The headlines following release of the Giving USA 2026 Annual Report on Philanthropy have been decidedly upbeat for a change. “U.S. Giving Hits $617 billion,” trumpeted the news, accompanied by celebrations of a 3% growth in total giving and a remarkable 17% surge in charitable bequests. Although still short of the 2021 total of $661 billion, the 2025 numbers landed as a breath of fresh air for planned giving officers who endured the tumultuous post-pandemic dips and rocky inflationary markets of recent years. And, some pundits are already boldly proclaiming that the long-anticipated “Great Wealth Transfer” has officially kicked off.

Your gift acceptance policy is more than a formality. In some ways, your gift acceptance policy is like the steering wheel in your car: you use it to steer toward the best gifts and away from costly potholes. Of course, your steering wheel is equipped with an air bag that might save your life, and a well-crafted policy can quite literally save your organization’s life too. However, the steering wheel analogy goes only so far. Unfortunately, gift acceptance policies are optional, not standard equipment like a steering wheel. And, in contrast to a steering wheel, you’ve got to build your gift acceptance policies yourself.