Smart Ways to Give in 2026
Act now to ensure your gifts are eligible for 2026 tax deductions. Different assets have different deadlines
What’s New for 2026 Giving
A new federal law, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, changes how charitable gifts are deducted starting in 2026. Contact your tax advisor for more detailed information.
A small threshold for itemizers
If you itemize your taxes, the first 0.5% of your income that you give to charity no longer counts toward your deduction. For example, with an income of $200,000, the first $1,000 of your giving wouldn’t be deductible.
A limit on tax savings for top earners
If you’re in the top tax bracket, each dollar you give now saves you 35 cents in taxes, down from 37 cents.
The standard deduction remains higher
The standard deduction remains higher and will adjust for inflation each year. For 2026, it’s $32,200 for couples filing jointly. With a higher standard deduction, fewer people will itemize.
A new deduction if you don't itemize
Beginning in 2026, you can deduct up to $1,000 in gifts to charity ($2,000 for couples) even if you don’t itemize. Gifts to donor-advised funds don’t qualify, but gifts to other SDF funds, programs and initiatives can.
Connect with Your Giving Team to Learn More
Contact your Giving Team at (619) 814-1332 or [email protected].
2026 Year-End Deadlines
Refer to the critical dates below to ensure that your clients gifts are received and processed by December 31, the IRS deadline for yearly tax deduction eligibility. For some assets, these dates fall in November.
Credit Card
Must be submitted online by
December 31, 11:59pm
Or, by phone/in-person by
December 31, 12:00pm
Instructions
IRAs / QCDs / RMDs
Deadlines are dependent on IRA contribution type and custodian.
Give from Your Fund
Through your donor-advised fund (DAF) at SDF, you can recommend a grant to charities and causes that bring you joy this Giving Season.
If you would like to align your giving with San Diego Foundation, our new Strategic Plan identifies four interconnected priorities we are focusing on:
- Family well-being
- Education
- Environment
- Housing
Recommend your Giving Season grants by Thursday, Dec 17, at noon.
Together, we give where it matters most.
In FY2026, we partnered together to make 8,167 grants totaling $137.4 million to 2,578 nonprofits working across our region and beyond.
Your generosity is helping address some of our communities’ greatest challenges and creating more opportunities for people to thrive.
Here to Support Your Giving
Our Giving Team is here to help you make the most of your giving this November and December.
We can support you in many ways, including:
- Making a contribution to your fund, including stock, mutual funds, wires and IRA gifts
- Recommending grants and finding nonprofits that match the causes you care about
- Learning what we’re seeing across San Diego in family well-being, education, environment and housing
- Helping you navigate and use the MySDF Donor Portal