How To Break Through The Noise To Optimize Your Year-End Giving

Oct 26, 2026

You’ve likely already started to get reminders, tax tips, charitable giving strategies, and appeals from organizations you care about. While it can seem like a lot, the good news is that thoughtful year-end giving does not have to be complicated, and Brooklyn Org can help our community of donor advisors to sort through the noise, coordinate with your tax and financial advisors, and focus on the decisions that really matter to you and your philanthropic goals.

In that spirit, here are four action steps to help you make sense of it all:

1. Ask yourself: what do you want your giving to accomplish?

Before you talk with your advisors about tax deductions and which assets to give to Brooklyn Org or a nonprofit, think about what you want your charitable dollars to do. Maybe you want to continue supporting the organizations you give to every year, respond to an urgent community need, involve your children or grandchildren in giving, or set aside resources now for charitable decisions you’ll make later.

Whatever it is, Brooklyn Org can help you begin. We can pull together information on the organizations and causes you care about, help you identify organizations you might not yet know, and share what we’re hearing about our community’s needs from the neighbors at the heart of it all.

2. Pay attention to what you give, not just how much.

Writing a check or using a credit card may be convenient, but cash isn’t necessarily the most tax-efficient asset to give. If you own publicly traded stock or other assets that have appreciated significantly, donating those assets directly to your Donor Advised Fund at Brooklyn Org may allow you to avoid capital gains tax, while potentially qualifying for a charitable deduction based on fair market value.

Brooklyn Org can accept not only publicly traded securities but also more complex assets. Before selling a highly appreciated asset, talk with your advisors and our Donor Services team. A conversation before the sale can open options that may disappear once the transaction is complete.

3. Take another look at the 2026 tax rules.

This year, taxpayers who itemize can typically deduct charitable contributions only to the extent the contributions exceed 0.5% of adjusted gross income. For taxpayers in the highest federal income tax bracket, a new limitation also generally reduces the maximum federal income tax benefit of itemized deductions from 37% to 35%. At the same time, taxpayers who do not itemize may now claim a deduction for qualifying cash gifts to certain public charities.

Because of this, the timing and structure of your giving deserves another look, and Brooklyn Org can work alongside your tax advisor to help you explore approaches that fit both your charitable plans and your tax situation.

4. Don’t wait until the last week of December!

The best year-end tip is also one of the most important: Start now. Stock gifts take time to transfer, and gifts of real estate, closely held business interests, and other complex assets may require outside appraisals, due diligence, and coordination among multiple advisors. Even a relatively straightforward charitable plan can become more difficult when everyone is racing against a December 31 deadline. Now is the time to take stock of what you’ve already given this year, what you still hope to accomplish, and which assets might make the most sense to use.

Always remember that you don’t need to figure it all out yourself. Bring our Donor Services team into the conversation with your CPA, financial advisor, or estate planning attorney. We can help you explore your options, coordinate the charitable pieces of the plan, and keep the focus where it belongs as we make Brooklyn an equitable home for each of our neighbors across the borough. If you have any questions or want to get started, please reach out to our team below!