Most of us can think of something we fully intend to do—someday. Organize the photos. Update the estate plan. Schedule the family meeting. Reboot the exercise routine. Charitable planning often falls into that same category.
We hear from many generous people who care deeply about their community and fully intend to “do more” with their philanthropy. But life is busy. The calendar fills up. Markets fluctuate. Family and business priorities shift. It can feel easier to wait for the perfect moment—when things feel calmer, clearer, or more certain.
If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. And it is not a sign of indifference. More often, it reflects uncertainty.
You may wonder:
- –Am I giving to the right organizations?
- –Am I committing too much too soon?
- –What if my priorities change?
- –What if I want to involve my children later?
When every decision feels permanent, it is natural to pause. The Community Foundation can help you shift gears from intention to action. Here are three principles that guide our work with donors in this situation:
Take it one step at a time.
One of the most helpful mental shifts is to think of charitable planning as a multi-step process rather than a single, all-or-nothing decision. In many cases, a tax planning need takes precedence because of concrete deadlines and tax year considerations. Our team understands!
Keep it simple.
Sometimes the hardest part of giving is not generosity—it is decision fatigue. You might be asking yourself, “Where should I give?” Often, that’s not the best question to ask right out of the gate, especially if you are new to philanthropy. The team at the Community Foundation can help you work through key threshold questions including:
- –As I look back on my charitable giving, what areas of focus seem to jump out?
- –What specific charities have I supported over the years?
- –Why have I supported those charities?
- –Is there anything about my areas of focus that I’d like to change going forward?
As we explore these questions together, our team can provide research on local nonprofits, share insights about community needs, and facilitate family conversations about values and priorities.
Adopt long-term thinking.
Community change does not happen overnight. You may find that your charitable intentions include not only providing annual support to favorite charities but also making a meaningful difference over many years or even many decades that extend well beyond your lifetime.
The team at the Community Foundation can help you structure not only a donor-advised fund to help organize your annual giving, but also other types of funds and a legacy plan. Some families, for example, establish a field-of-interest fund to support a particular cause with built-in flexibility as community needs change. Similarly, a designated fund can provide long-term support to specific organizations, and an unrestricted fund allows you to leverage the Community Foundation’s deep expertise and perpetual structure to address emerging community priorities for generations to come. You can name one or more of these funds as a beneficiary in your estate plan, whether through a gift in your will or trust or through a beneficiary designation on an IRA.
The bottom line is that the Community Foundation is here for you along your entire charitable giving journey. We’ll work together to build and implement your philanthropy plan brick by brick over the years to come, involving your tax advisors and family members at key junctures and always ensuring that your charitable intentions—even as they evolve over time—are fulfilled.
At Berks County Community Foundation, we know that charitable giving is deeply personal—and that choosing the right tools matters just as much as choosing the causes you care about.
Whether you are considering establishing your first fund with the Community Foundation or considering adding another fund to complement the ones you already have, it can be helpful to step back and look at how different options support different goals.
Designated Fund
Perhaps you are instead (or also) focused on making a lasting impact on a single organization that has played an important role in your life. In that case, a designated fund may be the right addition to your charitable portfolio. A designated fund provides ongoing, predictable support to a specific nonprofit—either through regular distributions or grants made as needed. Because the Community Foundation provides stewardship of the fund’s assets, a designated fund offers stability and continuity for the organization it benefits. This type of fund can be especially helpful if you want to “bunch” multiple years of giving into a single year for tax purposes while ensuring continued support for a favorite charity over time. Plus, if you are age 70 ½ or older, a designated fund can receive Qualified Charitable Distributions from your IRA.
Example Fund: South Mountain YMCA Neag Endowment for Camper Financial Assistance
Unrestricted Fund
Some donors are drawn to a different approach: addressing the community’s most pressing needs, both now and in the future, while relying on professional insight to guide that work. For these donors, an unrestricted fund offers powerful flexibility. Unrestricted funds allow the Community Foundation to direct resources where they are needed most as circumstances change—whether that means responding to a crisis, supporting emerging opportunities, or addressing long-term challenges. These funds play a critical role in the community’s ability to adapt and thrive, and they create a legacy of giving that remains relevant for generations.
Example Fund: Hawley and Myrtle Quier Fund
Field-of-Interest Fund
A field-of-interest is similar to an unrestricted fund, except that you can name a specific area of need, such as the arts, education, or emergency assistance, to receive support from the fund.
Example Fund: Cystic Fibrosis Fund of Berks County
Visit our Areas of Focus page to learn more about our specific areas of need.
