, your charitable gifts don’t create any additional tax benefit. While the new law allows for ‘below the line’ deduction of up to $2k for non-itemizers filing jointly, it falls short of the charitable goals for many families.
Before the SALT cap was raised, many households hit a ceiling: property taxes plus state income and local taxes deductibility was capped to $10,000. That meant one had to find an additional $21,500 in itemized deductions before their charitable contributions even started to count.
Now, with the cap increased to $40,000, many high-earning households, especially in higher-tax states, finally have a chance to break through the standard deduction threshold.
The Mechanics of Deduction Stacking
Here’s where deduction stacking makes a real difference:
- Annual giving example: Suppose a household earning $250,000 gives $10,000 annually to charity. With the SALT deductions (property, state and local taxes), adding up to $25,000, the total deductions after charity are barely above the standard deduction limit. That $10,000 charitable gift ends up being a missed opportunity in this household.
- Stacked giving example: Instead of giving $10,000 every year, the household gives $30,000 once every three years. Adding that lump-sum gift to their SALT deductions pushes them far above the standard deduction. At a 30% plus marginal tax rate, the $30,000 charitable gift generates nearly a $10,000 tax benefit, something they’d miss entirely by spreading the donations annually.
In short, by timing and consolidating charitable contributions, families can unlock deductions that might otherwise go unused. This naturally raises the question of who can benefit the most from putting this approach into practice.
Donor-Advised Fund: Another Potential Stacking Opportunity
You don’t need to be a tax expert to help donors think more strategically about when and how they give. Simple awareness cues and stories can help donors connect timing to impact.
During year-end discussions with your major donors, remind them that some donors choose to make a larger gift before December 31 to take advantage of current tax conditions. You don’t have to mention the tax details, just note that “timing can sometimes help them give more effectively.” And encourage them to talk with their financial or tax advisor.
Want to know how upcoming tax changes could impact these giving strategies?
Join us on Wednesday, November 19 at 1:00 PM ET for our webinar, The One Big Beautiful Bill: What’s Changing for Charitable Giving in 2026 (and What to Do Before December 31).
You’ll learn what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and how to help donors make the smartest giving decisions this year AND next! Reserve your spot here.
Help Donors Make the Most of Year-End Giving
As the calendar year winds down, there’s still time for donors to make meaningful gifts that also make smart financial sense. By helping them explore options like stock donations, IRA gifts, and timing strategies such as bunching or donor-advised funds, you’re giving them more ways to give. Ways that align generosity with tax efficiency.
Each of these approaches can be tailored to a donor’s situation, but they all share one common theme: they create opportunities for donors to make a bigger impact without increasing their out-of-pocket cost. When you equip your supporters with that knowledge, you strengthen trust and inspire long-term loyalty.
If you want to stay ahead of what’s changing next year, join us for our upcoming webinar:
Wednesday, November 19 at 1:00 PM ET
We’ll cover how upcoming tax changes could affect your donors’ giving strategies next year, and how to help them make the smartest moves before the end of this year.
Register for the Webinar Now
