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Year-End Giving Tips and Reminders

Year-End Giving Masthead

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, we’re committed to helping you achieve the maximum impact and benefits from your giving. The fourth quarter and 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 tips to consider for your 2024 giving and some key deadlines to keep in mind to avoid a last-minute rush. Acting early will ensure you achieve your goals efficiently and effectively with intention.

Consulting your tax and financial advisors should also be part of your year-end planning. As always, we are here to help you on this journey, so feel free to contact us at 630.665.5556 to connect with a member of our team.

KEY YEAR-END DEADLINES

SEPTEMBER 30

  • Deadline to initiate real estate gift planning.

DECEMBER 2

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

DECEMBER 13

  • Deadline for to make grant recommendations from a DuPage Foundation donor-advised fund and suggested deadline to recommend non-DuPage Foundation donor-advised fund grants to ensure grants are awarded by December 31.  

DECEMBER 26

  • Recommended deadline to initiate ACH and electronic stock transfers.

DECEMBER 31

  • Last day to personally deliver a contribution to DuPage Foundation office.
  • Last day to get a USPS postmark for mailed gifts.
  • Deadline for credit card donations.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF CASH

By Mail
When sending charitable donations through the mail, the IRS considers the date of postmark to be gift date. To ensure a contribution through the USPS qualifies for 2024, you must have your envelope postmarked by Tuesday, December 31. 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 generally clear in 1-2 days but, at year end, can take longer. Contact us for transfer instructions or visit dupagefoundation.org/donate. ACH transfers should be initiated by Thursday, December 26.

Drop Off at Our Office
To personally drop off cash or check gifts, our office will be open through 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31. We will be closed December 24-25.

IRA QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS (QCDS)

For those 70 1/2 and older who are 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 Monday, December 2, to ensure checks are received by the charity and cashed before year end.

For 2024, the QCD maximum is $105,000/individual or $210,000/couple. QCDs can be contributed to all types of funds at DuPage Foundation, with the exception of donor-advised funds. 

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 2024 RMD.

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 Thursday, December 26, to ensure your gifts arrive as desired. Contact us at 630.665.5556 to request transfer instructions.

GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A DONOR-ADVISED FUND

DuPage Foundation 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 13.

Non-DuPage Foundation Fund
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.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF REAL ESTATE

The deadline to initiate real estate gift planning has passed. If this is an area of interest, please reach out by September 30, 2025. 

Inquiries for gifts of real estate must be in initiated by September 30 to allow ample time for appropriate due diligence, including, but not limited, to appraisals and Phase I environmental impact audits.

Real estate may be given at its current market value, allowing a full deduction and avoiding capital gains tax on the appreciation. Properties under contract for sale are not eligible to be gifted. Properties that are encumbered by a trust, deed, loan or mortgage will be accepted only in exceptional circumstances.

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