Give Tzedakah From Your IRA
If you are 70½ or older, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) lets you support Beis Chabad directly from your IRA, often with real tax savings.
What is a QCD?
A Qualified Charitable Distribution is a gift sent directly from your IRA custodian to a charity such as Beis Chabad. Because the money goes straight to the shul, it is generally not counted in your taxable income.
Beis Chabad of Passaic-Clifton (Kesser Shem Tov) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 82-2020077.
Who can give this way?
- You must be at least 70½ years old on the day the distribution is made.
- The gift must come from a traditional IRA. Beneficiaries of an inherited IRA who are 70½ or older may also give this way.
- SEP and SIMPLE IRAs: a QCD can't come from an "ongoing" SEP or SIMPLE IRA, meaning one that still receives employer contributions. Please check with your custodian.
- Gifts from 401(k) or 403(b) plans don't qualify as QCDs. Some people first roll those funds into an IRA. Ask your advisor.
Why give from your IRA?
- It can count toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). All or part of your QCD can satisfy the RMD you must take for the year.
- The gift is generally left out of your taxable income. You don't need to itemize to benefit.
- 2026 limit: you may give up to $111,000 per person this year through QCDs. If you're married, your spouse may give up to $111,000 from their own IRA.
- One rule to know: you don't take a separate charitable deduction for a QCD, because it is already excluded from your income.
How to give, step by step
- Contact your IRA custodian (the firm that holds your IRA). Ask for a "Qualified Charitable Distribution." Many custodians have a form or an online request page.
- Ask that the check be made payable to the charity, not to you:
Kesser Shem Tov (Beis Chabad of Passaic-Clifton)
EIN: 82-2020077
170 Main Ave, Passaic, NJ 07055 - Make sure the check goes from the custodian to the shul. It can be mailed straight to us at 170 Main Ave, Passaic, NJ 07055, or sent to you so you can hand it to us. Either way, it must be payable to Kesser Shem Tov. A check made out to you doesn't count as a QCD.
- Let us know it's coming (use the form below or call). Custodian checks often arrive without your name on them, so a quick note helps us thank you properly.
- Plan ahead for year-end. To count for 2026, the distribution must leave your IRA by December 31. Custodians get busy in December, so please request it early.
- Keep our acknowledgment for your tax records. Our accounting office will send you a written acknowledgment (receipt) for your gift, stating that no goods or services were provided in exchange for it. Tell your tax preparer the distribution was a QCD.
Sample letter to your IRA custodian
[Date]
[IRA Custodian Name]
[Custodian Address]
Re: Qualified Charitable Distribution from IRA account #[Account Number]
Dear Sir or Madam,
Please accept this letter as my request for a Qualified Charitable Distribution from my IRA, account #[Account Number], in the amount of $[Amount].
Please make the check payable to:
Kesser Shem Tov (Beis Chabad of Passaic-Clifton)
EIN: 82-2020077
170 Main Ave, Passaic, NJ 07055
Please include my name and address with the check, or in a cover letter, so the charity can acknowledge my gift:
[Your Full Name], [Your Address]
This distribution is intended to qualify as a Qualified Charitable Distribution under Internal Revenue Code section 408(d)(8). Please complete it by [date, no later than December 31].
Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]
[Phone / Email]
Please tell us about your gift
So that we can acknowledge your gift and thank you, please share:
- Your name and mailing address
- The name of your IRA custodian
- The approximate amount and when you requested it
- Whether the gift is in honor or memory of someone
Questions about your receipt? Email our accounting office at admin@beischabad.org.
Please consult your tax advisor about your own situation. This page is general information, not tax or legal advice.