Paths to Protection is a blog series exploring the many ways you can help create a world where animals live free from cruelty and suffering. Each installment highlights a different way to give, so you can choose the path that’s right for you—and right for the animals you care about.
As an animal advocate, you understand the power of your support in protecting animals from cruelty and suffering. If you’re looking for a tax-efficient way to give, donating through your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can be an excellent option. It allows you to meet your financial goals while creating meaningful, lasting change for animals around the world.
Maximize Tax Benefits
Donating through your IRA offers unique tax advantages that can increase the impact of your gift. When you make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA, the donated amount is excluded from your taxable income. This provides a double benefit: lowering your taxable income for the year and potentially reducing your overall tax liability. Those savings can help you do even more for animals in need.
Simplicity and Convenience
We’ve partnered with FreeWill to offer a free, easy-to-use IRA giving tool. It walks you through the process step-by-step, making it simple to donate directly from your IRA. This streamlined approach keeps the focus where it belongs—on the impact your generosity is having for animals—rather than on paperwork and logistics.
Align Retirement Planning With Your Values
If you are 70½ or older, you can make a QCD directly from your IRA. And if you’re 73 or older, those distributions can count toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). By giving through your IRA, you can support World Animal Protection as part of your retirement strategy, ensuring your philanthropic goals and financial plans work together.
2025 IRA Giving Updates
- QCD annual limit is higher: You can give up to $108,000 in Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from your IRA in 2025; spouses filing jointly can each use their own limit. This annual cap now adjusts for inflation.
- One-time split-interest option increased: Make a one-time QCD of up to $54,000 in 2025 to fund a charitable gift annuity (CGA) or charitable remainder trust (CRUT/CRAT).
- Age rules: You must be 70½ or older to make a QCD. RMDs begin at age 73, and a QCD can count toward that RMD.
- Eligible recipients: QCDs must go directly from your IRA custodian to a qualified public charity. Donor-advised funds, private foundations, and supporting organizations don’t qualify.
- Tax form change: In 2025 and later, custodians will note QCDs on Form 1099-R with Code “Y”, making it easier to report.
Donating through your IRA is more than a smart financial move—it’s a way to align your resources with your values. By combining the tax advantages and convenience of IRA giving with your passion for animal protection, you can help create a future where animals everywhere live safe, free, and protected.
To learn more, visit our dedicated IRA giving page or email our team.