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Short answer: A nonprofit can accept stock gifts on Giving Tuesday by adding one donation link to its campaign page and emails before 1 December 2026. The donor picks the shares and sends them from their own brokerage, and the nonprofit needs no brokerage account. Stock Donator's cutoff for gifts meant to count in 2026 is 24 December.
When is Giving Tuesday 2026?
Giving Tuesday 2026 is Tuesday, 1 December 2026. GivingTuesday lists the date on its own site. The day always falls on the Tuesday after US Thanksgiving, which is 26 November this year.
GivingTuesday Data Commons estimates that people in the US gave $4.0 billion on Giving Tuesday 2025, 13% more than in 2024 (GivingTuesday, 3 December 2025). GivingTuesday does not report how much of that came as stock.
If your Giving Tuesday page offers only a card form, a donor who wants to give appreciated shares has nowhere to start. That donor has to email you and wait, or give somewhere else.
Why add a stock option before 1 December?
A stock gift takes more steps than a card payment. The donor chooses the shares, their brokerage moves them, and the shares are sold before your nonprofit is paid. That work goes faster when the link is ready before the donor asks.
There is also a calendar reason. Giving Tuesday opens the last four weeks of the tax year. A donor who wants a stock gift to count for 2026 needs it to complete by 31 December, so a stock option that goes live in mid-December leaves very little time.
Adding the option now means three things are ready on 1 December:
- Your campaign page shows a "Donate stock" link beside the card form.
- Your Giving Tuesday emails carry the same link.
- Your team knows what a donor sees and what happens after they give.
How do you add a stock gift option to your campaign?
Here is the order.
- Open a free Stock Donator account. You need your nonprofit's tax ID (EIN) and contact details, and it takes about five minutes. Stock Donator verifies your 501(c)(3) status at sign-up, and you can accept gifts once you are verified. The account gives your nonprofit its own donation link.
- Copy your donation link from the dashboard. Stock Donator's help center says: "Your account dashboard has your own donation link."
- Put the link on your Giving Tuesday page. Link to it from your site, or add it as a Donate Stock button. Place it next to the card form.
- Add the link to every Giving Tuesday email and post. Use the same link everywhere so every gift arrives the same way.
- Tell your finance lead. They will see each gift in the dashboard, and the proceeds are paid to your nonprofit by check, ACH or wire, after Stock Donator's processing fee.
The donor's side is short. They click your link, choose the stock, ETF or mutual fund and the number of shares, and for most brokerages Stock Donator sends the transfer request. A few brokerages need the donor to sign and send the form first. A donor can also give through their own broker: they tell Stock Donator what is coming first, then hand their broker the transfer instructions, including DTC details. The donor pays no fee.
For the full setup, see how to accept stock donations as a nonprofit.
Why should donors start from your link?
Ask donors to start from your donation link instead of raw transfer details. A DTC transfer is the electronic transfer of shares between brokerages. It carries the shares but not the donor's name.
If a donor sends shares without telling anyone first, the gift can arrive with no name on it. We call this mystery stock. It can still be matched to the donor, but it takes extra work during your busiest week. When the donor starts from your link, the gift arrives with the donor's name and contact details, unless the donor chooses to give anonymously.
Can a stock gift made on Giving Tuesday count for 2026?
Usually, yes, if the gift is complete by 31 December 2026. IRS Publication 526 (2025) says a contribution is usually made "at the time of its unconditional delivery." For a stock certificate that the donor gives to their own broker or to the issuing company to transfer into the charity's name, a Treasury regulation sets the date as the day the stock is transferred on the company's books (26 CFR 1.170A-1(b)).
Publication 526 and the regulation set no separate date for electronic transfers between brokerages. So a click on 1 December does not settle the year: the shares still have to move, and that timing depends on the donor's brokerage. A gift started on 1 December has several weeks to complete before year end, so start early.
Stock Donator's cutoff for 2026 is 24 December. Gifts started after that are still processed, but they may not complete before 31 December. For the 2026 changes to the charitable deduction itself, read what the 2026 deduction changes mean for stock gifts.
General information, not tax advice. Talk to your tax adviser.
What should you do between now and 24 December?
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| This week | Open the account and get verified, then copy the donation link and test it yourself. |
| Before Thanksgiving (26 November) | Add the Donate Stock link to the Giving Tuesday page and every scheduled email. |
| Giving Tuesday, 1 December | Send the email below and post the social message. Pin the post. |
| The rest of December | Repeat the link in your year-end appeal and in thank-you notes. |
| 24 December | Stock Donator's cutoff for gifts meant to count in 2026. Send a final reminder a few days before. |
A short email you can copy
The example below uses a fictional nonprofit, Riverbend Food Bank. Replace the name, the cause and the link. For more ways to ask, see how to ask for stock donations.
Subject: This Giving Tuesday, you can give shares too Today is Giving Tuesday. Every gift to Riverbend Food Bank today goes to the pantry shelves this winter. If you hold shares that have grown in value, you can give them directly. Use our stock donation link: [your donation link]. You choose the shares and the number, and the form shows you each step. Stock gifts can take some days to complete, so if you want yours to count for 2026, start it by 24 December. Please ask your tax adviser how a gift of stock affects your taxes. Thank you for standing with us.
Keep the tax line as written. Your nonprofit should not tell donors what they will save.
A short social post you can copy
Version 1: Today is Giving Tuesday. You can support Riverbend Food Bank with cash or with shares of stock. Give stock here: [your donation link]
Version 2: Do you hold shares that have grown in value? This Giving Tuesday, you can give them directly to Riverbend Food Bank. Starting the gift online takes about five minutes: [your donation link]
Do we need a brokerage account to accept stock on Giving Tuesday?
No. With Stock Donator, the shares go to Stock Donator, which sells them and pays your nonprofit. Your nonprofit never opens a brokerage account or holds shares.
Can donors give ETFs and mutual funds too?
Yes. The donation link accepts publicly traded stocks, ETFs and mutual funds held in most brokerage accounts. A few platforms are not supported, and Stock Donator's nonprofit page lists them.
What if a donor gives stock after 24 December?
The gift is still processed. It may not complete before 31 December, and how long the transfer takes depends on the donor's brokerage. Start early, and ask a tax adviser how a gift still in transit at year end is treated.
Can we add the stock link after Giving Tuesday?
Yes. The link keeps working for year-end appeals. Add it before 1 December if you can, so it is live when donors answer your Giving Tuesday emails.
Open your free account before Giving Tuesday
Your Giving Tuesday page can say yes to a donor's shares on 1 December. Open a free account, copy your donation link, and add it to your campaign this week.
General information, not tax advice. Talk to your tax adviser.
Deposit sent to Cedar School Fund