Did you know 23% of giving to Thrivent Charitable in 2022 happened in December? That’s 178% more than our average monthly giving. So, to give you time to make the most of your charitable fund, here are steps to help you get ahead of the December rush.

The first step is to plan. Take time to develop or review your charitable plan. Map out your giving goals and the change you want to make in the world. Take time to reflect on your why. Why do you want to give? What causes do you care about most? Then, sit down with your financial advisor and talk about the how. What charitable giving options are available to you? What types of gifts can you give? What is the most tax-efficient way to make the biggest impact? To help you through both steps of this process we have several resources available to you: Your Giving Plan Booklet, Your Giving Story, and a fund review form.

The second step is to give to your charitable fund. We define gifts in three buckets: 1. Give Now, 2. Give Later, and 3. Give and Receive. If you’re already giving now, explore the options for giving later and vice versa. Give and Receive creates an opportunity to leave a legacy and also receive additional income during your lifetime. We’ve pulled together a list of deadlines to help ensure your gifts are recognized for tax purposes this year.

The last step is to recommend a grant. Experience the joy of making a difference by recommending grants—$100 minimum to any qualified organization—to your favorite charities through your Fund Dashboard. Not sure where you want to grant funds? Interested in a specific cause but not sure of an organization? Want more details about the sustainability of an organization? Get an introduction to a charity’s story through Charity Navigator and GuideStar or contact our team for assistance in your research.

We encourage you to submit your grant recommendations sooner rather than later, so the charities you are granting to can complete their budgets and plan their missional work for 2024. Thrivent Charitable processes grant recommendations twice a week, and they are received by organizations within one day if by electronic ACH and seven business days if by mail.

Want to dive deeper into year-end planning? Watch our on-demand webinar and visit our year-end planning page for more resources and tips to make the most of your charitable fund before the December rush.