You Can Help

With a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), you can take an immediate tax deduction for contributions while waiting to decide how and when to make your gift. The funds in a DAF can grow tax-free while the decision is being contemplated. 

Anyone age 70½ or older can opt to make gifts from their IRA via qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). These gifts can be made from a traditional or Roth IRA, and count toward required minimum distributions (RMDs). In 2025, the annual maximum QCD total is $108,000.  

This can be a great option for donors with highly appreciated, low-basis holdings. You receive the tax benefit of the charitable gift based upon the market value of the shares at the time the gift is made. The gift is not subject to the capital gains taxes they would incur if the security were sold outright. 

Bequests: A bequest is a gift made through a will or trust after the death of a donor. This type of gift is a simple and flexible way for individuals to support the charities they care about with a legacy. These are the most popular planned gift, making up 68% of all planned gifts. 

Charitable Trusts: Charitable trusts are flexible, customized arrangements in which a donor can direct how their assets are to be used by the charity, both during a donor’s lifetime and after their death. 

Life Insurance: Donors can also use life insurance policies to make a planned gift. This can be done by assigning the charity as the owner and beneficiary of the policy, or by naming the charity as the beneficiary in a policy that the donor retains ownership of.

Retirement Plan Assets: Donors can name a charity as the beneficiary of their retirement plan assets, such as an IRA or 401(k). This can be a tax-efficient way to make a planned gift, as the charity receives the assets tax-free, and the donor’s estate can benefit from a charitable deduction.