Full Article Link: Crain Currency – Family office philanthropy rises, as they explore new ways to give
“It’s easier to give up some shares of Nvidia or Apple when the market’s up and making charitable gifts rather than paying taxes.”
— Stephan Shipe, Ph.D., CFA, CFP®, Economist and Founder of Scholar Advising
Key Takeaways
Family office giving is surging — and it’s not just altruism. Strong market gains and impending tax law changes are prompting high-net-worth families to act now. Many are offloading appreciated stock to fund gifts, avoiding capital gains while optimizing deductions ahead of 2026’s tighter rules.
Charitable remainder trusts (CRUTs) are on the rise. As Stephan explains, CRUTs allow donors to turn appreciated assets into a steady income stream while preserving a future charitable impact. “There’s a pretty big uptick in delayed giving,” he said, citing $10 million trusts generating $500,000 in annual income as a typical use case.
Education giving is becoming more values-driven. Donors are reevaluating traditional giving targets like alma maters — doubling down or pulling back based on alignment with personal views and recent news coverage.
Now is the time to act. With itemized deduction benefits set to shrink in 2026, donors are front-loading gifts, creating donor-advised funds and private foundations, and leveraging appreciated assets while deduction limits are still favorable.