By Teri Sullivan The 2025 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy provides insights into how affluent households gave and volunteered in 2024, offering important implications for planned giving fundraisers. Here are some key takeaways: Affluent generosity remains strong: 81% of wealthy households contributed a median of $33,219, supporting an average of five nonprofits. The percentage …Read More
Charitable Dollars & Sense: The Coming Changes in 2026
By Chris Woehrle The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) imposes a floor and a cap on charitable giving for tax years beginning in 2026. For all itemizers, a new 0.5% floor applies, meaning the first 0.5% of AGI contributed generates no tax benefit. Only the excess of contributions over the floor generates tax savings. …Read More
My Favorite Things About Thanksgiving Are …
We asked the Sharpe Group team to share their favorite things about Thanksgiving. Here are some of their thoughts and reminiscences. The gratitude, dredging up old family recipes, football on TV and the adorable way my Midwestern wife calls Thanksgiving dressing “stuffing.” —Grant Miller Being with family and friends. —Cindy Hatler Turkey and dressing leftovers …Read More
IRS Annual Inflation Adjustments and Other Tax Changes Impacting Giving for 2026
The IRS recently announced their annual inflation adjustments for taxes, affecting more than 60 tax provisions. Some changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) take place beginning tax year 2025 (thus changing the original 2025 rates), while some do not take effect until tax year 2026. These tables may be helpful as you …Read More
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining: Digital Assets
Gift planners are often called upon to do more than raise money. While many do not offer legal advice, they help encourage donors to make sure their wishes—charitable or otherwise—are protected. Basic estate planning principals are often part of a gift planner’s toolbox. If your donor communications haven’t been updated recently, you may be missing …Read More
Year-End Recipe for Success
It’s been proven time and time again that charitable organizations receive much of their annual gifts in the final quarter of the year. As you begin formulating your communications strategy for the fall, it’s important to understand how and why people choose to give during that time of year. Having analyzed results from the marketing …Read More
Charitable Planning: A Unique Opportunity for Advisors Today
By Joe Chickey Advisors understand that their primary role is to grow their clients’ wealth over time through tax minimization and investment strategies. 2025 is being called “PEAK 65” as baby boomers reach age 65 in record numbers, with 10,000 turning 65 every day! Additionally, many are selling their businesses and retiring. This offers a …Read More
Good News for Taxpayers: Looking at the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
By Barlow T. Mann As a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), there is a new above-the-line charitable deduction for cash gifts from nonitemizers ($1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for those filing MFJ) beginning in 2026. For those who will continue to itemize, gifts of cash remain generally deductible up to …Read More
Charitable Dollars & Sense: The Dawn of Nationwide School Choice?
By Chris Woehrle Section 110190 of the House-passed H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “Act”),1 has the potential to upend the financing of public education by providing a tax credit. Specifically, individuals would be entitled to a credit representing the greater of (1) $5,000 or (2) 10% of adjusted gross income (AGI). For …Read More
Why I—of All People—Am Hosting a Planned Giving Podcast
By Grant Miller I don’t listen to podcasts much. Not because I don’t like them, and not because I don’t think there are endless fascinating things out there worth learning. (Don’t worry, my wife keeps me up to date on all the true crime podcasts at the dinner table.) I just don’t make the time. …Read More

