As a child I remember receiving the Sears and JC Penney Christmas catalogs in the fall and meticulously compiling a wish list complete with page numbers, item numbers and detailed product descriptions — a far cry from the last-minute charitable gift ideas I now consider. I wanted to be sure it was crystal clear to my parents that I wanted the tan bike and not the red one, or “Item 47a” the green jacket and not the blue one. Today, my kids are doing Google searches and texting hyperlinks. Apparently, I’m slipping in my Christmas wish list due diligence and preparation, because I was asked this week, “Is there anything you want for Christmas?” We don’t get catalogs anymore. I haven’t been keeping a list, and now I’m caught unprepared. I’ve got to create a list of last-minute charitable gift ideas!

In the world of philanthropy, end-of-year giving and last-minute charitable gift ideas can be very similar. For many generous people, when they get to December, and are able to reflect back on the year, or meet with their accountant, they suddenly realize one of two things: 1) they need to be generous in a hurry, or 2) they can be more generous than they originally thought possible. In either case, in mid-December, they need some helpful last-minute charitable gift ideas. Here are a few last-minute gift ideas for those wishing to maximize their charitable giving this year.

First, give now to charities you know and trust. If you have a short list of “go-to” charities that you have supported over the years, give generously to support their important work as a last-minute charitable gift idea. Nonprofits rely on consistent annual contributions and twenty-five percent of all charitable giving is done in the last five weeks of the year, so your immediate gift will help them accomplish their important work and will be greatly appreciated when it comes to last-minute charitable gift ideas.

Second, if you need more time to give than a last-minute charitable gift idea allows, set up a donor-advised fund to maximize your charitable giving. Maybe you would like to do more research about the charities you would like to support, or their specific needs. Or maybe you just have more money than you feel comfortable giving this year, and you would like to spread out your giving over the next year or longer.

Read the full article about last-minute charitable gift ideas by Kyle Penney at KTEN.