Tax Smart Charitable Giving–Make the Most of the 2025 Rules

As you plan your year-end giving, 2025 is a uniquely powerful year to make tax-smart, non-cash gifts that protect the rivers you love and strengthen your own financial strategy.

Tax rules are scheduled to tighten in 2026, reducing the benefit of charitable deductions for many donors—especially those who use donor-advised funds (DAFs) or like to plan multi-year support. By acting before December 31, 2025, you can lock in today’s more favorable rules while sustaining American Whitewater’s work for years to come.

Here are some of the most effective ways to give now:

• Appreciated stock or mutual funds – Avoid capital gains tax and receive a 2025 deduction on the full fair-market value, all while supporting river protection and access.
  
  

• IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) – If you’re 70½ or older, you can direct funds from your IRA to American Whitewater, potentially satisfying your RMD without increasing your taxable income.
  
  

• Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) – Contribute to your DAF in 2025 to capture a larger deduction now, then recommend grants to American Whitewater over time—even after new limits take effect.
  
  

• Crypto and other non-cash assets – An easy, innovative way to give that can also provide significant tax advantages.
  
  

Every tax-smart gift made before the 2026 changes gives American Whitewater the confidence to protect, restore, and steward rivers for the long term.

If you would like to talk about a significant gift or multi-year commitment through a DAF contribution, appreciated stock, or other non-cash gift, please contact Clinton Begley at clinton@americanwhiter.org.

You can find more details on ways to give at:
https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/aw:giving/

We aren’t tax professionals, and this is not tax advice—please consult your advisor to determine what’s best for your situation.