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.”

— Russell Mark, Juliette’s House CEO

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 advantage: 2025 is the last year before new tax rules take effect that will reduce charitable giving benefits. In 2026, three major changes will take effect:

1. A new “floor” for deductions if you itemize

   • A “floor” means you can only 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: there is no floor—every dollar you give can be deducted.
     

2. 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. Put simply: the “discount” you get back from giving will be a little smaller.

   • RIGHT NOW IN 2025: No cap yet—if you’re in a higher tax bracket, you get the full deduction amount at your rate.
     

3. A new small deduction for people who don’t itemize

   • If you take the standard deduction (instead of itemizing), you’ll be able to write off up to $1,000 if you file alone, or $2,000 if you’re married and file jointly—starting in 2026. This is brand new, but it doesn’t start until next year.

   • RIGHT NOW IN 2025: Immediate advantage—you’re giving in the last year before restrictions take effect.

“Taxpayers who itemize may want to consider front-loading their charitable giving in 2025 before tighter itemized deduction caps begin in 2026.”

— National Philanthropic Trust

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:

1. 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!”
   

2. Donate to the Promise Fund
   We’ve launched this fund to ensure no child is turned away, even if VOCA funding disappears.
   

3. Become a Monthly Donor
   Recurring gifts provide steady, predictable support that allows us to focus on healing and prevention—not survival.
   

4. 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