If you’re 70½ or older and have a traditional (or eligible) IRA, you can use a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to give to Hope & A Future in a tax-smart way. A QCD is a direct transfer from your IRA to a qualified 501(c)(3) charity — no need for the money to pass through your hands.
Why QCDs Make Sense
- Tax-efficient giving: Because the transfer goes directly from your IRA to the charity, the distribution is not treated as taxable income, helping you avoid bumping up into a higher tax bracket.
- Still counts as your RMD: QCDs count toward your required minimum distribution (RMD), so you’re still satisfying your IRA withdrawal obligations — but with added meaning because you’re donating instead of just cashing out.
- Good even if you don’t itemize: Because QCDs exclude the amount from taxable income rather than acting as a deduction, you don’t need to itemize deductions to get the benefit.
How It Works (and What To Watch For)
- Age requirement: You (or your IRA beneficiary) must be 70½ or older on the date of the QCD.
- Eligible accounts: QCDs can come from traditional IRAs, rollover IRAs, inherited IRAs, and — under certain conditions — inactive SEP or SIMPLE IRAs; some Roth IRAs also may qualify.
- Annual limit: For 2025, the annual limit per person is $108,000 (so a married couple filing jointly could do up to $216,000 total).
- Direct transfer required: The funds must go directly from your IRA custodian to Hope & A Future — you can’t withdraw to yourself and then write a check.
- Not same as a deduction: You don’t claim a charitable “deduction” for a QCD. Instead, the benefit comes from keeping the amount out of taxable income.
A Gift That Benefits Everyone
For donors: a QCD is a straightforward way to support the mission of Hope & A Future — without increasing taxable income or needing itemized deductions.
For Hope & A Future: QCD donations often come as larger, reliable gifts, helping support long-term programming planning and mission-driven work.
For both: It’s a chance to turn required retirement distributions into meaningful giving, aligning your legacy assets with your values.
Learn More and Take Advantage today at https://azhope.com/ira-qcd