What Can You Give to Charity? More Than You Might Think

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Most people give cash. It’s a fine way to give, but it’s not the only way and it isn’t always the most strategic. You can donate appreciated stock, real estate, a business interest, and a surprising range of other assets, often to a donor-advised fund, and giving the asset itself can be more tax-efficient than selling it first and giving the proceeds. Which assets make sense, and exactly how the tax works, depends on your situation. So the real takeaway is simple: before your next significant gift, ask your advisor what you could give beyond cash.

When people picture charitable giving, they picture writing a check. Cash is simple, and for many gifts it is the right choice. But here is what a lot of donors never realize: you can give far more than cash. Appreciated stock, real estate, a stake in a business, and a surprising range of other assets can all go to charity, and in many cases giving the asset itself does more good than giving cash would.

This article is about that range: what you can give, and why it is worth a conversation with your advisor. The detailed tax mechanics are their department. The possibilities are yours to explore.

What can you give?

This is the part that surprises people. The familiar options are cash and publicly traded stock, but the range of what you can give to charity is much wider.

The more familiar appreciated assets include:

• Publicly traded stock: Shares held in a brokerage account, including concentrated positions you’ve been meaning to diversify.
• Restricted stock: Vested shares subject to lock-up periods or trading restrictions. Unvested shares generally can’t be given.
• Private company stock: Shares in a company before or during a sale process.
• Real estate: Appreciated property, including investment real estate, in certain situations.
• Business interests: Ownership stakes in an LLC, partnership, C-corp, or S-corp, though these gifts are more complex.

And the list goes further than most people realize. Depending on the sponsoring charity, donors have also given:

• Cryptocurrency and other digital assets
• Oil, gas, and mineral rights or royalties
• Farmland and other agricultural assets
• Fine art, collectibles, and other tangible personal property
• Life insurance policies
• Private equity, hedge fund, and limited partnership interests
• Intellectual property and royalties

Not every asset will be accepted, and the more unusual the asset, the more review it takes. Acceptance varies by sponsoring charity, and so does the tax treatment: some assets, like appreciated stock, can be especially tax-efficient to give, while others work differently. The point isn’t that you can give anything. It’s that you can probably give more than you think, and your advisor and the sponsoring charity can tell you what is possible and how a specific asset would be treated.

What if you’re giving an asset you’re about to sell? 

If you’re giving closely held shares or other business interests, act early in the sale process, before the deal is effectively certain. Once the deal is locked in, the most tax-efficient way to give may no longer be available.

This is the part most donors miss. The window to give an asset before a sale is often narrow, and it usually closes well before the closing date.

The contribution should be completed before any of the following happen:

• the parties agree to all material terms of the sale
• the board or shareholders approve the deal
• due diligence is substantially complete
• a closing date is set
• everyone treats the deal as a foregone conclusion

Put another way, the sponsoring charity needs to receive the gift while the deal could still fall apart or change in a meaningful way. The charity also can’t be legally obligated to sell the shares. That uncertainty is what allows the charity, not you, to be treated as the seller of the donated shares for tax purposes. If you wait too long, you may owe tax on the gain as if you had sold the shares yourself.

The simple rule: if you’re thinking about giving, talk to your advisor before you sign anything. Your advisor can help you figure out whether an asset qualifies, what the timing requirements are, how the gift fits your overall tax picture, and whether a DAF is the right fit.

Ask your advisor if a donor-advised fund is right for you.

What does the gift make possible?

The mechanics matter, but they’re not why people give.

A well-planned gift of an appreciated asset means more money reaches the organizations you’ve chosen to support. It might be a business you spent years building, a property that grew in value over decades, or shares that ended up worth far more than you paid. Any of these can do more for a cause you believe in than a cash gift that costs you the same.

The sale is how you get there. The causes you support are what it’s really about.

What is a donor-advised fund, and how does it help with a sale?

A donor-advised fund is a charitable giving account held by a sponsoring charity. It’s one of the most practical ways to give appreciated and complex assets before a sale.

It works a bit like a retirement account. You contribute now and may get a tax deduction that year. The money can be invested for potential growth. Then you recommend grants to the charities you want to support on your own schedule, not when the pressure of the deal is highest.

That setup helps in a few ways:

• It takes complex assets. A donor-advised fund can accept assets that most charities can’t take directly.
• The sponsor holds the assets. Once you contribute, the sponsoring charity is the legal owner of the assets, with authority over how they’re invested and granted. You can recommend investments and which charities receive grants. Your contribution is irrevocable.
• Grants can be anonymous. A private foundation files a public Form 990-PF with the IRS each year that lists its grants. A donor-advised fund doesn’t require your name to appear on grants, which matters if you value privacy.

There’s also a deduction advantage for private stock. A gift of private company stock to a donor-advised fund is generally deductible at fair market value. The same gift to a private foundation is generally limited to what you paid for it.

The amount available for grants will go up or down with the investments you recommend. Growth is possible, not guaranteed.

Frequently asked questions

Can you donate private stock or a business interest to a donor-advised fund?

Yes, in many cases, subject to the sponsoring charity’s review and acceptance. Not all assets qualify, and gifts over $5,000 generally need a qualified appraisal from an independent appraiser. Your advisors and the sponsoring charity also need to coordinate well before the deal is final.

Can you give assets like cryptocurrency or art? 

Yes, many donors do, though it depends on the sponsoring charity and the asset. Some assets, like appreciated stock, are straightforward and especially tax-efficient to give; others, like art or collectibles, can be given but are treated differently for tax purposes. The sponsoring charity reviews each gift, and your advisor can tell you how a specific asset would work for you.

What’s the difference between giving an appreciated asset and giving cash?

When you give cash, you’re giving money that’s already been taxed. It’s simple and can be deducted against a larger share of your income, which is why many donors choose it. When you give an appreciated asset you’ve held for more than a year, you may avoid tax on the gain and deduct the asset’s fair market value. Each has advantages; the better choice depends on your situation and the asset. Your advisor can help you compare.

What if you already sold and only have cash?

You can still give. A donor-advised fund accepts cash, and you may still get a charitable deduction for that tax year if you complete the contribution by December 31. Giving appreciated assets before a sale is one of the most efficient ways to give. But if that window has passed, giving cash to a donor-advised fund and recommending grants over time is still a good approach.

Do you need an advisor to donate appreciated assets?

For publicly traded stock, the process is fairly simple. For restricted stock, private company shares, real estate, or business interests, you’ll need your advisor involved. These gifts take careful timing and coordination, especially around a sale, so they belong in your deal team’s hands alongside the sale itself.

This content is for educational and marketing purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax outcomes depend on your individual circumstances and current law. Invested assets may rise or fall in value, and growth is not guaranteed. Invested assets are not insured against loss. Investment options and asset acceptance are determined solely by the sponsoring charity and not by Renaissance Acquisition Company LLC or its affiliates, agents, successors and assigns (collectively, “Ren”). Please consult your own tax, legal, and financial advisors before making charitable, legal, or financial decisions.