by Dolly Farrell, Executive Director, Charitable Foundation of the Islands
After Hurricane Ian, we all witnessed our islands come back one gift at a time. Some of what arrived made headlines. Most of it didn’t. Neighbors gave what they could spare, seasonal residents sent help before their own repairs were finished, visitors were moved by a community they had come to love. Every one of those gifts went to work, and together they carried us through some of our hardest years.
That’s philanthropy on Sanibel and Captiva. People give because they love our community, and what a gift accomplishes has never been a matter of its size. For years, though, the tax code recognized some of that giving and not the rest. After Congress nearly doubled the standard deduction in 2017, the share of Americans who itemize fell sharply.
Beginning in 2026, new tax legislation creates a charitable deduction for taxpayers who take the standard deduction: up to $1,000 in cash gifts for single filers, $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. This is an exciting opportunity for our nonprofits and a wonderful way to introduce giving to a new generation of donors. I hope you will join me in sharing this information with a friend, family member, or colleague.
A few details worth noting. It applies only to cash gifts via check, credit card, electronic payment, or payroll deduction made directly to a qualified public charity. It does not cover donated goods, appreciated stock, or gifts to a donor-advised fund. If you give through those vehicles, please don’t stop; they remain powerful, and we’re glad to help you use them well. And keep your records: the IRS still requires a written acknowledgment for any single contribution of $250 or more.
If there’s one habit I’d encourage, it’s giving earlier in the year rather than in the last week of December. A gift that arrives now is a gift a nonprofit can actually put to work instead of holding it against next year’s budget. These organizations operate on real cash flow, and the timing of our giving matters more than most of us realize. The team here at the Charitable Foundation of the Islands is here to help and support your giving journey and your philanthropic goals.
The Southwest Florida community has always been generous. That was true when the tax code recognized it, true in the years when it didn’t, and it will be true in 2026 regardless. Thank you for your generosity of spirit and for the continued care and concern you demonstrate on behalf of others.
Dolly Farrell is Executive Director of the Charitable Foundation of the Islands (CFI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation formally established in 2011. CFI carries forward the legacy of the Francis Bailey Society and the Good Neighbor Fund to inspire philanthropy, leadership, and collaboration for the vitality of Sanibel and Captiva. Learn more at charitablefoundationoftheislands.org.
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