2025 End-of-Year Charitable Giving: Important Dates & Deadlines for Gifts & Grants

The end of the year is approaching and we at The Chicago Community Trust are committed to making your year-end giving and grantmaking from your donor advised fund as simple and easy as possible. Please review these deadlines to ensure that all your gifts and grants intended for 2025 are completed.

Please note that The Chicago Community Trust will be closed on Wednesday, December 24 and Thursday, December 25. 

Charitable Gifts to The Chicago Community Trust and/or Donor Advised Funds at The Chicago Community Foundation

Marketable Securities:
Wednesday, December 31, 2025

• Gifts of publicly traded stock, bonds, and other securities must be deemed completed by the end of the day on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. You may wish to contact your financial services firm because they may have deadlines for initiating transfers to ensure we receive them by year-end. 

Mutual Funds:
Wednesday, December 31, 2025

• Gifts of mutual funds must be deemed completed by the end of the day on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. Because they often take longer to complete, we recommend initiating transfers no later than Tuesday, December 2, 2025. You may also wish to contact your financial services firm because they may have deadlines for initiating transfers to ensure we receive them by year-end.

Gifts sent via USPS:
Postmarked by Wednesday, December 31, 2025

• Gifts by check and sent via U.S. Mail must be postmarked on or before Wednesday, December 31, 2025. 

Gifts sent via Private Mailing Services:
Received by Wednesday, December 31, 2025

• Gifts by check and sent via private mailing services such as FedEx or UPS must be received by the Trust at our office by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 31, 2025. 

ACH and Cash Wire Transfers:
Wednesday, December 31, 2025

• ACH and Cash wire transfers must be received by the Trust on or before Wednesday,  December 31, 2025. Please contact your Philanthropic Advisor or donorservices@cct.org for gift instruction details.  

Closely Held Business Interests:
Friday, November 21, 2025

• Gifts of closely held business interests, including private stock, LLC interests, and partnership interests, are accepted on a case-by-case basis. Donors wishing to make gifts of this kind should contact their Philanthropic Advisor at the Trust or the Gift Planning team by contacting  Don Gottesman (dgottesman@cct.org / 312.616.6141) as soon as possible to begin that process, but no later than Friday, November 21, 2025, to determine whether the gift can be completed by year-end. 

Charitable Trusts and Gift Annuities:
Friday, November 21, 2025

• When assets will be used to fund a charitable trust or charitable gift annuity, please contact Don Gottesman (dgottesman@cct.org / 312.616.6141) at your earliest convenience, but no later than Friday, November 21, 2025, to determine whether your gift can be completed by year-end. 

• Other assets, such as real estate, may require approval from our Gift Acceptance Committee. We request that you initiate these donations as soon as possible. Please contact Don Gottesman (dgottesman@cct.org / 312.616.6141) for assistance. 

Questions?

The Chicago Community Trust is committed to offering the most reliable and efficient service to donors and professional advisors. 

• For questions about gifts of specific asset types, please contact Don Gottesman (dgottesman@cct.org / 312.616.6141). 

• For questions about grants from your donor advised fund, please contact donorservices@cct.org or your Philanthropic Advisor. 

Thank you for your consideration, and we wish you a peaceful and happy holiday season!