How to Donate Stock Instead of Cash on Giving Tuesday

To donate stock instead of cash on Giving Tuesday, ask your chosen charity for its brokerage account instructions and have your broker transfer the shares directly in kind. GivingTuesday is the annual global generosity day held the Tuesday after U.S. Thanksgiving, scheduled for December 1, 2026.

You do not sell the shares first. Your broker moves them electronically to the charity's brokerage account, and the charity can then sell them.

Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 02, 2026.

Why give shares instead of cash?

Donating long-term appreciated stocks, bonds or mutual funds directly can stretch the same gift further. Facet explains that transferring shares directly lets the donor avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciation, as described in its GivingTuesday tax guide. The tax-exempt charity can then sell the shares without owing that tax.

That means less of your gift goes to taxes and more reaches the cause.

Which shares qualify for the larger benefit?

Shares generally must have been held more than one year to deduct their full fair market value on the transfer date rather than only cost basis. The San Diego Foundation states this one-year rule in its guide to gifting public stock. The deduction for appreciated-stock gifts to a public charity is generally capped at 30% of adjusted gross income, compared with 60% for cash.

Excess can be carried forward up to five years, according to IRS Publication 526. If you held the stock one year or less, the deduction is usually limited to what you paid. Check your purchase dates before you choose which lots to give.

What paperwork does the IRS require?

You must itemize to claim the gift. For gifts of $250 or more, get a written acknowledgment from the charity. When total noncash gifts exceed $500, file Form 8283 with your return.

These rules appear in IRS Publication 526, explained in the IRS charitable-contributions guide. Keep trade confirmations, transfer dates, and the charity letter with your tax files. The deductible amount is generally the fair market value on the transfer date for qualifying long-term shares.

How do you complete the transfer in time?

Execution is a broker-to-broker electronic DTC transfer. Ask the charity for its account number, DTC number, and account name, then instruct your broker to transfer a specific number of shares in kind. Start early.

Electronic transfers take about 3-5 business days and can take up to two weeks, so start by mid-December and ensure receipt by December 31 for that year's deduction.

• Confirm the charity can accept stock and get its transfer instructions
• Tell your broker the stock name, ticker, share count, and charity account details
• Request an in-kind DTC transfer, not a sale
• Confirm receipt with the charity and save the acknowledgment