Under the new federal tax law, taxpayers who take the standard deduction may be eligible to deduct charitable contributions of up to:

• $1,000 for single filers
   
• $2,000 for married couples filing jointly

This provision allows more donors, regardless of whether they itemize, to receive a tax benefit for supporting causes they care about. (Gifts to donor-advised funds are excluded from this new tax break for non-itemizers.)

For donors who itemize deductions, charitable contributions will be deductible only to the extent that total qualified gifts exceed 0.5% of adjusted gross income (AGI).

Example:
A donor with an AGI of $200,000 would be able to deduct charitable gifts that exceed $1,000.

Beginning in 2026, the tax benefit of charitable deductions for the highest-income taxpayers will be modestly capped. While charitable giving remains highly impactful, donors in this category may wish to plan gifts carefully to maximize both philanthropic and tax outcomes

Donors age 70½ or older may make a Qualified Charitable Distribution directly from an IRA to St. Joe’s.

A QCD lets you transfer up to $108,000 per year directly from your IRA to a qualified charity without having to include the distribution in taxable income. QCDs sidestep both the new floor and the top-bracket cap.

Benefits may include:

• Exclusion of the distribution from taxable income
• Potential satisfaction of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)
• A simple and effective way to support scholarships and programs

Donating appreciated stocks or other assets may allow donors to

• Avoid capital gains tax on the asset
• Receive a charitable deduction for the full fair market value
• Make a larger impact than a comparable cash gift

Some donors choose to “bunch” multiple years of giving into a single contribution to a donor-advised fund, then recommend grants to St. Joe’s over time.

This approach can:

• Maximize deductions in a high-income year
• Provide flexibility for future giving
• Sustain consistent support for St. Joe’s mission