Tips for Smart Giving

Move over, #GivingTuesday! DAF Day is here, helping donors conserve cash by making Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) gifts to the nonprofits they love. With DAF Day coming up on October 9, your CAC Development Team wanted to share this tip and other non-cash ways to give in these final few months of 2025 including:

• Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) gifts

• IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution/Required Minimum Distribution (QCD/RMD) gifts

• Stock gifts

• Matching gifts through employers

• Planned giving commitments

DAF GIFTS

A DAF, or Donor-Advised Fund, is the fastest growing charitable giving vehicle. In 2023,

DAF account owners directed almost $55 billion in grants to charitable organizations.

There are three main components to a DAF:

• Individuals donate cash, stocks or other appreciated assets to a pooled, managed investment account and take a tax benefit at the time of the gift(s).

• Those funds develop as other donors add to the pool and the pool earns interest.

• Donors direct gifts be made to the eligible IRS-qualified public charities of their choice. The gifts are sent directly from the DAF, so the process is easy for donors and does not impact their cash on hand.

CAC board member and donor Kurtis Todd made a DAF gift to CAC last year. “Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) offer a smart and flexible way to support important causes like the Children’s Advocacy Center. Along with the satisfaction of giving, DAFs also provide valuable tax advantages by helping manage investment gains and losses,” Todd explained. “Contributions can be made at any time during the year, and directing your gift to the CAC is a quick and simple process. It’s an easy way to make a lasting difference for children in need.”

IRA GIFTS

CAC board member and donor Bob Tucker leverages IRA QCD/RMD gifts to support favorite nonprofits. “When my wife, Abbie, and I reached 72 years of age we were required to begin taking minimum distributions from our tax-deferred investments, my 401K and her teacher’s 403B plan,” Tucker shared.

What Tucker and his wife had learned from their financial advisor is that an individual can avoid paying taxes on the required minimum distribution by donating it to a 501(c)3 charity.

"We wait till early December each year to maximize the return on our investments,” Tucker continued. “We determine which charities we are going to make a contribution to and have checks sent directly to each of those organizations from our investment accounts. We do good and avoid the taxes we would have otherwise been required to pay. Our charities benefit, the government is happy and we support the organizations we would have supported in any case.”

STOCK GIFTS

Did you know that CAC now accepts stock gifts? Giving stock is yet another way to maximize your donation without decreasing your cash on hand. With the market up year over year, 2025 is a great time to sell shares and donate the proceeds to charities you   trust and love.

According to giving experts at freewill.com, “No matter which type of appreciated stock you donate, your gift goes further than if you sold it and donated the proceeds as cash. This is because donating appreciated stock lets you save on your taxes in two ways: you avoid capital gains tax on the appreciated value, and you can also claim a tax deduction on the value of the shares you donated.”

To give stock to CAC this year, contact Development Director Taylor Kanara at 847.744.5214 or tkanara@cachelps.org. She can provide CAC’s account information, which you’ll need for your brokerage or online forms.

CORPORATE MATCHING GIFTS

Donors may also not realize that many corporations offer to match gifts made by employees to their chosen charities. This includes DAF gifts to charities (but not into the DAF itself). Check with your HR department to see if your employer matches gifts. You can also contact CAC Development Coordinator Alexis Gilkes at agilkes@cachelps.org with questions about employee giving through paycheck deductions.

LEGACY GIFTS

Planned giving allows donors today to make a positive impact on the future without releasing any current assets. To learn more about CAC’s planned giving opportunity through Guardians of Hope, visit cachelps.org/guardians-of-hope.

As always, CAC recommends that donors consult with their financial planner/tax advisor to receive professional advice related to their philanthropic interests. For more information on CAC’s programs and services for young abuse survivors, visit cachelps.org.