Adapted from a post by our friends and partners at DuPage Foundation
The holidays are a joyous season that can be filled with many activities at a time when you may also want to be thoughtful with your year-end charitable planning.
Below are some tips to consider for your 2025 giving and some key deadlines to keep in mind to avoid a last-minute rush. Acting early will ensure you achieve your goals efficiently and effectively with intention for the causes that matter most to you.
Consulting your tax and financial advisors should also be part of your year-end planning. Our Advancement Team is here to help as well. Contact Abby Beck at 630-428-4500, Ext. 135 or email [email protected] with any questions!
Important Year-End Giving Dates
December 1st
- Recommended deadline to initiate IRA/QCD contributions
- Recommended deadline to initiate electronic mutual fund gift transfers
- Recommended deadline to initiate gifts of personal property (coins, collections, etc.)
December 26th
- Recommended deadline to initiate ACH and electronic stock transfers
December 31st
- Last day to get a USPS postmark for mailed gifts
- Deadline for credit card donations
Contributions of Cash
By Mail
When sending charitable donations through the mail, the IRS considers the date of postmark to be the gift date. To ensure a contribution through the USPS qualifies for 2025, you must have your envelope postmarked by Wednesday, December 31st. This rule does not apply to private carriers like UPS and FedEx. Checks can be mailed to:
The Conservation Foundation
10S404 Knoch Knolls Rd
Naperville, IL 60565
Online
To make a contribution by credit card, visit www.theconservationfoundation.org/donate.
Completed online transactions qualify through Wednesday, December 31st.
ACH Transfer
Donation transfers from your bank or money market account generally clear in 1-2 days but, at year end, can take longer. Contact us for transfer instructions or visit www.theconservationfoundation.org/donate. ACH transfers should be initiated by Friday, December 26th.
Drop Off at Our Office
To personally drop off cash or check gifts, our office will be open from 9:00am to 4:00pm daily and through 12:00pm on Wednesday, December 31st. We will be closed Wednesday, December 24th and Thursday, December 25th.
IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDS)
For those 70½ and older who are looking to take advantage of the amazing benefits of using an IRA to make Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), such gifts are considered to be made when the distribution from the IRA leaves the account, not on the day it is initiated. Therefore, please initiate your requests by Monday, December 1st to ensure checks are received by the charity and cashed before year end.
For 2025, the QCD maximum is $108,000/individual or $216,000/couple.
If you have check-writing privileges on your IRA, the normal postmark date rule does not apply, because the funds must leave the custodial account by your IRA administrator’s last business day of the year for the distribution to count against your 2025 RMD.
Learn more about 2025 IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions here.
Contributions of Stock and Mutual Funds
Electronic transfers of stock, mutual funds, and other securities are eligible for deduction upon the occurrence of their actual transfer from the donor to the charity’s custody, not upon the time of a transfer’s request. Please be aware of stock market schedules and recognize that some mutual funds may take up to 2-3 weeks for transfer. To ensure a transfer is initiated well in advance to work within the rules of your account administrator, plan to initiate mutual fund transfers by Monday, December 1st, and stock transfers by Friday, December 26th, to ensure your gifts arrive as desired. Contact Abby Beck at 630-428-4500, Ext. 135 or [email protected] for transfer instructions.
Contributions of Personal Property (Coins, Collections, Etc.)
Inquiries for gifts of personal property like coins, collections, and other tangible assets should be initiated by Monday, December 1st, to allow ample time for appropriate due diligence, including, but not limited to, appraisals and other assessments.
We encourage you to consult your tax and financial advisors as part of your year-end planning, and hope these reminders serve as a helpful guide.
Some useful information about giving to The Conservation Foundation:
- Our FEIN number is 23-7221206
- Our mailing address is: 10S404 Knoch Knolls Rd, Naperville, IL 60565
- Our office phone number is: 630-428-4500