QCD Giving in 2026: A Tax-Smart Way to Support Community

If you’re 70½ or older and have a traditional IRA, there’s a way to give to charity that can lower your tax bill at the same time. It’s called a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD, and it’s one of the most efficient giving tools available to donors. It’s also one of the least used. Most people only hear about it when a financial advisor or CPA brings it up. If no one has mentioned it to you yet, this is a good place to start.

What a QCD Is

A QCD is a gift that moves directly from your IRA to a qualifying charity. You don’t withdraw the money and write a check. Instead, you ask your IRA custodian to send the gift straight to the organization on your behalf.

Because the funds never pass through your hands, they never count as personal income. That single detail is what separates a QCD from an ordinary donation.

Why It Matters for Your Taxes

When you make a QCD, the amount you give is left out of your taxable income entirely. A charitable deduction works differently: it reduces your taxable income after that income has already been counted. A QCD keeps the money from being counted in the first place, and you receive this benefit whether or not you itemize.

Lowering your adjusted gross income this way can have effects well beyond the gift. It may help reduce Medicare premium surcharges, known as IRMAA. It can keep you below certain tax brackets and lower the share of your Social Security benefits that is taxed.

If you’re already taking required minimum distributions, there’s another benefit. A QCD counts toward your RMD for the year, so income you’re required to withdraw can go to a cause you care about rather than adding to your tax bill.

The Rules Worth Knowing

You can make a QCD once you turn 70½. That’s earlier than required minimum distributions begin, which is age 73, or 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. You don’t have to wait for RMDs to start giving this way.

In 2026, you can give up to $111,000 through QCDs. If you’re married, each spouse can give up to that amount from their own IRA, for a combined total of $222,000.

The gift must come from a traditional IRA and go directly from your custodian to a qualifying 501(c)(3) organization. QCDs cannot be made to donor-advised funds, supporting organizations, or private foundations.

Plan Ahead for Year-End

A QCD must be completed by December 31 to count for the current tax year. Custodians get busy in the final weeks of the year, and transfers can take longer than expected. If you plan to give this year, we recommend starting the process in the fall. That leaves time for the custodian to process the distribution and for your gift to arrive on schedule.

How to Give a QCD Through PCF

Pinellas Community Foundation accepts QCDs, and the process is simple.

First, decide where you’d like your gift to go. A QCD cannot be made to a donor-advised fund, so contact our team before your gift is sent, and we’ll confirm which funds are eligible.

If you’d like your gift to go to work right away, consider the Helping Pinellas Now Fund. It provides rapid-response grants to trusted local nonprofits meeting urgent needs such as housing, food access, and family stability. The fund is already established, so there’s nothing to set up.

Next, contact your IRA custodian and ask them to send a qualified charitable distribution to Pinellas Community Foundation, with the fund name noted on the transfer. We can provide any information your custodian needs.

Finally, let us know your gift is on the way. We’ll watch for the transfer, send your acknowledgment, and make sure your gift is directed exactly as you intended.

Giving With Purpose

The tax benefits of a QCD are real, but they’re rarely the whole reason people choose one. Many donors find that a QCD gives their giving a clear structure. Their retirement savings go to work in the community they’ve spent years building, with a local partner who understands both the planning and the impact.

If you’re considering a QCD this year, or just want to know whether it fits your situation, we’d be glad to talk it through. We can explain your options in plain language, help you choose the right fund, and coordinate with your advisor or IRA custodian as needed.

Contact our team: pinellascf.org/contact
Explore giving options at PCF: pinellascf.org/donors

QCD rules are specific, and every tax situation is different. Please consult your tax advisor or IRA custodian before initiating a gift.