The Power of a Generous Community at Year-End
By Dan Navarra, NorCal Area Director for The National Christian Foundation
As we enter the final quarter of the year, many of us in the generosity space are keenly aware: Q4 isn’t just the most wonderful time of the year—it’s also the most generous.
At the National Christian Foundation, we consistently see over 30% of all annual giving happen in December alone. And that’s not just a statistic—it’s a window of opportunity. Not just for tax-smart strategy, but for spirit-led impact.
But let me suggest something deeper than year-end checklists.
A Kingdom Culture of Generosity
The most catalytic giving we see doesn’t come from obligation or tax benefits (although we love a good capital gain reallocation to the Kingdom!). It comes from shared conviction—a group of people stirred by the Spirit and bound together by a commitment to use their influence, wealth, and resources for something that outlasts them. This is The Barnabas Group.
In Northern California, I’ve been watching this happen. Business owners and business leaders. Givers who pray over their wire transfers. People asking not, “How much should I give?” but “How much do I really need to keep?”
This is the kind of community I believe the real-life-Bible-character, Barnabas, was part of in Acts 4. People who sold fields, laid the proceeds at the apostles’ feet, and said, “Whatever is needed for the mission—count me in.”
Year-End Moves that Matter
If you or your clients are exploring how to make the most of year-end generosity, here are a few timely ideas, straight from the NCF's most basic playbook. And while these are “basic” for some, I think they are excellent trail markers on the giving journey for all of us to be reminded of.
Give before you sell: If you’re selling a business or real estate, consider giving a portion of the asset before the transaction closes. You can avoid capital gains and increase your giving capacity—often by 20-30%. This is the force-multiplying effect of asset-based giving.
Fund your DAF now, decide later: If you’re still discerning where to give, you can contribute cash, stock, or other assets into your Giving Fund (donor-advised fund) before Dec. 31 and take the deduction this year. Then you can recommend grants in January—or next July. Did you know, you can grant to our Barnabas Group Chapter from your DAF? Also, a word to the wise: don’t wait until the last week of the year to initiate your giving. For instance, NCF recommends that all stock gift transfers be initiated by December 15 to ensure you get deduction credit for 2025.
Include your kids: This is the most fun! Let your family be part of the process. Invite them into the “why” behind your giving, not just the “where.” This is legacy work, not just tax planning. Perhaps, at Thanksgiving this year, instead of going around the table and sharing what you’re thankful for, give out envelopes to every member of the family (even the littles!), giving them a sum of money from your Giving Fund that they get to recommend a grant with. Instruct them to give the money away before Christmas, and then come to Christmas prepared to share with the family what ministry they supported, and why that is important to them.
Download and enjoy NCF’s Giving Season Guide for 2025, a free resource and devotional to help get the creative juices flowing.
Generosity is Contagious
As you consider your own giving—and walk alongside clients, friends, and family doing the same—remember that generosity is more caught than taught. When you open your hands, others will notice.
Let’s lead by example.
Let’s finish the year not with a sense of pressure, but with a renewed conviction that God owns it all—and we get to be joyful stewards.
If there’s any way I or our NCF NorCal team can serve you or someone you’re walking with, I’d love to connect. Email dnavarra@ncfgiving.com any time!
Let’s make this December more than just a deadline. Let’s make it a declaration.
About The Author: Dan Navarra
Dan Navarra is a native of California, born and raised in the East Bay Area. Dan is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®), has studied finance at Harvard Business School, received his undergraduate degree in Philosophy with a Religious Emphasis, and then continued on to Fuller Theological Seminary for his Masters of Divinity. Dan enjoyed fifteen years in local church pastoral ministry, specializing in teaching, project management, stewardship, and human resources, prior to his joining NCF in 2022. He has also been a contributor to Church Law & Tax and churchsalary.com (subsidiaries of Gloo) as a writer. In his role with NCF, Dan works to equip others with the creative tools, strategies, and insights they need to maximize their generosity and establish a lasting legacy.
He and his wife, Amy, married in 2012 and have three sons, including identical twins. In true entrepreneurial spirit, they successfully founded and grew a small business over a five-year period, concluding with a successful acquisition and exit in 2021. They reside in the Central Valley of California, where Dan likes to remind people he can be at a Giants game, the snow, the lake, or the beach, all within about a two-hour drive. In his leisure time, Dan enjoys watching, coaching, and playing baseball, fishing, and playing music with his kids.