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Smart tips to help maximize your charitable giving — and your tax benefits
As the end of the year approaches, you’ve probably noticed your inbox filling up with requests from charities asking for year-end donations. Giving is important, especially now. Like so many people, you may find yourself stressed as you scramble to locate receipts and track contributions to document your tax deductions for 2023. You may also discover that organizing your giving differently could have resulted in greater tax benefits.
Here are a few tips to help you maximize your tax deductions, be more intentional about your giving, and reduce stress not just in December, but throughout the year.
Organizing your giving with a charitable tax vehicle that offers an immediate tax deduction.
If you support multiple charities, consider using a vehicle to streamline your philanthropy. One option is a private foundation, which enables you to put aside money in advance, take a tax deduction up front, and plan your grant-making over time. But the drawback is that private foundations are costly to set up, and you will still need to manage your record-keeping and tax filings. A simpler option is a donor advised fund, which organizes your charitable giving, eliminates record-keeping, and doesn’t require filing a 990 form. That’s why donor advised funds (DAFs) are the fastest-growing charitable vehicle.
Donor advised funds help get money to your charities swiftly and securely.
Donor advised funds (DAFs) are a flexible and tax-efficient way to give, and most DAFs can be opened with a minimum contribution of $5,000. When you contribute to a DAF you qualify for an immediate deduction, regardless of when and how many charities you support. The DAF provides the only receipt you’ll need. Most DAF accounts are managed on a secure portal. At Jewish Communal Fund, you can make grants and see your giving and contribution history when you log in. You can recommend grants to IRS-approved charities in every sector.
Donate cash or appreciated securities to maximize your tax savings and earn tax-free income.
Cash contributions to a donor advised fund or other public charity are generally eligible for an income tax deduction of up to 60% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). If you have appreciated securities — held for more than 12 months — you can electronically transfer shares to a donor advised fund and claim a fair market value deduction of up to 30% of adjusted gross income. Even better, you will not be subject to capital gains tax on the appreciated portion of the contribution. After the DAF sponsor (the organization where you have your account) liquidates the stock, the proceeds are credited to your fund, enabling you to make grants to multiple charities. At Jewish Communal Fund, you may choose from a robust selection of investments, and the tax-free earnings will be rebalanced into your Jewish Communal Fund account.
Plan ahead and respond swiftly when there is a crisis.
Putting money aside when you have additional income such as a bonus, appreciated securities, or an inheritance allows you to be more tax-efficient and intentional with your giving. So when a crisis occurs, like the terrible Oct. 7 attack on Israel or a devastating natural disaster, you will be ready to help with a donation with the click of a button. Grants from Jewish Communal Fund are sent out within two to three days.
Use a donor advised fund to group contributions for several years of giving.
You can make a contribution to a donor advised fund by “bunching” what you would have contributed to charities over the next two to three years, enabling you to reach the threshold for itemizing your tax return and qualifying for a maximum tax deduction. Many DAFs do not have an annual minimum distribution requirement, so you can set the timetable for making grants.
Terminate a private foundation using a DAF.
If you already have a private foundation, you can transfer assets to a DAF to eliminate the expense and administrative burden. Unlike the private foundation, your confidentiality is protected because DAFs report in the aggregate rather than disclosing information on individual fundholders.
Engage the next generation with a community of Jewish philanthropists.
At Jewish Communal Fund, parents or other family members may open funds for their adult children between the ages of 18-30 with a contribution of only $1,800. This is an effective way to help the next generation begin their own philanthropic journey as part of a network of Jewish givers.
Why choose Jewish Communal Fund?
JCF is the largest and most experienced Jewishly affiliated donor advised fund in the nation, with over $2.8 billion in charitable assets for 4,700 funds. Each year, JCF’s board of trustees makes a $2 million gift from its revenues to the annual campaign of UJA-Federation of New York. JCF’s endowment, the Special Gifts Fund, makes annual grants on behalf of fundholders to support organizations that promote the welfare and security of the Jewish community at home and abroad. After the outbreak of the war in Israel, JCF’s trustees awarded $500,000 from the Special Gifts Fund for the Israel Emergency Fund of UJA-Federation of New York.
