What is charitable bunching with a donor-advised fund and why does it help?

Bunching means combining several years of charitable giving into one tax year so your itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly in 2026), then taking the standard deduction in the off years. A donor-advised fund (DAF) makes this easy: you contribute a lump sum (say three years of giving) to the DAF in one year, claim the full deduction now, and then grant the money out to charities gradually over the following years on your own schedule. Funding a DAF with appreciated stock you've held over a year is especially efficient, you skip the capital-gains tax and deduct the full market value. This converts giving you'd do anyway into a real tax benefit. See wealthserene.com/tools/tax-strategies to model the timing.