As you consider your 2025 giving priorities, you know that writing a check to your favorite charities is not the only way to support the causes you love. But sometimes it seems easiest to reach for the checkbook because it’s overwhelming to think about all the options. 

You might be experiencing what’s known as the “paradox of choice,” a phenomenon where an abundance of options actually decreases your satisfaction and diminishes your decision-making ability. Too many choices can cause decision fatigue, anxiety, and regret over potentially missed opportunities.  

We understand and the team at the North Carolina Community Foundation is here for you. We can help you evaluate potential assets that would make great gifts to your fund at NCCF, including: 

–Gifts of publicly-traded stock, allowing you to potentially avoid capital gains tax. 

–Giving shares of closely-held business interests to your fund as part of a long-term business succession plan. 

–Gifts of real estate, including farmland or commercial property, allowing you to potentially avoid capital gains tax and reduce the value of your taxable estate if future estate taxes are a concern.  

–Beneficiary designations on retirement plans, and even “Qualified Charitable Distributions” from your IRA to a designated or field of interest fund if you are over the age of 70½  

–Naming your fund at NCCF as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or even transferring a whole life insurance policy and making annual tax-deductible contributions to the community foundation to cover the premium. 

–Gifts of oil and gas interests or cryptocurrency are also possibilities for adding to your fund at the community foundation. 

The bottom line here is that the NCCF team can help you work through the possibilities. This includes gifts that embrace the power of collective giving efforts such as our women’s giving circles and our 53 affiliate community foundations throughout the state.  

We can help make sure that the daunting range of options doesn’t prevent you from making the best decisions to achieve both your financial planning and charitable giving goals.  

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