For charitable giving, this year-end is not like others. Three separate factors have made the close of 2025 an optimal moment for philanthropy, especially stock donations.

First, tax changes are coming in 2026 for charitable contributions by wealthy individuals. Second, the long stock-price boom has made giving shares more tax-efficient than donating cash. Third, federal funding cuts for nonprofits seem to be motivating an increase in charitable giving among those concerned by the shift in government policy.

All of these factors are leading financial advisors to urge bigger donations before the end of 2025. I reached out to experienced advisors to find out what they have been recommending to their affluent clients—and what their clients have been doing.

Starting in 2026, people who itemize deductions on their tax returns will be hit with two limits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA):

These rule changes will affect the tax advantages of donating to a qualifying charity or donor-advised fund (DAF).

Though they may not be the primary motivator in all cases, these changes have led some advisors to recommend that clients try to maximize deductions under the 2025 rules. For example, Adam Broughton, the founder of PBL Wealth Management in Austin, Texas, has been talking with clients about pulling donations into 2025 to avoid the cutoff limits, along with donating appreciated stock this year.

He’s not alone. Jon Ekoniak, a senior wealth advisor with Focus Partners Wealth in Menlo Park, Calif., similarly believes that, “if the timing makes sense, we encouraged some clients to make larger charitable deductions in 2025.” He explains that while the 0.5% charitable giving floor is not a large hurdle to overcome, “even the little things add up,” particularly for top wage-earners who will also face the 35% limit maximum on their deduction.

However, some advisors have seen their clients downplay the impact of the rule changes coming in 2026. Greg Schultheis, a senior wealth planner with Carson Wealth in Franklin Lakes, N.J., has not observed broad shifts in giving strategies in 2025 for his firm’s high-net-worth clients. While he notes that the changes in 2026 are “significant,” he doesn’t view them as so dramatic that they will prompt most clients to double or triple their 2025 donations.

Among the constraints on making bigger charitable contributions in 2025 are the current IRS yearly deduction limits, which vary by donation type. These limits range from 30% to 60% of your AGI. You can carry forward excess charitable deductions for up to five consecutive years, and unused amounts then expire. Schultheis points out that “excess charitable contributions in 2025 carry forward to 2026, where........

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