We are honored to serve as your home for charitable giving. Whether you support a wide range of organizations in our community and across the country, focus your giving on a few favorite local causes, collaborate with NCCF to invest in our region’s greatest needs, or all the above, we are here for you!

A new year presents an excellent opportunity to check in on your charitable giving priorities. This is the case every year, but it is especially important in 2026 because of a few new tax laws that may impact charitable giving strategies for some people. 

Here are the changes to be aware of and share with your tax advisors to determine how they might impact your situation.

• New threshold to itemize charitable deductions: This shift affects individual taxpayers who itemize their income tax deductions. Beginning this tax year, charitable contributions will only be deductible to the extent that they exceed 0.5% of a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income. 
• Limitation on itemized charitable deductions for high-income taxpayers: High-income taxpayers will face an additional limitation through a new cap on the value of itemized charitable deductions. 
• Good news for the 60% cap: This change provides greater certainty for donors who make substantial cash contributions. The long-standing rule allowing cash gifts to qualified public charities to be deducted up to 60% of adjusted gross income is now permanent.  
• New incentive for non-itemizers: Beginning with the 2026 tax year, individuals who claim the standard deduction will be allowed to take a limited charitable deduction above the line, meaning it reduces income before adjusted gross income is calculated. Gifts to donor advised funds are not eligible for this deduction, and neither are noncash gifts. 
• QCDs may be even more useful: Beginning in 2026, the annual amount that can be transferred directly from an individual retirement account to a qualified charity will increase to $111,000, allowing taxpayers age 70 ½ and older to direct more funds to charitable causes without including those distributions in taxable income. 
• Limitations on corporate charitable deductions: Starting in 2026, corporations may deduct charitable contributions only to the extent that those contributions exceed 1% of taxable income.  

We encourage you to forward this information to your tax advisors. Please keep us in the loop on conversations so that we can work alongside your attorney, financial advisor, and CPA to ensure that you’re set up to meet your charitable goals for 2026 through strategies that also align with your tax, financial and estate planning objectives.

We are here for you and look forward to the conversation!  

This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting or financial planning advice.