Fall 2025

Dear Advisors,

As we approach the holiday season, some of your clients may be asking what they can do to help meet the rising needs in our community. Nonprofits are facing mounting pressures as federal funding cuts deepen, inflation drives up operating costs, and demand for critical services continues to climb. Your support is needed now more than ever, and Akron Community Foundation is committed to working alongside you and your clients to structure charitable giving plans that make a real difference for people in our community.

In this issue, we’re featuring key strategies to maximize your clients' year-end giving, as well as important considerations for clients who are selling a business. You'll also read about one of the most powerful giving tools for clients who have reached the age of 70 ½: Qualified Charitable Distributions.

We hope you enjoy this issue, and we welcome your suggestions about topics and resources that would be useful to you as you serve your clients. Please don't hesitate to reach out for assistance with year-end gifts, or with any other questions your clients may have as they consider their charitable goals for 2026.

Wishing you all the best this holiday season,

Laura Lederer

Vice President and Chief Development Officer

Akron Community Foundation

330-436-5611

llederer@akroncf.org

P.S. When planning year-end gifts, please note that we recommend initiating stock transfers and IRA distributions by Dec. 8 to ensure enough time for processing. Your clients can also earn a last-minute tax deduction with gifts that are postmarked or made online by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31.

Before your clients ring in the new year, make sure they are on track to meet their financial and charitable goals for 2025. Here are nine strategies you can share with your clients, from bunching gifts in a donor-advised fund to gifting appreciated stock.

Partnering with the community foundation helps your client's donor-advised fund function not only as a tax-efficient giving vehicle, but also as the foundation of a comprehensive charitable portfolio that is built to adapt through changing tax environments and community needs.

When properly executed, giving closely held business interests to charity can be an extremely effective way to achieve your clients' financial and philanthropic objectives. Keep these important strategies in mind when discussing a potential sale with your clients.

As the economic and legislative environment continues to evolve, advisors are sharpening every tool they have to help clients maximize their tax savings. Among the most compelling tools in this space for clients age 70 ½ and older is the Qualified Charitable Distribution.

Akron Community Foundation makes charitable giving easy.

Learn more with our 2025 Year-End Giving Guide:

Nonprofit Spotlight: Akron Blind Center

For more than 75 years, the Akron Blind Center has served people who are visually challenged through an array of programs that build skills, confidence and connection. These services include Braille and computer classes, job training, life skills assistance, volunteerism, and even creative outlets like crafting workshops where members and volunteers make winter hats for children in need. Most importantly, the Akron Blind Center provides a place to socialize and connect.

Financial Advisor Magazine

New Tax Law Makes Charitable Deductions More Valuable Than Ever

ThinkAdvisor

Here’s Your Year-End Tax Planning Checklist for 2025

Financial Planning Magazine

Itemize to Optimize: Charitable Strategies for the 2025 Tax Year

WealthManagement.com

Navigating Required Minimum Distributions

Financial Advisor Magazine

Estate Planning Should Start With Conversations About Life, Not Death

ThinkAdvisor

How to Prioritize Charitable Planning With Clients

Local Foundations, City Partner With Food Bank

Akron Community Foundation recently announced it will provide funding to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to support immediate food purchases to bolster food supplies at pantries across Summit County. In addition, ACF will deploy $100,000 through its Food Pantry Capacity Fund to support hunger-relief programs in targeted areas of Summit County. The Food Pantry Capacity Fund is designed to strengthen the infrastructure that makes food access possible. Learn more.

For more charitable giving news and resources you can share with your clients

The urgency of community needs in late 2025 coincides with an important window of opportunity for your clients who itemize their income tax deductions. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, limits on charitable deductions will tighten beginning in 2026. That means some clients may benefit from front-loading their contributions in a donor-advised fund. By bunching multiple years’ worth of gifts in a donor-advised fund before year-end, they can maximize both their tax benefits and their impact.

Meet Our Professional Advisor Council

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