Planning your 2026 year-end giving? Start early to maximize impact.
Review the guidelines below to help ensure your charitable contributions and grant recommendations are received and processed by December 31. Some contributions must be initiated as early as November 6.
Your account must be open before you can make a contribution or recommend a grant. Due to overwhelming year-end generosity, please allow up to 14 business days to open certain accounts. We will be closed November 26 and December 25.
2026 year-end giving guidelines
Plan your 2026 year-end giving with a donor-advised fund (DAF) to support the charities and causes you care about while potentially qualifying for a charitable tax deduction.
Review the key guidelines below:
- Your DAF account with DAFgiving360® must be open before you can contribute assets or recommend a grant
- Contribution processing times vary by asset type and begin November 6, 2026
- Recommend grants to charities by December 1, 2026
Key giving guidelines
DAF account open guidelines
Your DAF account must be open before you can contribute assets or recommend a grant. Core accounts may be opened online. If you plan to open a Professionally Managed Account (PMA), allow up to 14 business days for processing. Advisors can open a PMA on Schwab Advisor Center.
Processing begins when all required forms and information are received in good order.
Contribution guidelines
Some contributions must be initiated as early as November 6. DAFgiving360 accepts a wide range of assets, including cash, publicly traded securities, and more.
After your charitable donation is received and processed, you’ll get a tax receipt and may qualify for a 2026 tax deduction.
Non-Schwab Asset Transfers (Mutual Funds & Stock)
Initiate by Nov 13
Mail or fax the DAFgiving360 Transfer of Assets form (PDF).
Assets held at Charles Schwab
Received by Dec 31
Log in to your DAF account and click on "Contribute"
or
Fax the Contribution form (PDF).
Alternative Investments, Restricted Stock, Physical Certificates, & Other Illiquid Assets
Initiate by Nov 6
Call DAFgiving360 at 800-746-6216.
Cryptocurrency & Control/Affiliate Stock Book Entry
Initiate by Dec 4
Call DAFgiving360 at 800-746-6216.
Grant deadlines
Submit grant recommendations by December 1, 2026 to allow time for DAFgiving360 to review, approve, and send funds to charities* before year end.
Recommend a grant
Consider scheduling a one-time or recurring grant online now. You can skip, edit, or cancel scheduled grants anytime.
Need help recommending a grant?
Learn how to recommend a grant online or find a charity.
Year-end charitable giving resources
Use these resources to plan your charitable giving, explore smart tax planning strategies, and prepare for year-end.
Take action before end-of-year deadlines
Open a DAF account, contribute assets, or recommend grants before key year-end deadlines.
Common questions
To be eligible for a potential 2026 charitable tax deduction, contributions must be completed by December 31, 2026, the IRS deadline for yearly tax deduction eligibility. Because processing time varies by asset type, DAFgiving360 contribution guidelines begin as early as November 6. Review the contribution table to find the guideline for your asset.
Please allow up to 14 business days to open a Professionally Managed Account. You may open a core account online. Your account must be open before you can contribute assets or recommend grants. All forms must be received in good order.
Submit grant recommendations by December 1, 2026, to allow time for DAFgiving360 to review, approve, and send funds to charities before year-end.
No. DAFgiving360 cannot guarantee processing before December 31 or expedite year-end requests. Account opens, contributions, and grants will be processed as quickly as possible in line with the previously mentioned guidelines. To help avoid delays, submit all required forms and information in good order by the applicable guidelines noted above.
Log in to your account and review the account overview screen. You’ll see a history of recent grants and recent contributions.
Generally, for purposes of the charitable contribution deduction, fair market value (FMV) is determined on the date that contributions are processed by DAFgiving360. However, contributions received in good order by December 31 but processed in 2027 will reflect the FMV of December 31 and be eligible for a 2026 tax deduction for those who itemize.
No. Any distribution from your IRA account to a donor-advised fund is not a Qualified Charitable Distribution for tax purposes. Learn more about QCDs and donor-advised funds here.