Foundation
Giving That Works for You
There are many ways to support CWU using tax-wise financial planning tools. Smart giving can include IRA Qualified Charitable Deductions (QCD), gifts of appreciated securities or real estate, gifts made through a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), and more.
This page is intended to be a resource for you.
Tax Wise Charitable Planning Strategies
There are a number of charitable planning strategies that can help you lower your taxable income this year.
- If you are 70½ or older, giving through an IRA with a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is a powerful way to support CWU and reduce your tax burden. Charitable rollover gifts made to the Foundation directly from your retirement account will count toward your Required Minimum Distribution for the year.
- There are great tax advantages in donating appreciated securities over an outright cash gift. When you donate publicly traded stocks or bonds, you can both avoid paying capital gains tax and receive a tax‑saving charitable deduction.
- Donor Advised Funds (DAF) are a smart way to couple your giving each year and maximize your tax deduction. By establishing a DAF, you can take an immediate tax break and offset capital gains on any appreciated assets that are contributed.
Tax Changes in 2026: What you should know
Beginning in 2026, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will change tax rules related to claiming a tax deduction for charitable donations. Understanding these new rules will help you make the most of your charitable giving and lower your tax burden.
Tax Deduction Changes
Beginning in 2026, taxpayers who take the standard deduction can also deduct up to $1,000 (individuals) or $2,000 (married couples) for gifts made to qualified charities like CWU. However, also starting in 2026, itemized charitable deductions will only apply if your total donations are more than 0.5% of your AGI. For example, if your income is $200,000, only donations more than $1,000 will be deductible. To plan for this, you may consider combining several years’ worth of donations into one tax year with tools such as Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) to help you give more efficiently.
New Limit on Charitable Deductions
Individuals in the highest federal income tax bracket will see their charitable deduction benefits lowered to 35%. If you're in this tax bracket and you itemize deductions, your donations will still count in full, but your tax break will be a bit smaller.
Before these changes take effect in 2026, you may want to consider giving early by front-loading gifts to year-end 2025 to benefit from the current deduction value before the cap takes effect.
For information on ways to give, visit the CWU planned giving site. Additional gift opportunities can be found at our giving page or select the give button at the left to give online today.
To learn more about tax wise ways to support CWU, please contact Director of Planned Giving Sarah Freeman at sarah.freeman@cwu.edu
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Contact
Central Washington University Foundation
400 E University Way
Ellensburg, WA
98926-7508