Act now, give more

As the year winds down, your giving can do more than ever, especially if you plan ahead. At the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, we believe every gift has power: to strengthen communities, expand opportunity, and help everyone in the Granite State to thrive. We are here to help generous people maximize philanthropic impact and benefits. Here are some reasons why 2025 is a great time to give:

• We are seeing increased need, and you can make a difference.
  Nonprofits make all of our lives better – sometimes in ways that we take for granted. Funding cuts, freezes and related uncertainties have hit the sector hard. And cuts to programs that help families and children get nutritious food and health care will have ripple effects on a host of other things – from housing to winter heat. Your generosity is needed more than ever.

• Tax incentives change after 2025.
  Giving now ensures you receive the full benefit under current tax laws.  In 2026, taxpayers will have to give the equivalent of 0.5% of their adjusted gross income (AGI) before receiving any tax benefit. (So for a taxpayer who itemizes deductions and has an AGI of $100,000, the first $500 in donations will not result in any tax benefit.) And for taxpayers in the highest tax bracket, the current 37-cent tax benefit for every $1 deducted will be capped at 35 cents per dollar.
• “Bunching” gifts in 2025 can increase impact.
  Concentrating two or more years’ worth of gifts into a donor-advised fund in 2025 allows you to take advantage of tax benefits under current law – and maximizes funds available for grantmaking to address urgent community needs.  Employing this strategy means itemized deductions will exceed the standard deduction in 2025, while the standard deduction may be taken again in 2026. And in 2025, the charitable deduction will not be limited by new provisions highlighted above. This allows for a consistent flow of giving and beneficial timing for deductions. (In addition to cash, the Foundation can accept gifts of appreciated stocks real estate, or other non-cash assets – which usually offer the same deduction as cash gifts while also minimizing capital gains tax.)
• This is a prime moment to make the most of corporate giving.
  If you own a company, concentrating gifts into a corporate donor-advised fund in 2025 can maximize impact and help companies navigate the new 1% floor on corporate charitable deductions. This floor, which goes into effect in 2026, means that corporate taxpayers may only claim a deduction  if their donation to charity exceeds 1% of their taxable income but does not exceed 10%.
• IRA gifts and beneficiary designations remain great ways to give.
  If you are age 70-½ or older, giving directly from your IRA or naming the Foundation as a beneficiary may still reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize. This helps keep your adjusted income lower, preserving other tax benefits.

Let’s work together

Since 1962, New Hampshire’s most generous people, families and businesses have entrusted the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation with their philanthropic assets. Foundation staff have expertise in philanthropic advising, all areas of nonprofit work – and deep, up-to-the-moment knowledge of the nonprofit sector and the great work being done to address our most pressing challenges.

We will work with you and your advisor to help make a giving plan that works best for you. Our philanthropy experts can help you choose the right vehicle and timing to help you make the most of your generosity before year-end. Please reach out to our Donor Services team at QbabeFreivprf@aups.bet or 800-464-6641 (select Donor Services option) to speak with a Philanthropy Advisor.

We understand that your generosity is more than a financial transaction. It is an investment in people, opportunity, and a thriving New Hampshire.

This article is informational and educational in nature. It is not offering professional tax, legal, or accounting advice.