This article is part of the Biblically Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS) series. It was originally published in September of 2021 and updated in May of 2026.

I was recently working at our church’s welcome desk on a Sunday morning. An elderly woman, well into her seventies or eighties, came up, handed me a $20 bill, and asked me to make sure it went toward our ministry to families with children with special needs. Her act of love and generosity moved me. She told me she has a granddaughter with special needs and appreciates what we are doing to assist families like hers.

Her generosity got me thinking about giving in retirement. In this article, I’ll pose some questions you can answer for yourself to help you make important decisions about giving based on your situation and convictions. The mechanics of giving have been updated for 2026, including important changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).

Do you want to continue giving in retirement?

Some may wonder whether retirement changes the biblical warrant to give. I don’t think it does. The Bible contains more than 2,300 verses about money, possessions, and giving—these apply to all Christians regardless of stage of life. Retirement doesn’t fundamentally change our relationship to generosity.

Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 9:6–8 say it plainly: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Retirement doesn’t retire us from cheerful generosity.

How much?

Many Christians tithe—giving 10% of income as a regular discipline. How this looks in retirement, when income comes from multiple sources (Social Security, pensions, RMDs, portfolio withdrawals, part-time work), is worth thinking through. One straightforward approach: give a consistent percentage of whatever you withdraw to live on, treating your total retirement income—whatever its source—as the base for your giving.

But the generous, proportional, and sacrificial giving the New Testament talks about seems to go beyond a fixed percentage. Giving flows out of a heart of thankfulness and gratitude toward God, a love for neighbor, and a desire to see God’s kingdom expanded. The tithe is a useful starting point, not a ceiling.

Practical giving strategies

The tax landscape for charitable giving changed meaningfully in 2026 under the OBBBA, and these changes affect which giving strategies are most efficient for retirees.

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) — more valuable than ever

For IRA owners age 70½ or older, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) are the single most tax-efficient giving strategy in 2026. The QCD annual limit has increased to $111,000 per individual ($222,000 per couple, with each spouse making a QCD from their own IRA). QCDs are direct transfers from your IRA to a qualified 501(c)(3) charity—they are excluded from your gross income entirely.

QCDs are especially powerful in 2026 because the OBBBA imposed new restrictions on itemized charitable deductions: a 0.5% AGI floor (meaning only the amount donated above 0.5% of your AGI is deductible) and a cap limiting the tax benefit to 35 cents per dollar (down from 37 cents). QCDs bypass both restrictions entirely. If you were planning to take an RMD and then donate part of it, making a QCD instead almost always produces better tax results.

QCDs also reduce your AGI, which can lower your Medicare IRMAA premiums, reduce the taxable portion of Social Security benefits, and preserve eligibility for other income-sensitive benefits. They can also be used before you reach RMD age (starting at 70½), so they are a planning tool even for those not yet required to take RMDs.

Annual gifting to family

The annual gift tax exclusion in 2026 is $19,000 per recipient. You can give up to this amount to any number of individuals each year without filing a gift tax return or using any of your lifetime exemption. This is a straightforward way to transfer wealth to children or grandchildren while you are alive to see the impact.

Standard deduction vs. itemizing

Under the OBBBA, the standard deduction remains higher for most taxpayers. Non-itemizers—those taking the standard deduction—now have a new option: a deduction of up to $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (married filing jointly) for cash donations to qualifying charities, available starting in 2026. This is a modest benefit, but it means non-itemizers now receive some tax recognition for charitable giving beyond what was available before.

For retirees who do not itemize (most don’t), QCDs remain far more tax-efficient than cash gifts for donations above these modest amounts.

Should you spend it, give it away, or leave a legacy?

This is ultimately a personal, prayerful decision—and the Bible seems to encourage all three. Spending on legitimate needs and enjoyment is good and right. Giving generously to the church, to the poor, and to the kingdom’s work is a form of worship. Leaving an inheritance for children or grandchildren can be virtuous (Proverbs 13:22).

The challenge is that these three goods compete for the same dollars, and none of us knows exactly how long we will live or what care needs lie ahead. A few principles help: First, provide adequately for your own needs and those of your spouse. Do not give away so much that you become a financial burden unnecessarily (1 Timothy 5:8). Second, hold your remaining assets loosely—they belong to God, not to you, and he may lead you to use them in ways you haven’t anticipated. Third, give proportionally—not just in good years, but as a consistent practice, adjusting the amount as circumstances change.

If your savings are growing faster than you need them to and you have more than adequate provision for your remaining years, God may be inviting you to deploy that surplus in generosity—to your family, to your church, to the poor, or to all three. The goal is not to optimize for the largest estate, nor to give so recklessly that you become a burden. It is to steward well everything God has entrusted to you, from this day forward and through your final breath.

A word about Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)

Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are a giving vehicle worth knowing. You contribute assets to the DAF (and receive an immediate charitable deduction, subject to the 2026 limitations), then recommend grants to qualified charities over time. DAFs are useful for “bunching” contributions—concentrating multiple years of giving into a single year to exceed the standard deduction threshold—and for donating appreciated securities, which avoids capital gains tax. Note: QCDs cannot be directed to a DAF; direct IRA-to-charity transfers are required for QCD treatment.