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Case study: A QCD conversion in action
Qualified Charitable Distributions can be powerful for clients 70½+, but the rules can be confusing—especially around donor-advised funds. KCF helps advisors and clients understand which fund types qualify for QCDs and how to structure gifts that reduce taxable income while honoring charitable intent. With collaborative planning, QCDs become a clear, compliant, and meaningful giving strategy.

Tina O'Brien
Jan 75 min read


Keep going: Why donor-advised funds are still essential
Even with the 0.5% floor and 35% cap now in effect, donor-advised funds remain a highly relevant planning tool. KCF’s DAFs provide flexibility, local expertise, and meaningful opportunities for impact—helping clients align timing, strategy, and community priorities. For advisors, DAFs continue to support long-term, holistic planning and values-driven philanthropy.

Tina O'Brien
Jan 72 min read


Underappreciated and overlooked: Why life insurance matters to charitable giving
Even when a life insurance policy is no longer needed for its original purpose, it can still create meaningful charitable impact. Whether you name a fund at KCF as the beneficiary, transfer ownership of an existing policy, or explore more advanced planning strategies, life insurance can offer flexibility, tax benefits, and long-term support for the causes you care about. The KCF team is here to help you evaluate your options.

Tina O'Brien
Jan 62 min read


Get started now: Your 2026 new year checklist for charitable giving
A new year is the perfect time to bring clarity to your charitable giving. By reviewing last year’s contributions, consulting your tax advisors early, and setting thoughtful goals for 2026, you can align your philanthropy with your values. Kitsap Community Foundation is here to help you plan intentionally, explore opportunities, and build a giving strategy that creates lasting impact.

Tina O'Brien
Jan 62 min read


Planned giving: Overcoming board members’ skepticism
If your board feels uncertain about planned giving, they’re not alone. Kitsap Community Foundation can help by offering education, resources, and support—from presenting at board meetings to providing tools and guidance on complex gifts. With KCF as a partner, your organization can build confidence and move forward with a strong, sustainable planned giving strategy.

Tina O'Brien
Jan 63 min read


Planning for clients’ incapacity: Why charitable intentions matter
As incapacity becomes more common, clearly documenting a client’s charitable intentions is essential to preserving their values and preventing future disputes. Kitsap Community Foundation supports advisors by offering guidance on bequest language, incapacity-ready giving instructions, and aligning intentions across estate documents. Our team is here to help ensure clients’ philanthropic goals remain protected, understood, and honored—even through periods of diminished capacit

Tina O'Brien
Dec 9, 20252 min read


A key to client retention: Consider charitable planning
Retaining client families through generational transitions is a challenge for many advisors, especially after a client passes away. Philanthropy offers a meaningful pathway to engage heirs, open conversations about values and legacy, and strengthen long-term relationships. Kitsap Community Foundation can help you support multigenerational families with tools, guidance, and facilitated discussions that deepen connection and preserve continuity for years to come.

Tina O'Brien
Dec 9, 20252 min read


2025 action required: Last call for current tax laws
As you guide clients through year-end planning, 2025 stands out as a pivotal year for charitable strategy. With significant OBBBA tax changes arriving in 2026, now is the time to help donors maximize the value of their contributions and consider tools like donor-advised funds or QCDs. Kitsap Community Foundation is here to support you and your clients in navigating these shifting rules with confidence.

Tina O'Brien
Dec 8, 20252 min read


No kids? Three calls-to-action for charitable planning
For individuals without children, charitable planning offers a thoughtful way to create lasting impact. KCF can help you craft a strategy that reflects your values, supports the causes you love, and involves family or successor advisors as desired. We’re honored to guide you in building a meaningful legacy.

Jo Delaney
Dec 7, 20252 min read


Year-end dynamics: Tax law changes and increasing community needs
Across our region, families are feeling the impact of economic uncertainty and other disruptions. Kitsap Community Foundation can help you align your charitable giving to meet urgent needs and create lasting change—right here in our community.

