Donor-Advised Funds:
Bunching, Abundance and Flexibility
At the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, we strive to make giving easy so you can make the greatest possible impact. For many, a donor-advised fund offers that simplicity and flexibility so they can streamline their giving, stay organized and engage their family in philanthropy.
And, for some families, 2025 is the year when the donor-advised fund takes on an even bigger role, aligning charitable giving goals with changing tax laws. Even families who are not impacted by changing tax laws are beginning to view
OCCF’s Lindsay Laird meets with Steve and Lisa Mason.
their donor-advised fund with more admiration for the variety and abundance of purposes it can serve.
Let’s take a look:
SAVVY GIVING TIP:
If you itemize deductions, change is coming in 2026. Talk to your advisor about strategies to maximize your deductions before time runs out!
“Bunching” in 2025
If you itemize deductions on your income tax return, you might have heard that things are changing in 2026 when both a floor and a cap on itemized charitable deductions kick in. This means 2025 offers a unique opportunity to “front-load” or “bunch” charitable contributions into your donor-advised fund before the tax landscape shifts. By making a larger contribution in 2025—perhaps representing two or three years of anticipated giving—you can maximize your tax deduction under the current rules while continuing to recommend grants to charities in 2026 and beyond.
Organize Your Giving
Your donor-advised fund at OCCF already serves as a useful hub to organize your giving, allowing you to make tax-deductible contributions and recommend grants to your favorite organizations over time. With this in mind, make sure your fund is the center of your charitable activity—not a side account. In other words, consider making all of your charitable contributions through your donor-advised fund to streamline recordkeeping and tracking of your annual giving footprint.
SAVVY GIVING TIP:
The OCCF Fund Portal is the hub of all your DAF activity.
- See Giving History
- See Grant History
- Recommend Grants
SAVVY GIVING TIP:
If you are over age 70½, your IRA’s Qualified Charitable Distributions can go directly to field-of-interest funds, donor-designated funds, scholarships and nonprofit endowments—reducing taxable income while supporting the causes you care about.
Call us at 405-235-5603 to learn more.
Adopt a Portfolio Approach
At OCCF, we know that each donor is different. Our team listens to your individual nees and can help you select the right giving vehicle to help you achieve your goals.
Alongside your donor-advised fund, we offer a variety of ways to expand your charitable giving portfolio, including:
- Donor-Designated Funds | support a specific charity today and in the future.
- Field-of-Interest Fund | support specific causes you care about that are being addressed in the community by several nonprofits.
- Scholarship Funds | invest in pathways to success and strengthen our workforce.
- Nonprofit Endowments | build reliable, sustainable support for the nonprofits you care about.
Extending Your Legacy
Your estate plan plays a vital role in extending your legacy and supporting your family and community. Many people name donor-advised funds or other funds at OCCF as beneficiaries in their will, trust or retirement accounts. Retirement plans such as traditional IRAs can be particularly tax-efficient assets to give through your estate because the gift bypasses income and estate tax.
SAVVY GIVING TIP:
Name your fund at OCCF as the beneficiary of your IRA to maximize tax savings and extend your legacy!
As you begin to view your donor-advised fund in a new light, remember that the team at OCCF is here to help you make the most of it, whether that means exploring how to “bunch your giving” in 2025, creating complementary funds or planning your charitable legacy. We are honored to work together to ensure that your philanthropy continues to make a lasting difference in our community, today and for years to come.