Blair Hull
Vice President Philanthropic Services, President of Argent Foundation, Argent Trust
Another year brings another wave of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. With social media and the rise of influencer culture, it can feel like “the best sale ever” appears every few weeks. It’s hard to know what’s truly a bargain anymore.
Even as the week grows increasingly hectic, my favorite part of Thanksgiving season remains Giving Tuesday.
Giving Tuesday creates a moment to pause and reflect on our values, long-term goals, and what giving back means for us, and for future generations. In 2024, U.S. donors contributed an estimated $3.6 billion on Giving Tuesday — a 16% increase from the previous year. This level of participation shows how generosity becomes powerful when people act together, each in their own way.
As we enter the holiday season and year-end planning, many of you may be thinking about giving to nonprofits, charities, and causes that matter to you. This year, that reflection takes on new significance. With the recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the rules around charitable deductions have changed, and those changes affect how we at Argent help clients plan their giving.
In 2025, thoughtful planning will be especially important. With guidance from your advisor, charitable giving can be structured in ways that support both your values and your financial goals. You may want to consider accelerating gifts into 2025, grouping several years’ worth of donations together, or using a donor-advised fund (DAF) to create flexibility.
At Argent, we take a holistic approach to wealth management that blends long-term planning, tax awareness, and community impact. As your advisors, we are prepared to help you:
- Evaluate which giving strategies fit your situation under the new law, including whether to itemize, how to time contributions, and when a DAF may be useful.
• Coordinate charitable giving with estate planning, liquidity events, retirement income strategies, and tax projections.
• Turn your philanthropic goals — supporting causes you care about, shaping a family legacy, or strengthening your community — into a personalized giving plan.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act makes 2025 and 2026 important years for philanthropic planning. While some traditional tax benefits may be reduced, new opportunities arise for those who plan intentionally and align their giving with their broader financial picture.
This Giving Tuesday, we encourage all clients — current and future — to reflect on what generosity and stewardship mean to you. It may be the ideal time to take action. If you’re considering year-end or 2025 charitable gifts, this is an ideal time to start planning. We’re here to help you align generosity with strategy — together, we turn intentions into impact.