Tina O'Brien
Nov 6, 20252 min read


Inherited IRAs: A charitable solution?
Since the SECURE Act ended the traditional “stretch IRA,” advisors and clients alike are looking for new ways to preserve wealth and fulfill charitable intentions. Kitsap Community Foundation can help you explore options like charitable remainder trusts and donor-advised funds to create flexible, tax-smart strategies that balance family legacy with meaningful community impact.

Tina O'Brien
Oct 18, 20252 min read


Balancing immediate and long-term support for your favorite community causes
At Kitsap Community Foundation, we help donors design charitable plans that reflect both their values and their vision—whether that means supporting favorite causes today or building a legacy for the future. Our team can help you explore giving strategies and fund structures that align with your goals, from donor-advised and designated funds to endowments and estate designations. Together, we’ll create a plan that ensures your philanthropy continues to make a difference for y

Lillian Xie
Oct 17, 20253 min read


Leverage National Estate Planning Awareness Week, October 20-26th
This October, during National Estate Planning Awareness Week (October 20–26), take a few minutes to see how easy it can be for donors to create a will and include your organization in their plans. Through KCF’s partnership with FreeWill, local nonprofits have already secured more than $5 million in future gifts—ensuring vital missions continue for generations. Visit www.freewill.com/kitsapfoundation
for tools and templates to help you share this opportunity with your support

Tina O'Brien
Oct 13, 20252 min read


One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Three big picture pointers
With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, charitable planning has entered a new era. Key changes include a floor and cap on itemized deductions beginning in 2026, as well as an elevated standard deduction in 2025. Advisors should encourage clients to act now on strategies such as bunching gifts, donating appreciated stock, and utilizing IRA distributions—while keeping an eye on the inevitability of future tax reforms.

Tina O'Brien
Sep 10, 20252 min read


Timing is everything: Mapping out clients’ 2025 charitable giving plans
It’s never been easy to navigate the ever-shifting tax rules to help clients structure charitable gifts, and now it’s even trickier. Major changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, are creating complexity, opportunity, and, for some, urgency. Learn about how it impacts charitable deductions.

Tina O'Brien
Aug 28, 20253 min read


Quiet types: Spotting clients who prefer to give anonymously
At Kitsap Community Foundation, we’re dedicated to helping your clients achieve their charitable goals. We’re honored to serve as your trusted resource for tax-efficient giving strategies, help your clients maximize their charitable impact, and support your clients as they build lasting philanthropic legacies.

Lillian Xie
Aug 28, 20252 min read


Succession planning: It’s not just for businesses
Many people think of succession planning as something only relevant to businesses or nonprofits. However, it's equally important when considering the legacy you want to leave through philanthropy—including being intentional about what happens to your donor-advised fund at Kitsap Community Foundation after you're gone.

Tina O'Brien
Aug 27, 20252 min read


Back to school: Expanding support for education
It’s time for back-to-school planning! If education is on your mind, you’re in good company. Charitable giving to education rose in 2024 to more than $58 billion! If education and related causes are important to you, Kitsap Community Foundation can help.

Lillian Xie
Aug 27, 20252 min read


Make-A-Will Month: Opportunities to grow your endowment
Every August, National Make-A-Will Month sparks important conversations about planning for the future. For nonprofits, it’s a chance to encourage donors to complete or update estate plans, explore legacy giving, and highlight the power of endowment gifts. By connecting wills with lasting impact, you can inspire supporters to include your mission in their plans—helping sustain your work for generations to come.

Tina O'Brien
Aug 24, 20253 min read


FAQs: What’s up under the OBBBA?
Recent changes in federal tax law under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) bring both challenges and opportunities for nonprofits. From higher standard deductions that may impact tax-motivated giving, to upcoming 2026 limits on charitable deductions, and even a new non-itemizer deduction, the landscape is shifting. 2025 may be a pivotal year for larger gifts, and the community foundation is here to help you plan and maximize support through these changes.

Tina O'Brien
Aug 22, 20253 min read
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