Additionally, JCF’s endowment has supported kosher food pantries, JCCs, Jewish summer camps, and services for the elderly and Holocaust survivors. Unlike commercial DAFs, JCF offers Jewish values investments such as Israel Bonds and an Israeli exchange-traded fund (ETF). JCF’s recoverable grant program partners with the leading Jewish loan societies – Hebrew Free Loan Society in the U.S. and Ogen in Israel. Just by using JCF to help streamline your giving, you will stand with a proud network of Jewish philanthropists supporting the Jewish community’s important communal organizations.
*This is not accounting advice, so consult with your accountant regarding your own personal situation.
Ellen Smith-Israelson is the CMO and vice president of philanthropic services at Jewish Communal Fund. Her career in philanthropy spans 36 years working in the arts, higher education and Jewish organizations. For help deciding whether a donor advised fund is right for you, visit JCFNY.org or contact the JCF team to request more information or schedule a call.
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The post Smart tips to help maximize your charitable giving — and your tax benefits appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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‘Child Killers’: Jewish Activists Doused With Red Paint in Germany While Hanging Up Hostage Posters
i24 News – Masked attackers doused with red paint and shoved German Jewish activists hanging up posters of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza in Frankfurt on Friday. The assailants shouted “child killers” and “free Palestine.”
Sacha Stawski, a German-Jewish activist who heads the media watchdog NGO Honestly Concerned, who’s spent decades combating antisemitism, spoke to local media about the incident.
“We attached posters with photos of the 50 hostages still in Hamas’s captivity to a fence in the Frankfurt Grüneburgpark,” Stawski told the Bild outlet. “We were branded ‘child killers,’ and I constantly heard ‘Free Palestine,’ and ‘genocide’ calls.”
The paint also poured over my glasses, making it difficult for me to identify the perpetrator,” he added.
Germany’s ambassador to Israel condemned the incident.
The small pro-hostage rally took place near an anarchist encampment housing several anti-Israel organizations. Stawski said this was announced to the camp organizers.
Meanwhile a German government spokesman said on Friday that Berlin currently has no plans to recognize a Palestinian state because that would undermine any efforts to reach a negotiated solution with Israel.
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Hegseth Fires Head of Intel Agency Whose Assessment of Damage from Iran Strikes Angered Trump
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on US President Donald Trump’s budget request for the Department of Defense, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
i24 News – US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired a general whose agency’s initial intelligence assessment of damage to Iranian nuclear sites from US strikes sparked the ire of President Donald Trump.
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse will no longer serve as head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, US media reported, citing sources speaking on condition of anonymity.
The sacking is the latest upheaval in military leadership and in the country’s intelligence agencies, and comes a few months after details of the preliminary assessment leaked to the media.
The assessment found that Iran’s nuclear program has been set back only a few months by the bombings, contradicting assertions from Trump and from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Republican president, who had pronounced the Iranian program “completely and fully obliterated,” rejected the report.
n June, Israel launched a devastating bombing campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, missile production and military leadership, saying the operation was necessary to prevent the mullah regime from realizing its oft-stated plan to annihilate the Jewish state.
During the ensuing 12-day war, the US joined in, striking key Iranian nuclear sites.
Following the June strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, Hegseth lambasted the press for focusing on the preliminary assessment but did not offer any direct evidence of the destruction of the facilities.
“You want to call it destroyed, you want to call it defeated, you want to call it obliterated — choose your word. This was a historically successful attack,” Hegseth said at a news conference at the time.
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Amid Rising Antisemitism, American Jews Make Aliyah to Israel Seeking Safety, Community, Impact
Olim gather at JFK Airport in New York, preparing to board Nefesh B’Nefesh’s 65th charter flight to Israel. Photo: The Algemeiner
NEW YORK/TEL AVIV — Confronted with rising antisemitism and unease in the United States, a growing number of American Jews are choosing to make aliyah, embracing the risks of war in the Middle East for the chance to build new lives and foster meaningful communities.
On Wednesday, 225 new olim arrived in Tel Aviv on the first charter aliyah flight since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Aliyah refers to the process of Jews immigrating to Israel, and olim refers to those who make this journey.
Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) — a nonprofit that promotes and facilitates aliyah from the US and Canada — brought its 65th charter flight from New York, which The Algemeiner joined.
