As we approach the end of 2025, 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 must meet the following deadlines to get your gift processed in 2025.
November 3, 2025 – Deadline for initiating the transfer of mutual fund shares
December 12, 2025 – Deadline for checkbook IRA contributions
December 17, 2025 – Deadline for the electronic transfers of securities
December 26, 2025 – Deadline for IRA rollover contributions to leave the custodial account
December 31, 2025 – Donations by check must be postmarked
Grantmaking deadlines
Grant recommendations can be made through TDF Fund Manager, our portal for donors. After logging into the system, you will find multiple options to initiate a grant recommendation online.
November 16, 2025 – Recommendations for grants to be processed by the Thanksgiving holiday
December 14, 2025 – Recommendations for grants to be processed by the Christmas holiday
December 18, 2025 – Recommendations for grants to go out by the end of the year
Any grants recommended between December 19 and January 4 will be mailed the week of January 5-9, 2026.
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, 2025. 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 by December 17, 2025.
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 cannot 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 2025 deduction. The recommended deadline is November 3, 2025.
Contributions from an IRA Rollover
- In order to ensure your gift meets your 2025 RMD requirement and counts as a QCD in 2025 gifts need to be deposited by the foundation into the account you named before December 31. Please ensure TDF has received your donation by December 26 to have adequate time to process your gift by year-end.
- If you have check-writing privileges on your IRA, please note that processing a gift may take longer. Checks must be received and deposited by December 31, 2025.
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.
