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Editor’s note: Jonathan Clements (1963–2025), HumbleDollar’s founder and a former Wall Street Journal personal-finance columnist, died on Sept. 21, 2025. This piece honors his plain-English approach to money and giving.
Jonathan Clements taught us that money is a means to a life that’s human, hopeful, and helpful. One of the best ways to live it out is to give with intention and make an impact. In that spirit—and in this season of thanks—here are 10 ways to support the charitable causes you love without writing a check.
1) Appreciated investments
Donate long-term stock, ETFs, or mutual funds. The charity receives the full market value, and you typically avoid capital gains tax (deduction available if you itemize). Ask your custodian for DTC (Depository Trust Company) instructions and the nonprofit’s account name now—mid-December cutoffs are common.
2) Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from an IRA (age 70½+)
Have your IRA custodian send funds directly to a qualified public charity so the gift bypasses your taxable income and can satisfy RMDs. For 2025, the QCD limit is $108,000 per person. Each spouse with their own IRA can make up to that amount. QCDs cannot be transferred to donor-advised funds or private foundations. Complete the DTC/transfer by Dec. 31 and keep the acknowledgment.
3) Fund a donor-advised fund (DAF) with appreciated assets
“Bunch” several years of giving into one contribution (often with appreciated shares), then recommend grants over time. Handy in a high-income year (sale, bonus, Roth conversion) when you want the deduction now and grants later. (Reminder: QCDs can’t go to DAFs—see #2.)
4) Beneficiary designations on accounts
Name a nonprofit as a beneficiary of IRAs, brokerage, or bank accounts—often a one-page form. Use a percentage, not a dollar amount, so the gift scales with your estate. Verify the charity’s legal name and Employer Identification Number (EIN) so your custodian titles it correctly.
5) Bequests in a will or trust
Leave a percentage, a dollar amount, or the remainder to charity. Easy to add, easy to change later—quiet generosity that speaks loudly.
6) Life insurance gifts
Name a charity as policy beneficiary—or, if it fits your plan, transfer ownership of a paid-up policy. Some donors also gift annual premiums to keep a policy in force.
7) Real estate gifts
A home, condo, or parcel of land can be donated outright or via specialized partners, potentially avoiding capital gains while making a transformational gift. Coordinate early—these take time.
8) Charitable gift annuity (CGA)
Receive fixed payments for life and a partial deduction now; the charity receives the remainder later. Under SECURE 2.0, there’s also a one-time IRA transfer to a CGA/CRT using your QCD election—about $54,000 in 2025 (indexed).
9) Charitable remainder or lead trusts (CRT/CLT)
Split-interest trusts can balance income needs, taxes, and legacy goals. They require professional help, but can be elegant solutions for larger gifts or complex assets.
10) In-kind noncash property.
Vehicles, equipment, and other tangible items (for which appraisal may be required) can meet a nonprofit’s needs and yield a tax deduction. Keep good records; Form 8283 and a qualified appraisal are needed at certain thresholds.
2025 tax-wise giving (what’s useful now—and what changes in 2026)
Year-end steps (quick checklist)
Disclaimer: This article is for general education. Tax, legal, and investment rules vary depending on the situation. Before acting, confirm details with your CPA/EA, attorney, and financial advisor—especially QCD eligibility (age 70½, qualified charities, no DAFs/private foundations), current 2025 limits, the one-time IRA-to-CGA/CRT option, and documentation/appraisal requirements.
A final word about spirit: Jonathan believed money should make life better—with less fanfare and more impact. Keeping our giving practical and kind is a fitting tribute to his legacy—and a gracious way to express our thanks.
We especially need to give these coming days, as many in our communities need help with Food and the like. Keep these important articles coming.
Thanks
Thank you so much for your thoughtful note. You’re absolutely right—these days, especially, so many in our communities are struggling with basic needs like food, and our generosity can make a real difference. I’m grateful you’re thinking along those lines, and I’ll do my best to keep writing pieces that encourage thoughtful, practical giving.
If you are interested in donating appreciated investments, and they are only part of a holding, make sure you donate those with the highest gain, usually the ones you have held the longest. For example, if you’ve been in a mutual fund for decades, you can usually go online to find and designate the exact shares you want to be part of your donation. This will be very important for tax purposes, for the year in which the donation is made, but even more so for the future.
Thank you for adding this important nuance. Identifying and donating the highest-gain, long-held shares can indeed make a meaningful difference from a tax perspective, especially over the long term, as you note. For anyone considering this strategy, it’s a wonderful example of how thoughtful planning can allow you to support causes you care about in a tax-smart way.
As always, it’s wise to coordinate with a tax or financial professional to ensure the details are handled correctly for your specific situation.
In preparation for executing QCD’s from my Fidelity Rollover IRA when I soon reach 70 1/2 years old, I have just applied for check writing privileges. They offer this only for tIRA’s and HSAs. My intent is to better control the timing and assurance that the charity has received my QCD. Check’s can also be written for RMDs (when I turn 73) but the tax liability tracking implications seem more fraught using checks for this purpose. I will just let Fidelity process those through their normal on-line system.
The question that arises for me is that, beginning 2025, the 1099-R’s will now have an additional code (“Y”) that Fidelity is supposed to indicate if the distribution was intended as a QCD. That would provide more verification when filing my taxes if I were to request Fidelity send the distribution directly to the charity– as typically is done. But when I write a check on my tIRA account and provide it to a charity intending that it applies as a QCD, there is no paper trail with Fidelity that informs them that this distribution was used as a QCD. They can just as well assume it is a regular taxable distribution and not add the “Y” code to my 1099-R.
William Perry… any perspective about this new dynamic starting in 2025?
You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into how you’ll handle your QCDs and RMDs—using IRA check-writing to control timing and confirm when the charity receives the gift is a smart, practical step.
