--- title: "Giving Budget Planner" url: https://magnanimo.us/giving-calculator/ description: "Turn a giving pledge into a plan: see annual, monthly and per-paycheck giving from your income, split it across causes, and get 2026 tax basics." type: tool section: "Tools" published: 2026-10-20 updated: 2026-10-20 author: The Magnanimous Editors publisher: Magnanimous (https://magnanimo.us/) --- Free tool · Giving smart # The Giving Budget Planner Pick a percentage, not a mood. Turn a pledge into monthly and per-paycheck amounts, split it across the causes you care about, and see the 2026 deduction rules that apply. Free, no sign-up · Runs privately in your browser · Updated October 2026 The interactive part of this tool needs JavaScript. Everything else on this page — the steps, tables, FAQ and sources — works without it. ## Plan your giving Annual income, before tax Giving pledge: 3% of income Tax filing status (for the 2026 note) Split it across causes Drag the sliders; shares are scaled to add up to 100%. ### Your giving plan Per year $1,800 Per month $150 Every 2 weeks $69.23 Donut chart of your giving split by cause. The list beside it gives the same amounts. - Local food bank$720/yr · $60/mo40% - Global health$540/yr · $45/mo30% - Animal shelter$360/yr · $30/mo20% - Arts & culture$180/yr · $15/mo10% **2026 tax snapshot, not tax advice.** If you take the standard deduction, up to **$1,000** of cash gifts to eligible charities may be deductible starting in tax year 2026. If you itemize, only gifts above 0.5% of AGI count; at this income that floor is roughly **$300** (treating income as AGI). ## How to use the planner 1. **Enter your income.** Gross annual income is the simplest base. Use take-home pay instead if that feels more honest for your budget. 2. **Choose a percentage.** 1% is a meaningful start; some people work toward 10%. The point is to pick a number on purpose rather than give whenever an appeal lands. 3. **Split it.** Name up to six causes and set their weights. The donut and list show the yearly and monthly amount for each. 4. **Automate it.** Set up monthly gifts or move the monthly amount into a separate "giving jar" so December appeals and disaster relief don't strain your checking account. A simple sinking-fund tracker like [SinkJar, a free offline web app](https://allthingsn.com/apps/sinkjar/), keeps the giving jar visible. Before a first gift to any organization, run it through the [Charity Checker](https://magnanimo.us/charity-checklist/). ## How your plan compares Americans gave an estimated $617.2 billion in 2025, and 64% of it came from individuals ([Giving USA 2026 via BBB Wise Giving Alliance](https://give.org/news/giving-usa-2026-charitable-giving-trends)). Among households that gave in 2020, the average gift was $3,116, while the share of households giving at all fell to 46.9% ([IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy](https://philanthropy.indianapolis.iu.edu/news-events/news/_news/2024/drop-in-share-of-americans-who-give-to-charity-accelerated-in-first-year-of-covid-19-even-as-average-amount-given-rose.html)). Small, steady gifts from many people are what keep local programs stable. See the full picture in [charitable giving statistics](https://magnanimo.us/charitable-giving-statistics/). ## Tax-deduction basics for 2026 **Not tax advice.** A plain-language summary of IRS guidance as of October 2026, for US federal income tax only. Check [IRS Publication 526](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p526) or a tax professional. - **Non-itemizers:** starting with tax year 2026, you can deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 married filing jointly) of cash gifts to eligible charities. Gifts to donor-advised funds and noncash gifts don't qualify ([IRS](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/one-big-beautiful-bill-provisions)). - **Itemizers:** from 2026, only contributions above 0.5% of adjusted gross income are deductible ([IRS Topic 506](https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc506)). The planner's floor uses your income as a rough stand-in for AGI. - **Receipts:** keep a bank record or written receipt for every cash gift, and get a written acknowledgment for any single gift of $250 or more ([IRS Topic 506](https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc506)). - **Gifts to individuals**, including crowdfunding for a person, aren't deductible. Everything else, from QCDs to the 0.5% floor, is in our guide to [charitable tax deductions](https://magnanimo.us/charitable-tax-deductions/). If you give larger amounts or appreciated stock, read about [donor-advised funds](https://magnanimo.us/donor-advised-funds/) and check whether your employer offers [matching gifts](https://magnanimo.us/matching-gifts/). ## Frequently asked questions **What percentage of income should I give to charity?** There's no right answer. Pick a share that's honest for your budget and stick to it; 1% is a real start, and some people work up to 10%. Consistency matters more than size for most charities. **How is the per-paycheck amount calculated?** The yearly amount divided by 26, the number of paychecks in a typical biweekly pay schedule. If you're paid monthly, use the per-month figure. **Is the tax estimate exact?** No. It applies the 2026 rules in the simplest way, using your income as a stand-in for adjusted gross income. Your real deduction depends on your full return. It's not tax advice. **Is my income saved anywhere?** Your inputs are stored only in this browser so the plan is there next time. Nothing is sent to a server. ## Sources 1. [IRS — One Big Beautiful Bill provisions / Working Families Tax Cuts](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/one-big-beautiful-bill-provisions) 2. [IRS — Topic no. 506, Charitable contributions](https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc506) 3. [IRS — Publication 526, Charitable Contributions](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p526) 4. [BBB Wise Giving Alliance — Giving USA 2026 highlights](https://give.org/news/giving-usa-2026-charitable-giving-trends) 5. [IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy — Drop in share of Americans who give to charity (Oct. 24, 2024)](https://philanthropy.indianapolis.iu.edu/news-events/news/_news/2024/drop-in-share-of-americans-who-give-to-charity-accelerated-in-first-year-of-covid-19-even-as-average-amount-given-rose.html) ## Related guides Giving smart ### [Charitable tax deductions: the basics, and what changes in 2026](https://magnanimo.us/charitable-tax-deductions/) Who can deduct, what records the IRS wants, how QCDs work, and the big 2026 changes: a deduction for non-itemizers and a new floor for itemizers. 5 min read Giving smart ### [How much Americans give: charitable giving statistics for 2025](https://magnanimo.us/charitable-giving-statistics/) The latest Giving USA numbers, explained: $617.2 billion given in 2025, who gave it, where it went, and the shrinking donor base behind it. 5 min read Giving smart ### [Effective giving: doing the most good with what you give](https://magnanimo.us/effective-giving/) Some charities do far more per dollar than others. How evaluators like GiveWell measure that, what pledges ask, and where the approach has limits. 5 min read ## More free tools ### [Kindness Generator](https://magnanimo.us/kindness-generator/) Spin a wheel or draw a card from 75 kindness ideas, filtered by time, cost and setting. Every one you do lights a star. Draw a kindness ### [Charity Checker](https://magnanimo.us/charity-checklist/) Walk through seven vetting steps and the FTC's red flags, get a readiness score and one-click lookups. Check a charity ### [Meal Train Planner](https://magnanimo.us/meal-train-planner/) Pick dates and helpers, get a printable meal schedule with dish ideas, allergy notes and a calendar file. Plan a meal train