Founded in 2002, NBN helps olim become fully integrated members of Israeli society, simplifying the aliyah process and providing essential resources and guidance.
In partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth, and the Jewish National Fund, NBN has helped nearly 100,000 olim build thriving new lives in Israel.
Shawn Fink is one of the 225 people who embarked on the life-changing journey earlier this week, leaving Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife, Liz, and their son.
For Fink and his family, making aliyah was driven not only by their love for Israel and desire to build a new community, but also by the escalating threats and uncertainties facing Jewish communities abroad since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
“Mostly, we were frustrated with the direction the United States is taking, and the rise in antisemitism was a major concern for us,” Fink told The Algemeiner.
Like many countries around the world, the US has seen an alarming rise in antisemitic incidents and anti-Israel sentiment since the Oct. 7 atrocities.
According to the latest data issued by the FBI, hate crimes perpetrated against Jews increased by 5.8 percent in 2024 to 1,938, the largest total recorded in over 30 years of the federal agency’s counting them.
A striking 69 percent of all religion-based hate crimes that were reported to the FBI in 2024 targeted Jews, who constitute just 2 percent of the US population, with 2,041 out of 2,942 total such incidents being antisemitic in nature. Muslims were targeted the next highest amount as the victims of 256 offenses, or about 9 percent of the total.
Fink explained that the increasing costs of living a Jewish life in the US — from education to kosher food — weighed heavily on his family’s decision to make the move to Israel.
While they first considered making aliyah five years ago, Fink and his family had to put the plans on hold for personal reasons — returning to the idea only in the past few months when the timing finally worked in their favor.
“We started planning it seriously in November and began the entire process with Nefesh B’Nefesh,” Fink told The Algemeiner. “It’s been a nonstop whirlwind ever since.”
For them, the current war did not stop their plans, but it did influence the cities they explored for their new home.
“The war really reinforced for us the importance of supporting Israel and our community,” Fink said. “By making aliyah, we felt we could do even more to help.”
Even though it is difficult to leave behind family and close friends, they look forward to reconnecting with friends in Israel, making new connections, and building a vibrant new community.
“Making aliyah in less than six months has been a whirlwind. I’d encourage anyone considering it to give themselves at least twice as much time, double the budget, and be prepared for plenty of unexpected starts and stops along the way,” Fink told The Algemeiner.
Nefesh B’Nefesh provides assistance to families throughout their entire aliyah journey, offering guidance before relocating and continued support once in Israel.
The Israeli government also complements these efforts with resources and financial incentives to help newcomers settle and ease their transition into their new lives.
“Once the ticket is finally in your hand and you’re waiting to board the plane, you realize that all the challenges and obstacles along the way were worth it,” Fink said.
Veronica Zaragovia was also one of the 225 olim who joined the flight earlier this week.
Similarly to Fink and his family, Zaragovia decided to make aliyah, driven not just by her love for Israel, but also by the increasing challenges of being Jewish abroad and the hope of making a meaningful impact by serving her community.
From Florida, she embarked on the journey alone, excited for all the new opportunities and possibilities that awaited her in her new home.
“I want to take pride in being Jewish and in Israel — that’s why I’m making aliyah,” she told The Algemeiner, reflecting on the move she has been planning for the past two years.
“It’s a huge concern for me that in some places in the US, I can’t — or maybe shouldn’t — wear my Star of David necklace,” she said. “I don’t feel that Jews can be fully safe anywhere in the country. The rise in antisemitism has been truly shocking and deeply concerning.”
Zaragovia, who worked as a journalist in the US, said her love for storytelling and uncovering the truth played a key role in her decision to make this move.
“After Oct. 7, I felt that the way my colleagues and other journalists were covering Israel was wrong and unfair,” she said.
“As someone whose career is built on facts and truth, I didn’t see that reflected in their reporting. That’s why I decided to make a difference by being there myself,” she continued.
Rather than deterring her decision to make a change, Zaragovia explained that the current war only reinforced it.
“It became clear that I needed to go, be there with my people, and make a difference through my work,” she said. “I couldn’t have done this without Nefesh B’Nefesh. They’ve been incredible, guiding me every step of the way from start to finish.”