Why Appreciated Assets Matter in the Context of Planned Giving
As a nonprofit fundraising professional, you know the importance of meeting donors where they are both in their stage of life and readiness to give. Planned giving makes this possible by offering flexible ways for donors to align their financial goals today with the lasting impact they want to make tomorrow.
When we hear the term planned giving, we often think of gifts that are arranged to support a nonprofit in the future, such as bequests, charitable gift annuities, or trusts. What can be overlooked is that gifts of appreciated stocks and mutual funds also fall within this category. And, they represent a huge opportunity within the philanthropic landscape: stocks are the largest and most widely held financial asset class, with 100 million Americans owning $50 trillion in securities.1
Too often treated as stand-alone or “special” contributions, gifts of appreciated stock share the same hallmarks as other planned gifts; strategic preparation, integration into financial planning, and lasting impact. When considered within that context, positioning stock gifts as a core planned giving option makes perfect sense because they combine strategic financial planning with meaningful impact, fitting seamlessly alongside bequests, trusts, and other legacy commitments.
By reframing stock donations as a smaller part of a larger planned giving framework, nonprofits can open the door to deeper donor conversations, highlight the tax efficiencies that make these gifts especially attractive, and broaden the spectrum of planned giving opportunities available. In doing so, organizations not only increase the likelihood of receiving stock gifts today but also strengthen their overall planned giving pipeline for the future.
Gifts of Appreciated Stock: A Form of Planned Giving
In planned giving, the focus is on legacy, tax planning, and structured engagement. Gifts of appreciated stock fit into this by offering both immediate financial tax benefits and long-term philanthropic impact:
- They involve preparation and strategy, rather than an impulsive cash gift.
- Enhance overall legacy impact by maximizing gift value and maintaining financial efficiency.
- They often occur in the context of estate planning, wealth management, and long-term philanthropy.
- They can be combined with other vehicles – Donor Advised Funds, charitable remainder trusts, or bequests – for a strategic approach to transformative giving.
Including Stocks in the Planned Giving Conversation
Integrating stock gifts into planned giving discussions enables fundraisers to meet donors where they are financially, emotionally, and strategically. For many donors, appreciated assets like stocks, mutual funds, or equity compensation represent the largest portion of their wealth. By showing donors how these assets can be used in much the same way as bequests or charitable trusts, nonprofits can expand the conversation beyond cash giving and into a more holistic approach to philanthropy that reflects a donor’s true capacity.
This approach also opens the door to highlighting the unique tax efficiencies of stock gifting. Donors who contribute appreciated securities can avoid capital gains tax while also claiming a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the gift. When positioned within the larger planned giving framework, these benefits are easier to explain, and donors are more likely to see stock gifts not as one-off transactions, but as part of a broader, intentional giving strategy.
The ripple effect for organizations is significant. By normalizing stock gifts as part of the planned giving spectrum, nonprofits not only increase the likelihood of receiving stock donations today but also strengthen long-term pipelines. Donors who start with stock gifts may later explore bequests, trusts, or other legacy vehicles, deepening their commitment and increasing their lifetime impact. In this way, reframing stock giving within planned giving is not just about unlocking one type of gift – it’s about expanding the entire horizon of donor engagement and organizational sustainability.
Giving Docs + DonateStock: Simplifying Stock Gifting
Giving Docs has teamed up with DonateStock to help nonprofits accept stock gifts as part of their broader planned giving efforts. Together, we’re committed to making stock giving easy for donors and effortless for nonprofits to weave into their day-to-day fundraising workflows. Here’s how our partnership has made stock giving smoother for both donors and nonprofits:
- One toolkit, multiple options: Donors see wills, beneficiary designations, IRA gifts, and stock gifting all in one place.
- Simple donor experience: A donor clicks the stock-gifting button, specifies the details of the gift and initiates the transfer of shares in minutes – no paper forms, no back-and-forth.
- Nonprofit advantage: You don’t have to build new infrastructure, open a brokerage account or struggle to reconcile stock gifts. Giving Docs and DonateStock handle it all for you.
- Integration into your pipeline: Stock gifts become part of your holistic major and planned giving strategy, right alongside bequests and DAF gifts.
Practical Applications: The Reframe in Action
Reframing stock gifting as part of your planned giving strategy isn’t just a philosophical shift, it should show up tangibly in the way you market, communicate, and build donor relationships. The good news is that this doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your fundraising approach. Instead, small, strategic adjustments in conversations, appeals, and stewardship practices can normalize stock gifts as part of your pipeline.
In Donor Conversations
- Use stock as a simple, concrete entry point into planned giving.
- Conversation starter: “If you have appreciated stocks or mutual funds, you can save even more in taxes by sharing your gains. By donating shares directly you may avoid capital gains tax while receiving a full charitable deduction.”
- For legacy-minded donors: “A gift of stock now can complement the bequest you’re considering for the future.”
In Marketing Communications
- Email appeal: Double Your Impact Without Spending More – donate appreciated stock and avoid capital gains tax.
- Planned giving newsletter CTA: Appreciated stock may be the smartest gift you’ll ever make.
- Website language: A gift of appreciated stock is one of the most tax-advantaged ways to support [ORG NAME]. Transfer stock directly with our Giving Docs toolkit, powered by DonateStock – no paperwork required.
In Your Pipeline Strategy
- Cultivation: Highlight stock giving in Q4 donor asks, especially for those with known securities.
- Event follow-up: Send targeted reminders about stock as a tax-efficient year-end gift.
- Stewardship: Celebrate stock donors as prominently as cash donors to elevate stock giving as leadership philanthropy.
Closing Thought
Stocks aren’t just an asset – they’re an opportunity. For your donors, it’s a way to give more strategically. For your organization, it’s a way to unlock larger gifts, diversify your planned giving portfolio, and position yourself as a forward-thinking partner in philanthropy.
With Giving Docs + DonateStock, you can finally say “yes” when donors ask if you accept stock gifts, without adding administrative headaches.
Explore adding stock gifting to your planned giving strategy using Giving Docs. Consult your tax and legal advisors – but with this integration, you have a technically robust, donor-centric path to maximize philanthropic outcomes.
1 SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book, 2025, p. 9.
https://www.sifma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2025-SIFMA-Capital-Markets-Factbook.pdf.
