How to Make Our Charitable Giving Go Even Farther

Sponsored: originally published as a paid feature in The Clare Chronicle, September 2026.

By Nicholas G. Kalkas

Philanthropic donations support the many valuable works performed by charitable organizations and beyond. Yet too often, well-intentioned giving falls short of its full potential because it is not structured well. A thoughtful philanthropic strategy can help each donated dollar deliver the greatest possible impact – for both the donor and the charity.

Here are several common strategies that can make our charitable giving more effective:

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)

Starting at age 70½, a QCD lets you send money directly from an IRA to a qualified charity, up to the annual IRS limit. Once RMDs begin, it can count toward your RMD without adding to taxable income.

Donating Appreciated Assets

Suppose, hypothetically, you bought $2,500 of a stock years ago and it is now worth $100,000. (Hypothetical example for illustration only.) Selling the shares to donate the cash would trigger capital gains taxes on the $97,500 capital gain. Instead, donating the stock itself allows the full fair-market value to go to charity. We may claim a charitable deduction (subject to adjusted gross income limits) while generally avoiding capital gains tax on the gain – and the charity receives the full amount.

Bunching Donations

Tax rules often require charitable contributions to exceed certain thresholds (such as the standard deduction or other floors) before a meaningful tax benefit is realized. By concentrating several years of planned giving into a single “bunching” year, donors can more easily surpass those thresholds and maximize the deduction, then take the standard deduction in intervening years.

Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)

This is a flexible charitable account that allows us to donate cash or appreciated assets (potentially using bunching) into the account and receive an immediate deduction. The donated cash or appreciated assets then sit in the DAF and grow tax-free until we provide them to the charity of our choice.

If you would like to ensure your charitable giving is maximized, we would welcome you for a complimentary appointment with us at Daniel Island Wealth Management and we will happily help every one of your donated dollars go farther in giving.

Nicholas G. Kalkas, President, Daniel Island Wealth Management

This article is general education, not tax advice. Please consult your tax professional before acting.