End of Year Giving and Grantmaking- Critical Dates and Deadlines


September 26, 2023

As we approach the end of 2023, many of our generous partners wish to make gifts and grants before the year ends. We are committed to meeting the goals and needs of all of our fundholders, but some gifts are more complicated to process and may take additional time. To ensure your gifts and grants are completed in time, please review the critical dates and deadlines below and contact your relationship manager today to get started. 

Gift Deadlines

To ensure that our generous fundholders can get the most from their giving – you need to meet the following deadlines to get your gift processed in 2023.

Blue White Cute Simple Doodle Ios Icon (3)November 1, 2023 – Deadline for initiating the transfer of mutual fund shares

Blue White Cute Simple Doodle Ios IconDecember 15, 2023 – Deadline for checkbook IRA contributions 

Blue White Cute Simple Doodle Ios Icon (4)December 22, 2023 – Deadline for the electronic transfers of securities

Blue White Cute Simple Doodle Ios Icon (7)December 29 – Deadline for IRA rollover contributions to leave the custodial account 

Blue White Cute Simple Doodle Ios Icon (1)December 31, 2023 – Donations by check must be postmarked 


Grantmaking Deadlines

Grant recommendations can be made through TDF Fund Manager, The Denver Foundation’s portal for donors. After logging into the system, you will find multiple options to initiate a grant recommendation online. We will support all of our fundholders in reaching their grantmaking goals, however there are critical deadlines for certain grants to be processed.

Blue White Cute Simple Doodle Ios Icon (5)November 12, 2023 – Recommendations for grants to be processed by the Thanksgiving holiday

Blue White Cute Simple Doodle Ios Icon (2)December 17, 2023 – Recommendations for grants to be processed by the Christmas holiday

Blue White Cute Simple Doodle Ios Icon (8)December 21, 2023 – Recommendations for grants to go out by the end of the year


Key Dates By Gift Type

Contributions by check

  • The IRS considers the postmark date to be the delivery date for your contribution. So all checks must be mailed to us by no later than December 31, 2023. The IRS only recognizes the USPS date, so it’s best to avoid UPS or FedEx.

Contributions of cash and securities

  • Contributions of cash and securities may be made through electronic transfers directly to The Denver Foundation. Contributions made through account transfers are deductible once the assets arrive in our account. 

  • While account-to-account cash transfers often occur on the same or the next business day, electronic transfers of securities can take a few days to clear. For this reason, electronic stock transfers should be initiated at least five business days prior to the end of the year. No later than December 22, 2023.

Contributions of credit cards and other electronic payments

  • Credit card or payments through electronic platforms that facilitate credit card transactions may claim the deduction as of the date the card was charged. 

Contributions of mutual funds

  • Some mutual funds are not able to be transferred by depository trust corporations (DTC). Instead, these mutual funds are transferred by a change recorded on the issuer’s books and records. This can take weeks to occur. It’s best to begin this process as soon as possible to ensure a 2023 deduction. The recommended deadline is November 1, 2023. 

Contributions from an IRA Rollover

  • IRA rollover contributions must be made no later than December 30, 2023, to count toward a required minimum distribution (RMD).
  • Once the charitable organization receives the distribution – the IRA rollover contribution is considered to be made.
  • If you have check-writing privileges on your IRA, the funds must have left the custodial account by December 31, 2023, for the distribution to count against your RMD for that calendar year.
  • To allow for end-of-year processing delays, please ensure all checkbook IRA contributions are received by The Denver Foundation by December 18, 2023. 

Contributions of complex assets

  • Each situation is unique, so if you would like to make a year-end gift of real estate, tangible personal property, virtual currency, or through a split-interest gift, please get in touch with your relationship manager at The Denver Foundation as soon as possible to ensure that your contributions are processed within the current calendar year.