GiveSmARt Blog

Smart Giving at Year End: Dates to Remember

Arkansas Community Foundation is ready to assist you as you begin to make year-end giving plans. So that we can provide the best possible service and ensure your charitable gifts qualify for a charitable income tax deduction in the 2018 tax year, please keep these important dates in mind:

  • Checks sent via the U.S. Postal Service to the Community Foundation or any affiliate office must be postmarked by December 31, 2018.
  • Gifts sent via other means must be physically received at the Community Foundation or any affiliate office on or before December 31, 2018.
  • Gifts of stock, IRA or complex assets take more pre-planning, so please contact us in early December to ensure they can be attributed to this calendar year.
  • If you would like to give to a nonprofit from your fund before the end of the year, grant recommendations must be received by Friday, December 21. Checks will be mailed Friday, December 28.
  • Credit card gifts made by phone or online may be made until December 31, 2018.
  • Call 501-372-1116 to contact any of our staff for assistance.

Year-end grant recommendations:

Donor-advised fundholders may wish to recommend grants to support nonprofits’ year-end campaigns or provide holiday contributions. So that these nonprofit recipients receive grant checks by the end of the year, recommendations should be made by Noon on Friday, December 14. Donor advised grant recommendations should be made online through our secure donor portal.

Please also note, the timing of donor advised grants has no effect on your 2018 charitable income tax donations since your charitable contribution was made when you contributed it to your donor advised fund.

Year-end office hours:

Arkansas Community Foundation is ready to help you support the causes you care about at year-end with our staff available to provide answers and process transactions until the last day of the year. Our offices will be closed on Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25 but will be open for business as usual Wednesday, December 26 through Monday, December 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.