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For over 50 years, the Community Foundation has helped people give with purpose, strengthening Memphis and the Mid-South.

We make giving easier and more impactful by matching your generosity with the causes and community you care about most.

We offer solutions and resources to donors and the professionals who advise them to help you give smarter and do more good.

We offer funding opportunities that helps nonprofits and students create positive change and build futures.

When you get involved with the Community Foundation, you join a group of people committed to Memphis’s future.

Learn more about the philanthropic hub that connects capital with the solutions that make our community thrive.

Support nonprofits with QCDs

Turning 70½ or older? A Qualified Charitable Distribution lets you give from your IRA, support causes you care about, and keep your taxable income down.

Philanthropy & Giving

Published: November 5, 2026

Support nonprofits with QCDs

As year-end approaches, we often get questions about making charitable gifts using Qualified Charitable Distributions, or QCDs. A QCD allows individuals aged 70½ or older to donate directly from their IRA to a charity, avoiding taxes on the donated amount. 

Typically, required minimum distributions—or RMDs—from retirement accounts are taxed as income, but QCDs can fulfill RMD obligations without increasing taxable income. This can help donors avoid higher tax brackets or losing other tax benefits. There are limits to how much you can donate via QCDs, but they offer a meaningful way to support charities while benefiting from tax advantages.

While QCDs cannot be contributed to donor-advised funds, the Community Foundation offers other eligible options, such as the FOREVER Funds, our community-centered grantmaking. You can support vital organizations through us or check with your charity of choice to confirm if it accepts QCDs. Your gift can have an impact in supporting causes you care about.

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