The Greater Good – November 13, 2025 Issue Continued

Maximize Your Charitable Deduction Before 2026!

Continued from the 11.13.25 issue of The Greater Good

Questions to Consider for 2025

• High-Income Donors: Are you planning to make any major gifts or contributions to nonprofits or a donor advised fund? It may be to your benefit to do so before year-end.

• Recurring Donors: Do you give often or to many organizations on an annual basis? Consider “bunching” multiple gifts into one to your Donor Advised Fund to maximize your tax deduction in 2025.

• Seniors 65+: How could you use the new $6,000 additional deduction for 2025 to reduce your taxable income while supporting a charitable organization you care about?

Questions to Consider for 2026

• Do your total deductions exceed the standard deduction?  If not, you may be able to take advantage of the new $1,000–$2,000 deduction available to all taxpayers for direct charitable contributions beginning in 2026.

• Do you itemize?  How will the new 0.5% giving floor affect your charitable planning? It might make sense to donate to your Donor Advised Fund before the end of 2025 as well as to begin considering your best strategies beginning in 2026.
• Other Asset-Types: Have you explored non-cash giving strategies—such as gifts of appreciated assets like stocks and bonds and complex gifts like real estate, life insurance, and closely held LLC shares—that could provide greater long-term impact as well as greater tax advantages?  Donating appreciated assets can help you reduce capital gains taxes on the amount the asset has grown in value.