5 Tips to Make Your Year-End Giving Go Further
Here are a few ideas on how to help maximize the feel-good effects that your charitable contributions can deliver this year.


Giving to charity is now easier than ever – especially during the holidays. Whether writing a check, opting to “round up” at the register, or simply clicking a “donate” button, you can quickly make a donation and be on your way. But after a few minutes, that good-deed feeling fades, and you may be left wondering if your contribution made a significant impact. What if you could make your giving reach more people this year?
Here are five tips to maximize your giving, just in time for the holidays.
1. Find matching opportunities.
Many charities have annual fundraising campaigns with mega donors who match contributions — sometimes as much as 3:1 — received during specified timeframes. Check to see if your favorite causes have similar opportunities that could double or even triple your impact, and help the organizations reach their goals.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Employers often offer matching programs, too, which can make a big difference to nonprofits. You can even start a program in which you supply the funds for a future matching challenge.
2. Make it a family affair.
The holidays offer a rare opportunity to get the whole family together, and it’s the perfect time to get your kids and grandkids involved in giving. One idea is to create a “giving budget” to donate to charity. Each child then suggests a cause to help everyone decide where and how to distribute the “budget.” Actual dollars can then be given for the holidays — and even matched by grown-ups. The possibilities are limitless.
Looking for more family-friendly giving ideas? Foundation Source’s The Secret to Joyful Giving guide can help.
3. Formalize your giving.
If you don’t have a charitable vehicle but have been giving consistently and expect to give more in the future, several options are available to ensure your gifts are more organized, strategic and tax efficient. You can diversify and expand your giving with vehicles like a private foundation or a donor-advised fund that will earmark assets for charitable purposes and potentially provide meaningful tax benefits.
Private foundations offer flexibility, control and other unique advantages that support creative and entrepreneurial philanthropy. Donor-advised funds provide advantages like anonymity and higher tax deductions. You can also incorporate your philanthropic objectives into your will or estate plan and explore planned giving and trusts.
4. Don’t forget Uncle Sam.
Coordinating your charitable contributions with your tax strategy, estate planning and investment management could result in better outcomes — across all disciplines — and ensure that you get beneficial tax deductions, which in turn allows you to give more. With charitable vehicles like private foundations and donor-advised funds, you can maximize your tax savings and may be able to claim a same-year tax deduction.
5. Know your minimums.
If you have a charitable vehicle with a minimum distribution requirement, make sure you know what it is and how much you have left to disburse so your assets are used for charitable purposes and not penalties. For example, private foundations are required to annually distribute at least 5% of the previous year’s average net assets.
Qualifying distributions from the foundation include grants to public charities, administrative expenses and certain costs related to carrying out the foundation’s charitable purpose, such as a building, computers and office furniture.
©2021 Foundation Source Philanthropic Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Hannah Shaw Grove is the chief marketing officer of Foundation Source, founder of "Private Wealth" magazine and author of 11 data-based books and hundreds of reports and articles on topics relating to the creation, management, disposition and transfer of wealth. Hannah has previously been the chief marketing officer at Apex Clearing, iCapital Network and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and is a cum laude graduate of Harvard University. She holds the FINRA Series 6, 7, 24, 26 and 63 licenses.
-
Stocks Slide to Start September: Stock Market Today
Seasonal trends suggest tough times for the stock market as we round into the end of the third quarter.
-
Here's What You'd Have If You Invested $1,000 Into Sherwin-Williams 20 Years Ago
Sherwin-Williams stock has clobbered the broader market by a wide margin for a long time.
-
The Unsung Hero of Aisle 5: A Tale of Forgotten Change and Compassion at the Supermarket
This supermarket manager went above and beyond to help when a child forgot her change at the checkout counter. You might be surprised at some of the complications that supermarkets face when it comes to customers' forgotten change.
-
Train, Integrate, Retain: A Strategic Playbook for Adviser Onboardings
Build a thriving practice by training new advisers with clear goals, structured processes and consistent mentorship for strong team growth.
-
I'm a Financial Professional: Here Are Four Ways You Can Use Debt to Build Wealth
Using debt strategically, such as for homeownership, education and more, can lead to greater financial stability and growth.
-
Five Key Wake-Up Calls for Ambitious Business Owners, From a Biz Specialist
Your personal financial plan needs to include a formal exit strategy for your business, or you could be in trouble.
-
I'm a Retirement Psychologist: Here's Why Doing What You 'Ought' in Retirement Beats Doing Whatever You Want
True retirement freedom isn't about simply doing whatever you want, but about finding purpose and direction through commitments that align with your deepest values and allow you to contribute meaningfully.
-
Tactical Roth Conversions: Why 2025-2028 Is a Critical Window for Retirees
The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) extended today's low tax brackets, but they may not last. Here's how smart planning now can prevent costly tax surprises later.
-
Ready to Retire? It's Not Too Late to Convert to a Roth IRA
Millions of Americans are turning 65 this year. If you're retiring soon, don't dismiss the idea of a Roth conversion — it could still be a smart move even now.
-
I'm a Financial Adviser: Three Things You Will Wish You Did Before the Fed Cuts Interest Rates
With potential interest rate cuts on the horizon, you might want to lock in today's higher yields and consider adjusting your asset allocation.