Are You Giving on Purpose — or Just in December?

You know the season. Envelopes in the mailbox, messages in your inbox, and a cashier asking if you'd like to round up for a good cause.

And somewhere between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, a lot of generous people make many of their charitable decisions in a hurry.

In 2025, nonprofits received 37% of their annual online donations in December, with the final days of the year carrying much of that weight.¹ That's a lot of good intentions squeezed into a very short window, often with little time to think about what those gifts could accomplish.

Americans aren't short on generosity. Individuals gave an estimated $394.2 billion to charity in 2025.² The question isn't whether you give. It's whether your giving reflects what you actually care about, or just whoever asked most recently.

That's where a giving plan comes in.

Start With What You Want Your Gifts to Do

People can name the causes they care about. It’s harder to articulate what they would like their support to achieve.

Maybe it's helping kids in your community get a better shot at education. Maybe it's funding research for a disease that touched your family. Or maybe it's keeping a local organization strong enough to serve the next generation.

When you know the outcome you're hoping for, decisions get easier. You can choose which causes to prioritize, how much to commit, and whether a few larger gifts might make more of a difference than many small ones.

Consider it the difference between scattering seeds and planting a garden.

Watch for the Years When Giving Could Go Further

Not every year looks the same financially. A big bonus, a strong year in your business, or the sale of a company can change your picture quickly.

Those moments may also be worth a closer look from a charitable perspective. Depending on your circumstances, the timing of a substantial gift may offer tax advantages, especially in a year when your income is higher than usual.

The catch is that these opportunities are easiest to explore with some lead time. Waiting until the final days of December may leave fewer options.

Look Beyond the Checkbook

Cash is the most familiar way to give, but it isn't the only one.

If you own stocks or other investments that have grown in value, donating them directly to charity may be worth exploring. Donor-advised funds have also become one of the fastest-growing giving vehicles in the country.³ They can give you a way to set money aside for charity now and decide where it goes over time.

If you're eligible, giving directly from an IRA may be another option to consider.

Each approach comes with its own rules and trade-offs. A plan gives you room to weigh them before you make your next significant gift, rather than defaulting to whatever is fastest.

Think in Generations, Not Just Years

Some causes deserve more than an annual check. Maybe it's the school that gave you your start, or the organization that stood by someone you love when they needed it most.

More people seem to be thinking this way. Charitable bequests jumped nearly 17% in 2025, a sign that many donors are building generosity into their long-term plans.³

Including a charitable gift in your estate plan can help a cause you care about count on your support long after you're gone. It's one way to make sure your values outlast the moment and become part of the story you leave behind.

Making Generosity Part of the Plan

Purpose. Timing. Options. Legacy.

None of these require you to give more. They're about helping what you already give go further, so your generosity feels less like a year-end reflex and more like an expression of who you are.

The best time to think it through is before the December rush, not in the middle of it.

If there's a cause you'd love to do more for, consider starting the conversation now. A financial professional can help you explore how charitable giving might fit alongside your other goals, so you can give with clarity and confidence.

Sources:

1. M+R Benchmarks, 2026 [URL: https://mrbenchmarks.com/fundraising/]
2. Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 2026 [URL: https://philanthropy.indianapolis.iu.edu/news-events/news/_news/2026/giving-usa-report-2026.html]
3. Foundation Source, 2026 [URL: https://foundationsource.com/blog/key-takeaways-from-giving-usas-2026-report-on-philanthropy/]

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