Year-End Giving with a Donor-Advised Fund: Deadlines, Guidelines and Resources
AS THE YEAR DRAWS TO A CLOSE, many of us look for meaningful ways to give back—whether it’s supporting communities, addressing urgent challenges or advancing innovative solutions. This is what we call Giving Season, and a donor-advised fund (DAF) provides a simple, tax-efficient way to support the causes that matter most to you.
This page will guide you through the essentials of year-end giving with a DAF, including important contribution deadlines, grant recommendation guidelines and other useful tools to help you achieve your charitable goals during this busy time.
Refer to these important dates to ensure that your contributions—of any type—are received by December 31. Following these guidelines will help to ensure that National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) receives your contributions by December 31 for treatment as a 2024 gift.
Most assets require the submission of a Contribution Agreement, which may be completed online via the donor portal.
| DEADLINE | WHAT TO DO | |
|---|---|---|
| Credit Card | Submit by 11:59pm ET on December 31 | Log in to the donor portal and click Contribute With Credit Card. Once processed, all donations are irrevocable. |
| Check | Must be postmarked by December 31 if using USPS Must be received by 3pm ET on December 31 if using any non-USPS mail carrier (FedEx, UPS, etc.) | Submit a check payable to National Philanthropic Trust. Note the DAF name and account number in the memo section. |
| Money Wire | Initiate transfer by December 24 Must be received by December 31 | Submit a Contribution Agreement to NPT, then submit a transfer request to the financial institution holding the funds. Find wire instructions here. |
| Stocks, Bonds and ETFs* | Initiate transfer by December 23 Must be received by December 31 | Submit a Contribution Agreement to NPT, then submit a transfer request to the financial institution holding the assets. Find transfer instructions here. |
| Mutual Funds* | Initiate transfer by November 30 Must be received by December 31 | Submit a Contribution Agreement to NPT, then submit a transfer request to the financial institution holding the fund(s). Find transfer instructions here. |
| Special Securities, Real Estate and Closely Held Stock | Initiate due diligence ASAP; must be received by December 31. | Contact NPT at (888) 878-7900 for assistance. |
| Cryptocurrency | Documentation must be received by December 18. Assets must be received by December 31. | Contact NPT at (888) 878-7900 for assistance. |
| Stock Certificates | Initiate contribution ASAP. Must be postmarked by December 31 if using USPS. Must be received by 3pm ET on December 30 if using any non-USPS mail carrier (FedEx, UPS, etc.). | Contact NPT at (888) 878-7900 for assistance. |
* For gifts of stock, bonds, ETFs or mutual funds, please note that the external custodian currently holding the assets may require that you submit a Letter of Instruction to initiate the transfer of the assets; if so, please present originals of the completed Letter of Instruction to the external custodian and not to NPT.
Many of your favorite charities will be making their year-end appeals soon. Follow these deadlines to ensure that your support will be counted this year.
| DEADLINE | WHAT TO DO | |
|---|---|---|
| For NPT to review, approve and send the grant payments in 2024, we ask that you: | Enter grant recommendation by 11:59pm ET on Tuesday, December 17. Approved grants will be mailed on or before Tuesday, December 31. | Enter your grant recommendation in your donor portal. |
| If you hope to have your grant recommendation approved in 2024 with grant payments sent early in 2025, we ask that you: | Enter grant recommendation by 11:59pm ET on Friday, December 20. Grants approved in 2024 will be mailed on or before January 2, 2025. | Enter your grant recommendation in your donor portal. |
Please note that National Philanthropic Trust’s offices will have limited hours for the Thanksgiving holiday:
Thursday, November 28, 2024: CLOSED
Friday, November 29, 2024: 8:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
To support your year-end giving, National Philanthropic Trust will then offer extended hours starting December 2:
Monday–Friday: 8:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. ET
These hours will be in effect through year-end, except on the following special days:
Wednesday, December 25, 2024: CLOSED
Wednesday, January 1, 2025: CLOSED
Additional evening and weekend hours are available by appointment. Please contact us at (888) 878-7900 or npt@nptrust.org with any questions or to schedule an appointment. This season and always, we are proud to be your partner in giving.
Additional Resources
Discover what charitable causes and purposes you can—and can’t—support through a DAF.
Explore how to effectively support disaster relief efforts and maximize your philanthropic impact during times of crisis.
Learn how to take proactive steps to communicate your philanthropic intentions in a legacy plan.
Discover five tips to maximize your year-end grantmaking impact and tax benefits.
Use NPT’s advisor toolkit to identify DAF prospects, prepare for client meetings and engage clients about their year-end philanthropic goals.
Get expert insights on how a DAF can help clients reach their giving goals tax-efficiently and tips to keep their philanthropic goals on track.