You’re also right to flag the new 1099-R “Y” code starting in 2025. My understanding is that this change is still evolving, and custodians may differ in how they handle QCDs done by check—especially when there’s no automatic flag on their end. That makes your own recordkeeping (copies of checks and acknowledgement letters) especially important so you and your tax preparer can report things correctly.
I’ll be very interested to hear William Perry’s take on this too, and I’d also encourage checking directly with Fidelity about how they plan to code QCDs made via check-writing.
Bill,
In addition to the new 1099 “Y’ code, I believe you still will be required to have a letter from the charity acknowledging your contribution (if it is over $250) to substantiate it for your tax records, even if it is a QCD. I have had to follow up with several charities to get this letter for QCDs.
As most of you probably know, QCDs (for those old enough to be eligible to use them) are the only way a taxpayer that doesn’t itemize can reduce his/her taxable income through charitable means.
Some custodians will send the check directly to the account owner, who then mails it to the charity.
If you are considering QCDs, make sure to request them long before the end of December – most custodians will have a cutoff for them in early to mid. December. Also, if you want the charity to use the contribution for a specific purpose, have the charity state that on the check (the custodian will usually have a line for that on the request form).
As with any other charitable contribution, the charity is required to send the donor a letter acknowledging the contribution. Make sure you get the letter, and keep in in case of an audit.
For taxpayers subject to the IRMAA, QCDs are an excellent way to fine tune your gross income to stay under the next IRMAA. Remember, going one dollar over an IRMAA breakpoint will cost you hundreds in extra Medicare premium payments
Thank you for laying this out so clearly—these are such important practical points. QCDs can indeed be a powerful tool, especially for those who don’t itemize and for anyone trying to stay under an IRMAA threshold. Your reminders about early December cutoffs, the purpose of the gift, and acknowledgment letters are very helpful. As always, it’s wise for folks to confirm specifics with their custodian and tax or financial advisor so everything is handled and reported correctly.
As noted by the author, for 2026 there will be a charitable deduction for non-itemizers.
I’ve always found time to be a more satisfying donation than money.
My Meals on Wheels route gives me a warm glow that my monthly financial support to various charities cannot duplicate.
I love this, and I’m so glad you shared it.
Giving time can create a kind of connection and “warm glow” that’s hard to match with dollars alone—especially in roles like Meals on Wheels, where you see the impact on real people right away. Financial gifts matter, of course, but your example is a beautiful reminder that our presence and caring can be just as powerful a form of generosity.
What a great list! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words! I’m glad you found the list helpful and hope it sparks even more creative ways to give.
Check on how your state handles charitable gifts as well it is not just about the Fed.
Excellent point—thank you for bringing this up. State rules around charitable giving can differ quite a bit, so it’s wise to look at both federal and state treatment when planning gifts. A quick check with a tax professional or your state’s resources can help you make the most of your generosity.
You could also volunteer your time and/or expertise.
Absolutely—thank you for bringing this up. Volunteering time and expertise can be just as valuable as writing a check, and often brings a deep sense of purpose and connection to both the giver and the recipient.
Good article, thank you. Do you know the reason why transferring a QCD to a DAF is not allowed?
Great question—and one that comes up a lot.
Very simply, Congress designed QCDs so the money goes directly to a charity for current use, not into a vehicle where you can retain advisory control and delay when (or if) the funds reach operating charities. With a donor-advised fund, you still have ongoing influence over grants, so the IRS treats that differently from a direct gift.
So QCDs must go straight from an IRA to a qualifying public charity—not to a DAF, private foundation, or supporting organization—even though those are all “charitable” in a broader sense.
I often post a comment which includes a question, then forget to check back later to see if I got a response. Your answer makes sense. I will take my first RMD early next year, and wished that I were able to donate a QCD to my DAF, temporarily parking those funds until deciding which charity or charities to fund later.
Nevertheless, it is a very tax efficient way to donate to charity. Thank you for answering!
By the way, I just ordered your book “Moving Forward On Your Own” for my wife to read. We are each 72 and enjoy good health, so far. I manage our finances, and she has asked me to update my instructions for her, in the event I should pass before her. Communicating my strategy and plans clearly and lucidly in a way she will understand is a challenge for me. I suspect if and when that day arrives, she would be more comfortable hiring a manager, rather than taking charge of our finances. But if she is well informed, she will be better positioned to decide whom to hire.
Thanks, Kathleen, for the comprehensive list.
To your list, I would add to be thoughtful about naming a successor advisor to the DAF. This could be especially important for anyone who accumulates large (perhaps bunched) sums in their DAF. In my case, I have named a young adult niece whom I think would enjoy taking part in philanthropy.
Another thought is to give directly to a charity whenever possible. Non-profits are charged for each donation made through an online platform — typically a few percent of the donated amount. Third-party transactions from DAFs through online platforms are also now possible (e.g. dafpay.com) though I can’t see why they are needed.
Thank you for these thoughtful additions—and for reading so carefully.
You’re absolutely right about naming a successor advisor for a DAF, especially when there’s a meaningful balance involved. It’s a wonderful way to extend your charitable intentions and invite the next generation—like your niece—into joyful, intentional giving.
I also appreciate your point about fees on online platforms. Convenience has its place, but being aware of costs and giving directly when possible can help more of each gift reach the charity’s mission. Your remarks remind us that how we give is as important as how much we give.
I think in 2026 you can deduct a limited amount of charitable contributions even if you do not itemize. $2000 joint filing.
sorry I see you covered that
Yes, that potential deduction for non-itemizers is an interesting development and one more way policy may encourage everyday generosity.
This is great! Thank you!
Thank you so much for saying that—I’m glad it was helpful! I appreciate you taking the time to read it and share a note.