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Year-End Giving Tips and Reminders

Donors

Interested in learning more about how we can help you accomplish your charitable goals? Please contact Michael Trench, vice president for advancement, for more information. 

phone: 630.665.5570
email: michael@dupagefoundation.org

At DuPage Foundation, our goal is to make sure your giving and gifting experiences work as seamlessly as possible throughout the year. The holiday season can be filled with many distractions at a time when you may also want to be thoughtful with your year-end charitable planning.

Below are some gift options to consider for your 2024 giving and some key deadlines of which to be mindful to help you avoid a last-minute rush. Acting early will ensure your giving achieves its maximum impact and yields the benefits you are seeking in our current tax year.

Consulting your tax and financial advisors should also be part of your year-end planning, and we hope that you can use these reminders as a helpful tool. As always, we are here to help and advise you on this journey, so feel free to contact the office at 630.665.5556 or reach out directly to any of our team members listed below.

KEY YEAR-END DEADLINES

SEPTEMBER 27

  • Real estate inquiry deadline

DECEMBER 2

  • Recommended deadline to initiate IRA/QCD contributions.
  • Recommended deadline to initiate electronic mutual fund transfers.

DECEMBER 13

  • Deadline for making grant recommendations from a DuPage Foundation donor-advised fund and suggested deadline for recommending non-DuPage Foundation donor-advised fund grants.  

DECEMBER 26

  • Recommended deadline to initiate ACH and electronic stock transfers.
  • Recommended deadline for IRA contributions to leave the custodial account.

DECEMBER 30

  • Last day to personally deliver a contribution to DuPage Foundation offices.
  • Last day to get a USPS postmark for mailed gifts.

DECEMBER 31

  • Deadline for credit card, web, and ACH donations.

GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM YOUR DUPAGE FOUNDATION DONOR-ADVISED FUND

Donor-advised fund grant recommendations are made through our Donor Portal at dcfdn.fcsuite.com/erp/fundmanager. or by contacting Laura Ernst, program officer at laura@dupagefoundation.org or 630.598.5295. To ensure grants reach your desired charities by year end, grant recommendations must be.  To ensure grants reach your desired charities by year end, grant recommendations must be submitted by Friday, December 15.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF CASH

By Mail
When sending charitable donations through the mail, the IRS considers the date of postmark to be the delivery date of the contribution. To ensure a contribution through the USPS qualifies for 2023, you must have your envelope postmarked by Saturday, December 30. This rule does not apply to private carriers like UPS and FedEx. Checks can be mailed to:

DuPage Foundation
3000 Woodcreek Drive, Ste. 310
Downers Grove, IL 60515
(List fund name or donation purpose in the memo line)

By Credit Card

To make a contribution by credit card, visit dupagefoundation.org/donate. Completed online transactions qualify through Tuesday, December 31.

ACH Transfer

Donation transfers from your bank or money market account can often be same or next day, but may take a few days to clear. Contact us for transfer instructions or visit dupagefoundation.org/donate. These should be initiated by Thursday, December 26.

ACH Transfer

To personally drop off cash or check gifts, our office will be open through 3:00 p.m. on Monday, December 30. We will be closed December 24-25 and December 31.

IRA QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS (QCDS)

For those looking to take advantage of the amazing benefits of using an IRA to make Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), such gifts are considered to be made when the distribution from the IRA leaves the account, not on the day it is initiated. Therefore, please initiate your requests by Friday, December 1, to ensure checks are received by the charity and cashed before year end.

If you have check-writing privileges on your IRA, the normal postmark date rule does not apply, because the funds must actually leave the custodial account by your IRA administrator’s last business day of the year for the distribution to count against your RMD for 2024.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF STOCK AND MUTUAL FUNDS

Electronic transfers of stock, mutual funds, and other securities are eligible for deduction upon the occurrence of their actual transfer from the donor to the charity’s custody, not upon the time of a transfer’s request. Please be aware of stock market schedules, and recognize that some mutual funds may take up to two to three weeks for transfer. To ensure a transfer is initiated well in advance to work within the rules of your account administrator, plan to initiate mutual fund transfers by Monday, December 2, and stock transfers by Wednesday, December 26, to ensure your gifts arrive as desired. Contact us at 630.665.5556 to request transfer instructions.

NON-DUPAGE FOUNDATION DONOR-ADVISED FUND GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS

Please check with your Fund Sponsor to determine their timeline for processing year-end grants if you want to ensure arrival by end of the calendar year.

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