2025 is the Best Year to Donate: How Giving Today Maximizes Your 2026 Tax Return
Juliette’s House, Yamhill County’s only child abuse intervention center, is facing a dual challenge: devastating federal funding cuts and upcoming tax law changes that affect how charitable donations are deducted. These circumstances make 2025 the most critical year to give. Here’s why:
VOCA Funding at Risk
As many of you have heard, at stake is the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant, one of the largest funding streams for Juliette’s House. VOCA enables us to provide clinical forensic interviews, advocacy initiatives, trauma recovery, and prevention education services for our community’s children who have survived sexual and physical abuse.
But the federal government is now requiring organizations that receive VOCA funds to grant immigration officers unrestricted access to children and families served.
“Imagine a child who has just endured the trauma of assault being confronted by armed, masked officers here in our facility. This is meant to be a safe place. That kind of encounter would retraumatize them in an instant. We will not compromise a child’s safety for politics.”
The new conditions put Juliette’s House, and other providers, at risk of losing VOCA funding altogether. Already, federal funding for nonprofits has been cut by nearly 40% nationwide. Without VOCA, our ability to protect children in Yamhill County could decline.
Why 2025 Is the Best Year to Give
While federal funding grows uncertain, donors have a unique opportunity: 2025 is the last year before new tax rules take effect that could reduce the benefits of charitable giving for taxpayers who itemize deductions. In 2026, three major changes will take effect:
A new “floor” for itemized deductions
You’ll only be able to start deducting donations once you’ve given more than a certain percentage of your income. Starting in 2026, that floor will be 0.5% of your income.Example: If you earn $50,000 a year, your first $250 in donations won’t count toward a tax deduction. Only gifts above that amount will.
RIGHT NOW IN 2025: For taxpayers who itemize, there’s no floor—every dollar you give can be deducted.
A cap for people in the highest tax bracket
If you’re in the top income bracket (currently 37%), you’ll only be able to deduct at a rate of 35% starting in 2026.RIGHT NOW IN 2025: No cap yet—if you itemize, you get the full deduction amount at your rate.
A new small deduction for people who don’t itemize
Beginning in 2026, taxpayers taking the standard deduction will be able to write off up to $1,000 if filing alone, or $2,000 if married and filing jointly.RIGHT NOW IN 2025: This provision does not yet apply.
Important Note: Charitable contributions are only deductible if you itemize your taxes. If you take the standard deduction, contributions are generally not deductible unless given through a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) or donor-advised fund (DAF). Please consult your tax advisor to determine how these rules apply to you.
This means if you donate this year and itemize your deductions, you may maximize your tax benefit while effectively supporting children in need.
“Taxpayers who itemize may want to consider front-loading their charitable giving in 2025 before tighter itemized deduction caps begin in 2026.”
This means if you donate this year, you maximize your deduction, keep more of your money, AND effectively support children in need.
How You Can Take Action
Your support is urgent and essential. Here’s how you can stand with Juliette’s House:
Call Your Senators and Representatives
Dial 202-224-3121 and tell them:
“Please oppose tying federal funding for abused children to immigration enforcement, and restore VOCA funding to protect kids!”Donate to the Promise Fund
We’ve launched this fund to ensure no child is turned away, even if VOCA funding disappears.Become a Monthly Donor
Recurring gifts provide steady, predictable support that allows us to focus on healing and prevention—not survival.Act Before December 31, 2025
Make your gift before the end of the year, and keep your receipt for your 2026 tax return. Know that you’ve made a difference for local children while making a smart financial move!
Making a Promise to Our Children
The fight for VOCA funding is not just about dollars—it’s about the safety, dignity, and future of children in Yamhill County. With federal cuts looming and tax advantages shifting, your donation in 2025 is more powerful than ever.
You can keep Juliette’s House a place of safety, trust, and healing for every child in Yamhill County, because every child has the right to be safe. 💜
Donate Today
Sources: Orange County Community Foundation, National Philanthropic Trust, Fidelity Charitable