Tom Bayer, CPA, is Principal at Sikich and a member of the Hamilton County Community Foundation Board of Directors. Raised in Illinois farm country, Tom has more than three decades of tax and accounting experience for businesses in agriculture, construction, healthcare, and beyond. 

We asked Tom Bayer to provide some tips for HCCF donors and fundholders as we make our way through the year-end giving season and into 2026.  

While recognizing that nobody gives strictly for the tax benefit, maximizing benefits often leads to maximizing your charitable contributions and your impact. So, whether you’re a high-net itemizer or first-time donor, a corporate leader or head of a corporate foundation, a snowbird retiree or an emerging young philanthropist, Tom has provided some general advice for you to put the new tax law and a changing philanthropic environment to your – and your community’s – advantage.  

Individual donors 

1) “Bunch” gifts and use a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) as your charitable savings account.
If you’re close to the standard-deduction threshold, consider bunching two to three years of giving into one tax year. Opening a DAF at HCCF is perfect for this: contribute in one year, then recommend grants in subsequent years. 

2) Consider appreciated, illiquid assets.
Highly appreciated stock, real estate, or other complex assets can create outsized benefits when you donate them; you avoid capital gains and still secure a deduction. HCCF is perfectly positioned to relieve you of the “complexity” of these gifts. Often, the best contribution is one that doesn’t throw off cashflow for you but still generates a deduction. 

3) In 2026, consider new above-the-line charitable deductions for non-itemized, cash donations.
July’s federal omnibus bill (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) introduced an “above-the-line” charitable write-off: $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for married filing jointly. As a result, you can take this benefit even if you don’t itemize. It applies only to cash gifts and excludes contributions to DAFs. It’s modest, but it’s a good incentive for non-itemizers, especially emerging donors. 

Corporate philanthropy and corporate foundations 

1) Eyes on 2026: mind the new floor and ceiling.
Next year, corporations face a new 1% floor for charitable deductions and preservation of a 10% ceiling (with carryforwards). The floor is a new requirement, so plan now to make sure the timing of your giving strategy preserves deductibility.  

2) Pre-fund a corporate DAF in strong years.
If 2025 is a strong revenue year, or if you anticipate higher rates or tighter rules later, pre-fund a corporate DAF for multi-year community commitments. This lets you claim the more favorable deduction now, then grant over time in alignment with your social responsibility goals. 

3) Plan around transactions.
If you’re heading into a taxable event (asset sale, ownership changes), coordinate charitable funding in the same year to offset income at higher brackets. HCCF can help with timing and complex asset contributions. 

Seniors (70½ and up) 

1) Use qualified charitable distributions (QCDs).
If you’re 70½ or older, directing IRA dollars straight to charity via a QCD keeps the distribution out of your taxable income. That can help hold down your AGI (Adjusted Gross Income), which in turn can reduce Medicare premiums and other income-based phaseouts. For seniors, using the IRA as the first source for charitable giving is often a smart move. 

2) Coordinate QCDs with your required minimum distribution (RMD) strategy.
In RMD years, QCDs can satisfy part or all of your required minimum while keeping AGI lower. That’s a double benefit, and it can ripple through other parts of your return (e.g. credits, phaseouts, and Medicare). 

3) Watch carryforwards on large non-cash gifts.
Plan the size and timing of large, non-cash gifts carefully. For example, big gifts of appreciated property to public charities are generally limited by a percentage of AGI with a five-year carryforward. If the gift creates excess deduction and you pass away before using it, that unused deduction doesn’t transfer to a surviving spouse.  

Takeaways and questions for your philanthropic advisor 

• What can you afford? As they say, “Charity begins at home.” Anchor your family plan first, then layer in philanthropy. 

• Which year is best? If you’ll be in a higher bracket due to a bonus, asset sale, or business event, consider bunching and/or opening a DAF this year. 

• What limits apply to your gift? Different assets and recipients (public charity vs. private foundation) carry different AGI limits and carryforward rules.  

How HCCF can help 

The philanthropic advisors and experts at HCCF understand the community’s most pressing challenges and needs. That means HCCF is a great resource to help donors and fundholders make a meaningful, positive, and long-lasting impact.  

They can also help you make sense of evolving laws and regulations, allowing you to time the deployment of your philanthropy for the maximum community benefit and tax efficiency of your gift – however complex it may be.  

Interested in supporting our mission or opening a DAF or other giving vehicle with HCCF? Please contact Amanda Massey, Vice President of Development & External Engagement at amandam@hamiltoncountycf.org today. Or, if you’d like to learn more, please visit us online.

This article is for educational purposes and is not individualized tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor to confirm how these rules apply to your situation.