GIVE FROM YOUR IRA
Frog Lake under the Milky Way. Photo by Helen Pelster.
Part of your financial plan can focus on using your IRA dollars more effectively to create investments in conservation.
If you are 70½ or older, you can take advantage of Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) – also called Individual Retirement Account (IRA) rollovers – to support the Truckee Donner Land Trust.
For those over 73, you are required to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from your IRA. The portion of your RMD that you allocate as a gift to the Land Trust in the form of a QCD is not subject to federal income taxes.
In 2026, QCDs allow you to donate or “rollover” up to $111,000 directly from your IRA to a qualified charity, without having to count the distribution as taxable income.
An IRA rollover is also a great option if you don’t typically itemize your charitable deductions. By using the link below to give from your IRA to the Land Trust, you can auto-complete your paperwork and we can track your gift to send you the proper tax receipts.
If you would rather, you can contact your IRA plan administrator to make a gift from your IRA to Truckee Donner Land Trust. Your IRA funds will be directly transferred to the Land Trust to support our mission. To do so, you will need Truckee Donner Land Trust's TAX ID 68-0245327 and DUNS Number 179442694.
In 2026, QCDs for outright gifts are also permitted up to $55,000 for the one-time election of a QCD to a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) or Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT). Learn more about these other tax-wise giving vehicles on our Retained Life Income Interest [hyperlink] page.
Benefits
You avoid taxes on transfers of up to $111,000 from your IRA to Truckee Donner Land Trust in 2026, you may satisfy your RMD for the year, and you reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions. Plus, you get to see the impact your gift is making on conservation in the Sierra!
Please note that IRA charitable rollover gifts do not qualify for a charitable deduction.
Employer Match
Your employer may match your gift to the Land Trust – even when it’s made through your IRA. Some companies match gifts made by retired employees, too! Search for your company here.
Doreen’s Story
Doreen recently turned 73, and she must start taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from the two IRAs she retained from the companies she worked for during her career. She retired at age 68 and has been managing her limited budget well, so doesn’t need as much of her RMDs for personal use as she had planned for. Doreen wants to support the Truckee Donner Land Trust while also reducing her taxable income. She decides to roll over part of her annual RMD directly to the Land Trust; she won’t be taxed on the income that way, because it is going directly to a charity. Since her IRAs are traditional or pre-tax IRAs, this vehicle for giving allows her to avoid being taxed twice while supporting a cause she cares about! Doreen also included the Truckee Donner Land Trust as a beneficiary of her IRA upon her passing, so that her legacy of giving can continue serving the Land Trust’s mission.
This information is educational in nature. It is not offering professional tax, legal, or accounting advice. Please seek the specific advice of your tax advisor, attorney, and/or financial planner to discuss your unique situation.