May 30, 2026 3 min read

Did you know you can give to the causes you care about directly from your IRA while also enjoying meaningful tax advantages through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)?

At the Washington County Community Foundation (WCCF), donors are using IRA charitable giving to create lasting community impact through both current support and long-term philanthropy. QCDs can be a simple and effective tool for aligning retirement assets with charitable goals.

A Qualified Charitable Distribution allows individuals age 70½ or older to transfer funds directly from a traditional IRA to a qualified charitable organization. Rather than taking a taxable withdrawal and then making a donation, the funds move directly from the IRA to the charity.

One of the greatest benefits of a QCD is that the distribution is excluded from gross income. Unlike a normal IRA withdrawal, the amount given through a QCD is not reported as taxable income, even though the donor does not claim a charitable deduction. This can help reduce taxable income while supporting charitable goals. IRA owners should contact their financial adviser to discuss and coordinate a Qualified Charitable Distribution before making a gift.

QCDs also offer an alternative to traditional cash giving by allowing donors to make charitable gifts directly from pre-tax retirement assets rather than from after-tax income, enabling some donors to give more.

For retirees age 73 and older who are required to take Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), a QCD can also satisfy all or part of that annual requirement. Instead of increasing taxable income through a traditional RMD withdrawal, donors can direct those funds to charity in a more tax-efficient way.

This giving strategy can benefit a variety of donors, including retirees who are charitably inclined but no longer itemize deductions, individuals with large IRA balances who do not need all of their RMD income for living expenses, and those looking to reduce potential tax burdens for heirs. High-income retirees whose Medicare costs or Social Security taxation are sensitive to AGI may also find QCDs particularly advantageous.

IRA charitable gifts made through the WCCF can be directed to a variety of charitable purposes that support both immediate and long-term community priorities. While donor-advised funds (DAFs) cannot receive QCDs, many other types of funds are eligible. QCDs may also be incorporated into planned giving strategies, allowing donors to create a legacy of community support.

A popular way donors choose to utilize QCDs is through support of WCCF Gives. Donors are encouraged to allow time for processing prior to WCCF Gives 2026 on September 10 and to contact the foundation to learn more.

Through thoughtful charitable planning and trusted partnership, the Washington County Community Foundation helps donors turn retirement assets into meaningful, lasting impact for the community today and for generations to come.