2025 Year-End Giving Deadlines

November 17, 2025

With the holiday season approaching and your year-end checklist taking shape, Stark Community Foundation wants to remind you of these important 2025 charitable giving deadlines and guidelines:

Credit Cards
Donation Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST on December 31, 2025
Make a gift online at www.starkcf.org/donate with your credit or debit card to an existing fund or new fund.

Checks
Donation Deadline: Postmarked by December 31, 2025 if using USPS; Must be received by 5 p.m. on December 31 if using any non-USPS mail carrier (FedEx, UPS) or delivering to SCF’s office
Write a check payable to Stark Community Foundation with the fund name you want to support in the memo line.

Stocks
Donation Deadline: Must be received into Stark Community Foundation's account by December 31, 2025
Stock transfers may take several days to process. First, contact VP of Advancement Bridgette Neisel at bneisel@starkcf.org or 330-454-7992 for transfer instructions and to ensure your gift is properly acknowledged, as transfers may arrive anonymously. Then, contact your brokerage firm to request a stock transfer to the Foundation.

Wire Transfers
Donation Deadline: Must be received into Stark Community Foundation's account by December 31, 2025
Wire transfers may take several days to process. First, contact VP of Advancement Bridgette Neisel at bneisel@starkcf.org or 330-454-7992 for transfer instructions and to ensure your gift is properly acknowledged, as transfers may arrive anonymously. Then, contact your financial institution to request a wire transfer to the Foundation.

Mutual Funds
Donation Deadline: Must be received into Stark Community Foundation's account by December 31, 2025
Mutual funds may take several weeks to process. First, contact VP of Advancement Bridgette Neisel at bneisel@starkcf.org or 330-454-7992 for transfer instructions and to ensure your gift is properly acknowledged. Then, contact your brokerage firm to request a mutual fund transfer to the Foundation.

Grants
If you are a Stark Community Foundation fundholder and want to guarantee charities receive your generous support in 2025, be sure to submit your grant recommendations through the Donor Portal at www.starkcf.org/donor-portal or email give@starkcf.org by December 19, 2025. Any grant recommendations submitted after December 19, 2025 will most likely be received by charities in 2026.

Year-End Giving Tips

As the year winds down and we look toward the season of giving, now is the perfect time to make your charitable gifts go further. Whether you’re planning for tax savings, finding meaningful ways to support the causes you love or simply hoping to make a difference before December 31, a little strategy can make a big impact. Here are four tax-smart—and easy—ways to give with purpose this holiday season.

• 1: Leverage important timing: The desire to give back through philanthropy coincides with an important window of opportunity for people who itemize their income tax deductions. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), limits on charitable deductions will tighten beginning in 2026. That means it may be advantageous to “bunch” contributions by combining several years' worth of donations into one year to maximize tax benefits.
• 2: Donate appreciated stock: If you own stocks or other securities that have increased in value, consider gifting them instead of selling. By donating them directly to Stark Community Foundation, you avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciation and receive a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of your gift. It’s a powerful way to give more.
• 3: Give from your IRA Required Minimum Distribution: If you’re 73 or older and still need to take your required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA, you can turn it into a tax-free gift to Stark Community Foundation. This qualified charitable distribution (QCD) counts toward your RMD, reduces your taxable income and supports the causes you care about. Make sure your QCD goes straight to the Foundation (not your bank account) to qualify. Distributions to Donor Advised Funds or Supporting Foundations are not eligible.
• 4: Open or add to a Donor Advised Fund: With a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), you can make a lump-sum gift now, receive an immediate tax deduction and decide later which nonprofits to support from your fund. It’s your own joint checking, savings and investment account—specifically for charitable giving. A DAF can be established in less than five minutes with a simple fund agreement and a gift of as little as $10,000.

Stark Community Foundation can help you plan your year-end giving with ease. Contact Bridgette L. Neisel, vice president of advancement, at bneisel@starkcf.org or 330-454-7992 for more information.

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