2026 year-end giving checklist for financial professionals

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The best year-end giving conversations start well before year-end. Historically, more than half of donor contributions to DAFgiving360^® accounts occur from October through December, leaving little runway for late planning. Starting early gives you more time to uncover what matters to clients, explore tax-efficient giving strategies, and identify opportunities that might otherwise get overlooked. Use this checklist to get ahead of year-end planning and guide more thoughtful, strategic giving decisions, including through a donor-advised fund (DAF).

1. Identify clients who may benefit from charitable planning

Why this matters: Start by looking for clients whose financial situation, charitable interests, or life circumstances could make a year-end giving conversation especially valuable.

Look for clients who:

Have unusually high income, a liquidity event, or a business sale
Hold appreciated or concentrated assets, or recently rebalanced their portfolio
Have a history of giving
Are interested in tax-efficient strategies

Action: Create a list of clients to contact before year-end planning gets underway.

2. Put year-end giving conversations on the calendar

Why this matters: Charitable giving can be a natural part of broader financial planning. Look for opportunities to bring it into upcoming portfolio, tax, or financial planning conversations.

Try asking:

What charitable goals are most important to you this year?
Has your financial situation changed since last year?
Are there appreciated assets you may want to donate?
Have you discussed your plans with your tax advisor?

Action: Add charitable giving to the agenda for upcoming client reviews.

3. Review each client’s tax and financial picture

Why this matters: Changes to tax law and personal circumstances can shift how and when it makes sense to give. Come prepared to discuss relevant planning opportunities, using tax planning as a tool to support charitable impact, not the goal itself.

Consider:

Changes in income or capital gains
2026 charitable deduction limits and planning opportunities
Timing considerations
Coordinating with clients’ tax professionals

Action: Come to each giving conversation prepared with the tax considerations worth discussing.

Resource: Tax laws affecting charitable giving

4. Explore non-cash giving opportunities

Why this matters: Cash may be the simplest way to give, but it isn’t always the most tax-efficient. Help clients look beyond cash to appreciated securities and other eligible non-cash assets that could make a bigger impact.

Explore:

Appreciated securities held for more than one year
Concentrated stock holdings
Other eligible non-cash assets

Action: Review clients’ portfolios for non-cash assets that could be worth discussing.

Resource: Non-cash asset overview

5. Revisit what clients want their giving to accomplish

Why this matters: Once you’ve explored the financial side, take a step back and tie giving back to what matters most to each client. If clients’ priorities have changed, their giving strategy should have room to change with them.

Discuss:

The values and motivations that shape their giving
Causes and organizations they care about
Family involvement in giving decisions
Long-term and legacy goals
Year-round versus year-end giving

Action: Ask what clients want their giving to accomplish and align their strategy accordingly.

6. Plan beyond the year-end deadline

Why this matters: A longer-term view can give clients more flexibility in how they give. Explore strategies that may help maximize tax benefits, such as spreading giving over time or bunching donations into a single year, depending on the client’s broader financial objectives.

Explore:

Multi-year giving strategies
Bunching multiple years of contributions
Separating the timing of contributions and grants
Long-term charitable budgets
Creating consistency in annual giving

Action: Look beyond the December 31 IRS deadline for year-end charitable donations and build a longer-term giving strategy.

7. Build a year-end giving action plan

Why this matters: Turn the conversation into a plan clients can put into motion. Make sure they understand what needs to happen, when it needs to happen, and who needs to be involved.

Review:

DAFgiving360 donor-advised fund contributions and grant recommendation deadlines
Processing timelines for complex gifts
Required documentation
Account opening considerations (including DAFs)
Follow-up meetings and next steps

Action: End each meeting with clear next steps, key dates, and decisions to make before year-end.

Are you ready to help your clients with year-end giving?

I’ve identified clients who may benefit from a year-end giving conversation.
I’ve scheduled time to talk with clients.
I’ve evaluated my clients’ cash and non-cash giving opportunities.
I’ve discussed my clients’ charitable goals and priorities.
I’ve reviewed longer-term giving strategies.
I’ve mapped out deadlines and next steps.

If you checked most of these, you’re in a good position to help clients approach year-end giving with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.

Starting early can open the door to more thoughtful, flexible giving strategies.

Have questions about a client’s giving plans or charitable strategy? Connect with your charitable consultant or call 800-746-6216 for support.

Have a client exploring donor-advised funds (DAFs)? Learn more at dafgiving360.org.

More practical guidance is on the way. Watch for our upcoming year-end giving playbook and additional insights to help support charitable planning and help clients maximize their charitable impact. In the meantime, visit the DAFgiving360 Year-End Giving Resource Center for planning tools, resources, and timely guidance.

When should I start year-end giving conversations?

Begin in early fall, before clients finalize giving decisions and while there is still time to evaluate tax strategies and process complex gifts.

How long do non-cash gifts typically take to process?

It depends on the type of asset, but non-cash gifts can take longer than cash gifts because they may require extra paperwork and coordination. Contribution initiation deadlines for 2026 are as early as November 6. Opening a core account or professionally managed account with paper forms can take up to 14 business days prior to making a contribution. Starting early can help avoid last-minute delays.

How can I keep clients on track once a plan is in place?

Set clear next steps, flag key dates, and confirm each party understands what they need to do, especially when multiple advisors are involved.

When does it make sense to recommend a DAF?

A DAF can be a valuable tool for clients who want to make charitable giving part of their broader financial plan. It may be especially relevant for clients considering year-end contributions, donating appreciated assets, seeking tax efficiency, or wanting flexibility in how and when they support charities through grant recommendations. If clients are considering opening or funding a DAF before year-end, encourage them to start early.

2026 year-end giving checklist for financial professionals

7 timely actions to guide year-end charitable giving conversations