Tis the Season: Three Tips for Year-End Giving
Written by: Diana Coyle, CICF Director of Nonprofit Services and Sustainability
As your donors gear up for the giving season, it’s more important than ever to stay in front of them with clear, simple messages about how they can support both your annual campaigns and your long-term reserves—especially with major charitable deduction changes taking effect in 2026.
Here are three key reminders that remain surprisingly overlooked, even among longtime donors.
Promote gifts of appreciated stock
Donating long-term appreciated securities continues to be one of the most tax-efficient ways for donors to support your organization because it eliminates capital gains tax while allowing a deduction at fair market value. Donors often default to writing a check, missing out on significant tax savings—and this is important particularly after strong market performance in 2025 in many stock positions. As always, the CICF Collaborative, which includes Central Indiana Community Foundation, Hamilton County Community Foundation, IMPACT Central Indiana, the Indianapolis Foundation, and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana can help facilitate gifts of appreciated stock to your endowment or operating fund with us to ensure donors achieve maximum benefit before next year’s less favorable rules take effect for donors who itemize deductions.
Keep emphasizing Qualified Charitable Distributions
Even though QCDs have been around for years, many eligible donors remain unaware of them or confused about how they work. Your year-end outreach should include a clear reminder to donors age 70½ and older that they can make up to $108,000 in QCDs for 2025. With the new AGI floor and deduction cap taking effect in 2026, QCDs will become even more valuable because they bypass itemized deduction limits altogether. Encourage donors to consult their tax advisors.
Encourage donors to watch the calendar
Certain gifts—including QCDs and transfers of appreciated stock—require multiple processing steps and cannot be executed at the last minute. While of course your team moves quickly, and you also can lean on our team at CICF Collaborative for help, it’s best to allow several business days to ensure everything is completed properly. Remind donors that checks must be postmarked or hand-delivered by December 31, and marketable securities must fully transfer by year-end.
We look forward to working closely with you and your colleagues to help your donors finish 2025 strong and position themselves wisely ahead of the 2026 tax law changes.
About the CICF Collaborative
CICF Collaborative is a partnership of philanthropic organizations working together to strengthen communities across the region. Each entity within the CICF Collaborative (including the cornerstone entities, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Hamilton County Community Foundation, IMPACT Central Indiana, the Indianapolis Foundation, and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana) brings deep knowledge, strong relationships, and its own individual, focused mission. The CICF Collaborative unites the entities by providing shared services, allowing the entities to operate more efficiently and effectively. By leveraging what we each do best, we’re able to better serve our communities and create more lasting impact, together. Learn more »
About the Author
Diana Coyle, director of nonprofit services and sustainability, is dedicated to helping Central Indiana nonprofits access the tools, knowledge, and relationships they need to thrive. In collaboration with her CICF colleagues, she supports CICF fundholders offering professional development, resources, and technical assistance that strengthen organizations and their leaders. With more than 15 years of experience in leadership and community engagement, she is committed to fostering connections that amplify the missions of nonprofits and create lasting impact across the region.