A Year-End Giving Checklist for Thoughtful Donors (That Not About Taxes)

Year-end is a meaningful moment for nonprofits. It is when many organizations raise a significant portion of their annual revenue, when foundations meet, and when donor-advised fund holders make grant decisions.

As a philanthropic advisor, I recommend that donors also use this time to reflect on their giving, clarify their intentions, assess their capacity, and align their generosity with what matters most.

Even though year-end used to be dominated by tax considerations, the landscape has changed. Far fewer people itemize their deductions, donor-advised funds allow for year-round giving, and high-capacity donors increasingly want their giving to feel intentional rather than reactive.

Below is a year-end giving checklist designed for thoughtful donors and families who want their philanthropy to be meaningful, strategic, and aligned with their values.

✔ 1. Review your giving this year

What did you support?

• Did you follow your philanthropic plan?

• What surprised you?

• What felt meaningful?

• What felt obligatory?

This is your personal “year in review” and will help inform and refine your philanthropic strategy.

✔ 2. Measure alignment with your values

Ask yourself:

• How do my/my family’s values align with my giving decisions?

• Did my giving reflect the world I want to help build?

• Did I support the issues that matter most?

• Should I focus more deeply or more broadly next year?

  
  

This is a recalibration moment, and an opportunity to revalue causes and impact.

✔ 3. Understand your giving options (not obligations)

Even though taxes are no longer the main driver for most donors, certain year-end giving options still matter. Here is a full list, including the less common ones that are sometimes overlooked. Work with your financial advisor to get the full picture.

Common and high-impact year-end gifts

• Gifts of appreciated securities: Still one of the most efficient ways to give. Donors avoid capital gains, transfer full market value, and often do not need a donor-advised fund for processing.

• Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs: For donors age 70.5 and older, QCDs count toward required minimum distributions and reduce taxable income.

• Donor-advised fund contributions: Contribute now, grant later. Helpful for bunching gifts or pre-positioning giving before tax changes in 2026.

  
  

Additional gift mechanisms thoughtful donors may consider

• Private foundation grants and payout planning: Foundations must meet annual distribution requirements, and year-end is when many finalize grants or approve next year’s commitments.

• Corporate giving: For donors who own businesses, year-end is a time to align corporate giving, branding goals, and community impact.

• Employer matching gifts: Some matches reset or expire at year end. Donors often overlook this source of leveraged impact.

• Planned gifts and beneficiary updates: Year end is a natural moment to review wills, trusts, IRA beneficiaries, life insurance, and legacy commitments.

This complete list helps donors choose the right mechanism for their goals, not simply respond to seasonal pressure.

✔ 4. Assess your philanthropic capacity

Consider the following with your financial advisor:

• Cash flow

• Appreciated assets

• DAF balance

• Foundation payout requirements

• Multi-year pledges

• Upcoming liquidity events or transitions

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This builds a realistic picture of what you can do next year

✔ 5. Evaluate your nonprofit relationships

Ask yourself:

• Did I feel informed about how my gift was used?

• Did stewardship match my expectations?

• Which organizations felt aligned?

• Where did stewardship fall short?

  
  

This guides where to deepen, continue, or shift support. It also creates an opportunity for feedback between you and the non-profit, giving them the chance to learn and grow with you as a trusted partner.

✔ 6. Clarify your recognition preferences

Recognition is strategic. Some donors want visibility that amplifies shared values or supports their business or foundation. Others prefer quiet generosity to preserve privacy.

A philanthropic advisor can serve as a buffer and help navigate communications.

✔ 7. Revisit or build your giving plan

Ask:

• What do I want my giving to say about who I am?

• What legacy am I building?

• Does my philanthropy reflect my values and priorities?

• What role will my family play?

  
  

A giving plan reduces decision fatigue and brings clarity.

✔ 8. Celebrate your impact

Pause and reflect. Your generosity mattered. Something changed because you cared enough to support it.

Philanthropy is not only about what we fund. It is about who we become when we give with intention.

✔ 9. Consider growing your wealth advisor team.

A philanthropic advisor added to your list of money managers can:

• Vet nonprofits

• Conduct personalized nonprofit matching

• Manage stewardship and reporting

• Support anonymity or recognition

• Integrate giving with wealth and estate planning

• Streamline decisions

• Save significant time

  
  

This allows you to focus on joy, purpose, and impact.

Closing Thought

Year end does not have to be chaotic or transactional. It can be clarifying, grounding, reflective, and full of purpose.

When you review your giving with intention, you strengthen your legacy and deepen your connection to the world you want to help create.

Want to explore more? Contact us, info@jonesingforgood.com.