Donor Advised Fund
Donor advised funds make it simple to support a wide range of nonprofits while maintaining a clear, organized approach to philanthropy. With a donor advised fund, you can make contributions of cash, stock, or other property at your convenience, and these gifts are eligible for a charitable tax deduction in the year of the gift. Separately, the donor advised fund allows you to recommend grants to your favorite IRS-qualified charities over time.
Adopt a portfolio approach
Many donors choose to establish more than one type of fund over time, building a thoughtful and diversified approach to philanthropy that reflects both their values and their evolving priorities.
Wherever you are on your charitable giving journey, the Community Foundation is here to help. It is our privilege to partner with you, provide guidance, and support your generosity in ways that strengthen the community we all care about. Please reach out anytime—we would love to talk with you.
Many people approach a new year with a genuine desire to be more intentional about their charitable giving.
They know they want to make a difference, align their generosity with their values, and perhaps even involve their families—but they are often unsure where to begin. The combination of busy lives, changing tax laws, and an ever-growing number of worthy causes can make getting started feel overwhelming. The good news is that taking a few simple, thoughtful actions at the beginning of the year can bring clarity and confidence to your giving.
Here are three first steps to inspire you:
- Consider reviewing your 2025 charitable contributions with the team at the Community Foundation. Looking back at last year’s giving can be surprisingly helpful, especially when guided by professionals who understand both philanthropy and the local community. The Community Foundation can help you see the real-world impact of your gifts, identify patterns in your giving, and highlight opportunities you may not have considered. This review also creates a natural bridge to planning your 2026 support, whether that means refining your focus, adjusting gift amounts, or exploring new charitable vehicles. Just as important, it allows you to begin thinking strategically about future years, helping ensure that your generosity grows in a way that is both meaningful and sustainable.
- Talk with your tax advisors as soon as possible about whether and how the new tax laws might impact your situation. Charitable giving is closely connected to tax and estate planning, and early conversations can help you make informed decisions before the year gets too far along. This is also an ideal time to revisit your estate plan and beneficiary designations. Many donors choose to include a gift to their fund at the Community Foundation in their wills, trusts, or beneficiary designations on retirement accounts or life insurance policies, creating a lasting legacy that reflects their values. Coordinating these updates with your tax advisor and the foundation can ensure your charitable intentions are clearly documented, tax-efficient, and aligned with your overall financial and estate planning goals.
- Set goals for your charitable involvement in 2026. Rather than giving reactively, goal setting allows you to be proactive and intentional about how you engage with the causes you care about. Berks County Community Foundation can help you explore new and emerging charities, learn more about pressing needs in the community, and connect with organizations that align with your interests. Together, you and our team can create a plan for timing gifts throughout the year, whether through recurring contributions, single large gifts early in the year to help a favorite charity leap ahead, or strategic gifts of highly appreciated or complex assets. This approach not only makes giving more manageable but also helps ensure your generosity has the greatest possible impact.
As you look ahead, remember that you do not have to navigate charitable planning on your own. The Community Foundation is here to serve as a trusted partner—whether you are just getting started, refining an existing plan, or thinking about the legacy you want to leave for future generations. We invite you to reach out anytime to ask questions, explore ideas, or take the next step in your giving journey. We are honored to help you turn your charitable intentions into meaningful, lasting impact.
Please reach out to Molly McCullough Robbins, Vice President for Philanthropic Services, by calling 610-685-2223 or emailing mollyr@bccf.org.
At Berks County Community Foundation, we are honored to work with you and so many other families, individuals, and businesses to help organize your charitable giving and support favorite charities that make a difference in our community.
As the year winds down, here are 10 giving tips to keep in mind:
- Remember that 2025 is a pivotal year for charitable planning. With more stringent charitable deduction limitations taking effect in 2026 under new tax laws, this year may offer a favorable tax environment for your giving depending on your personal situation. Talk with your tax advisors as soon as possible.
- Work with your tax advisors to evaluate the benefits of “bunching” multiple years of charitable gifts into 2025. By front-loading contributions, you may be able to exceed the standard deduction this year and maximize your tax benefits.
- Use a donor-advised fund to simplify year-end giving. You can make one tax-deductible contribution now, receive the deduction in 2025, and recommend grants to nonprofits over time, throughout 2026 and beyond.
- Give appreciated stock instead of cash. Donating long-term appreciated securities may eliminate capital gains tax and in turn increase your charitable impact. Talk with our team and your tax advisors as soon as possible so these gifts can be processed well before the end of the year.
