North Carolina is home to over 40,000 charitable nonprofits that play a critical role in supporting, connecting, educating and sustaining our communities.    

They are food banks, museums, senior centers, houses of worship, schools, theaters, community foundations, research facilities, animal shelters, health clinics, housing assistance centers, transportation providers, and much more.  

They are backbone organizations in communities across the state, and right now many are facing great uncertainty around funding, giving, and staffing. This makes it challenging for nonprofits to continue their day-to-day operations, let alone plan for the future.  

Giving strategically in uncertain times is important to help stabilize nonprofits and allow them to continue to support people in need. The North Carolina Community Foundation can help you formalize long-term commitments while also ensuring immediate needs are addressed. Maintaining support for organizations you care about ensures their continued impact, even when resources are tight. Here are our top recommendations: 

1. Check in with nonprofits you support. Ask them what they need, rather than assuming.   

2. Trust nonprofits. Give flexible, unrestricted (general operating) support. This allows nonprofits to use dollars where they are needed most and remain responsive, resilient, and effective in their work.  

3.  Consider giving appreciated stock. If you are concerned about preserving cash right now, then donating appreciated, publicly-traded stock can be an effective strategy. By transferring long-term, marketable securities directly to your NCCF fund, you avoid capital gains tax and may be eligible for an income tax deduction based on the fair market value of the securities. NCCF, in turn, can sell the securities without incurring tax, maximizing the dollars available to support your favorite charities. 

4. Increase your giving. If you can, consider increasing your contributions to your donor advised fund during this time. You could: 

• Contribute to your DAF at NCCF, which allows you to organize your giving in one place and makes it easier to gather tax information.   

• Establish a designated endowment to provide ongoing, permanent support to your favorite nonprofit(s).  If you are 70 ½ or older and have an IRA, you may contribute up to $108,000 in a qualified charitable distribution to establish or add to a designated endowment.  

5. Consolidate your gifts. Make a single annual donation, rather than monthly recurring donations. By giving one substantial annual contribution to each of your favorite charities—whether personally or through your donor advised fund at NCCF—you can maximize impact while reducing operational costs for nonprofits. This allows them to focus on mission-driven work rather than processing paperwork.  

6. Look at other ways to provide support. You can make a more significant difference through collective philanthropy, so encourage your peers to give. Also, consider investigating corporate and business giving options to support nonprofits, such as employer matching programs.  

7. Don’t fall victim to “donor fatigue.” Focus on the nonprofits and causes you are most passionate about. You are making a difference with the giving you are able to do. 

8. Let us help. Your Donor Engagement Officer is here to help. NCCF has experience supporting nonprofits and has resources —  like our Community Needs Assessments for the 60 counties where we have affiliates — to help fundholders understand where they can best provide support. Our team understands the communities we serve and nonprofits’ current challenges and priorities, and we can align your giving accordingly.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about how you can help, contact us today. Your support is vital in shaping strong, vibrant communities. Thank you for your commitment to impactful philanthropy – together we’ll continue to strengthen our communities.