- Explore giving from your IRA if you’re 70½ or older. A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) can reduce taxable income and, if applicable, satisfy required minimum distributions—to the tune of $108,000 per taxpayer in 2025. IRS rules allow you to make QCDs to a wide variety of funds at the Community Foundation (but not to your donor-advised fund).
- Check to see whether you’ve met your charitable goals for 2025. Don’t wait until late December to review your plan. Our team can help you think through options for this year and begin to coordinate more complex gifts for next year.
- Support the community overall by making gifts to existing funds at Berks County Community Foundation. 2025 has been a tough year for many people in our community, and our team can help you support families in crisis both now and in the future.
- Review your beneficiary designations. Naming your fund as a beneficiary of an IRA or other retirement account can create meaningful future gifts while reducing the tax burden on heirs.
- Avoid last-minute surprises. Gifts of complex assets—such as real estate or closely-held stock—require additional steps and a lot of lead time, so contact us early if you’re considering these options. Even if it is too late to complete these gifts in 2025, start working with our team on options for 2026 gifts.
- Above all, lean on the team at the Community Foundation! We are here to help you explore the most tax-efficient ways to meet your charitable goals, whether you’re planning year-end gifts, updating a legacy plan, or thinking ahead to the changes coming in 2026.
Thank you for the opportunity to work with you. We look forward to supporting your charitable goals this year and for many years to come.
This solicitation is valid only for residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Did you know that August is Make-a-Will month in the United States? While preparing a will might be a task that most dread, it is important for those left behind. A will is a document usually prepared by your attorney to ensure your final wishes are established. Preparing a will can provide peace of mind for you and for your family.
Berks County Community Foundation can help to ensure that your charitable goals are met after you’re gone. Working with the Community Foundation offers a unique and powerful way for individuals to make a lasting impact in their community by creating a charitable fund through their will.
For three decades, staff members of the Community Foundation have had the honor of meeting with individuals and families as they prepare their wills. Participating in these discussions includes learning about each person or family and the causes most important to them.
An easy and meaningful way to support those causes and organizations that align with your values and passions is by establishing a fund with the foundation. This can be done by including a provision in the will that directs a specific asset or portion of your estate to the Community Foundation, which will be used to establish a named fund in your memory or in honor of a loved one.
The process of creating a fund through a will is simple. You can work with your attorney to include language in your will that directs assets to the Community Foundation. You can also consult with our staff to determine the most appropriate type of fund for your charitable interests and goals. Once the will is executed, we will work with your executor or personal representative to establish the fund according to the instructions provided in the will.
Creating a fund at the Community Foundation through your will not only provides a way for you to make a lasting impact in your community, but also offers a range of giving options. Funds may be established to respond to the most pressing needs in the community, to support a general field of interest, or to benefit a specific organization or multiple organizations.
Knowing that you have a plan in place can provide significant peace of mind. Creating a fund ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes. It can also be a way for you to make a difference in the lives of others, even after you are gone.
In honor of Make-a-Will month, feel free to contact us with any questions about your estate plans by emailing give@bccf.org.
When I started at the Community Foundation 27 years ago, I spent 60% of my time marketing the foundation to professional advisors – attorneys, accountants, trust officers, and financial advisors.
The foundation was only three years old, so no one knew much about what a community foundation was or the fact that there were already 32 community foundations in Pennsylvania and 800 nationwide.
Many of the advisors thanked me for the introduction to the Community Foundation but made it clear that their professional practice did not include estate planning, and they would probably never be able to refer someone. Even so, over the past 27 years, many of those advisors who thought they would never have a client who would be able to work with the Foundation have since helped their clients establish funds with us.
I was not raised here, but one of the things I love about Berks County is the philanthropic nature of the community. I have witnessed firsthand people rallying to support a nonprofit organization that was struggling financially or a family or individual in need of help. The people I see helping are not high wealth individuals. They are regular folks who want to make people’s lives easier. You don’t see that in every community.
What I have found even more special is the inconspicuous nature of giving in this community. We established the Franklin Society over 15 years ago, – a legacy society to recognize those who have considered the Community Foundation in their estate plan. When we work with individuals on setting up a testamentary fund (one that will be funded upon their passing), we always ask if they would like to join the Franklin Society.
Since the Community Foundation was founded 30 years ago, 55 funds have been established as an estate bequest. We have worked with 90 other individuals who have named the Foundation in their estate plans.
Of those donors, we still only have twenty members of the Franklin Society. Berks Countians don’t give for recognition; they give to make sure something happens to benefit their community.
Even through economic downturns like 2008, the community did not stop giving. Those that could give gave more because they knew others were struggling.
It is that kind of philanthropic spirit that makes Berks County a special place.
