Your equity can save and improve millions of lives
Evidence Action accepts direct donations of appreciated stock and equity from employees experiencing IPO liquidity events, tender offers, or acquisitions. Donating shares directly — rather than selling and giving the cash — can help avoid capital gains tax while supporting some of the world's most cost-effective, rigorously evaluated global health programs.
We are trusted as one of the most transparent, high-impact charities.
A wealth event is a rare opportunity to do extraordinary good.
Wealth events — like IPOs and acquisitions — present employees with many questions: how to give tax-effectively, how much to give, when to give it. One of our partners, Founders Pledge, advises donors on tax-efficient philanthropy toward the world's most pressing problems.
Where can your investment go the furthest? How can you do the most good? Evidence Action's global health and development programs are some of the world's most cost-effective, rigorously evaluated health interventions delivered at scale across Africa and Asia.
Your support helps:
Deworm the World
Deworm one in five children who need treatment, increasing their future incomes by 13% and boosting school attendance and weight gain.
Safe Water Now
Provide communities access to safe drinking water, which can prevent the deaths of one in five children under five.
Equal Vitamin Access
Address hidden hunger across three critical life stages: iron and folic acid supplements for school-age children and under-5s, prenatal vitamins for pregnant women, and nutrient supplements for children under two.
Syphilis-Free Start
Prevent mother-to-child transmission of syphilis, the second leading cause of preventable stillbirths globally.
Accelerator
Identify and pressure test the next generation of high-impact health interventions. Only 3% of the 100+ interventions we've screened have met our bar to scale.
Many compelling health interventions fall short of their potential because few organizations can scale them effectively and affordably across diverse settings. Leveraging our footprint in ten countries, strong government relationships, and 13 years implementing the world's most cost-effective health solutions, we're testing new programs that could reach the next hundred million people.
How to give
Ways to give at a wealth event
Wealth events create many ways to give that aren't possible from regular income. A financial advisor can guide you through the options. Below are some of the most common. Click a card to learn more.
We accept a wide range of gifts, from cash to cryptocurrency to stock. You can find all the options and instructions here.
Not tax or legal advice. The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute official or personalized tax advice. Tax laws are complex and your situation is unique — please work with a qualified tax or legal professional (including, where necessary, your company counsel) to develop a giving strategy appropriate for your circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about giving at a wealth event
Not tax or legal advice. The information below is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute official or personalized tax advice. Please work with a qualified tax or legal professional (including, where necessary, your company counsel) to develop a giving strategy appropriate for your circumstances.
Can I donate stock instead of cash to charity after an IPO? +
Yes. Donating appreciated stock directly to a charity like Evidence Action — rather than selling shares and donating the cash — is generally one of the most tax-efficient ways to give. When you transfer long-term appreciated shares directly, you typically avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciation and may be eligible for an income tax deduction based on the stock's fair market value at the time of the gift. This can mean significantly more of your wealth goes to the cause you care about. Consult your tax advisor for guidance specific to your situation.
Why is donating stock more tax-efficient than donating cash? +
Donating long-term appreciated stock can offer two potential tax advantages compared to selling and donating the after-tax proceeds. First, you may avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation — which can be significant for shares acquired early at a low cost basis. Second, you may be eligible for a charitable deduction based on the stock's full fair market value, not just what you originally paid for it. The combined effect can increase the amount available for charitable impact. Your tax advisor can help you model the specifics based on your holdings and income.
Can I donate stock during an IPO lockup period? +
It depends, and you must consult with corporate counsel and your tax advisor(s). Whether charitable gifts of stock can be made during a lockup period is generally determined by the issuing company's legal counsel. In some cases, transfers to charity may be permitted even when sales are restricted — but the shares may be subject to valuation discounts, and a qualified appraisal may be required. If you're considering a gift during a lockup, work closely with your corporate counsel, your tax advisor, and the receiving charity to understand what's possible.
Important: if shares are transferred to Evidence Action subject to a lockup agreement, we may be required to honor that same lockup restriction — meaning we cannot sell the shares until the lockup expires. As such, we evaluate restricted-share gifts on a case-by-case basis and cannot guarantee acceptance. Please contact our team before initiating any transfer of locked-up shares.
What if I'm an insider or affiliate — can I still donate stock? +
If you are a director, executive officer, or hold more than 10% of the company's stock, you are generally considered an "affiliate" and may face additional restrictions on transferring shares. Your company's legal counsel will need to confirm whether a charitable transfer is permitted and under what conditions. Restricted stock may need to comply with SEC Rule 144 resale requirements, and a qualified appraisal may be needed to substantiate fair market value. Your tax advisor can help determine how these rules affect the tax treatment of your gift.
Additionally, gifting shares while in possession of material nonpublic information — even to a charity — can constitute insider trading if the donor knows or has reason to believe the charity will sell the shares before that information is disclosed. If you are an insider or affiliate with access to this sort of material nonpublic information, please work with your company's legal counsel before making any gift of company stock.
Source: SEC Rule 144 — Selling Restricted and Control Securities
Are there limits on how much I can deduct for stock donations? +
Annual charitable deductions are subject to limits based on your adjusted gross income (AGI). For appreciated non-cash assets held longer than one year — like stock — the deduction is generally limited to 30% of AGI. Cash gifts to public charities can be deducted up to 60% of AGI. If your charitable deduction exceeds these limits in a given year, the IRS generally permits a carryforward for up to five additional tax years. A tax advisor can help you plan across multiple years to maximize the benefit.
What is a donor-advised fund (DAF), and why is it useful at an IPO? +
A donor-advised fund is a charitable giving account managed by a sponsoring organization — such as Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, or Vanguard Charitable. You contribute assets (including appreciated stock), receive an immediate tax deduction, and then recommend grants to charities like Evidence Action over time. DAFs are particularly useful during a wealth event because they let you lock in a tax deduction in a high-income year while giving yourself time to research where your giving can have the greatest impact. DAF contributions of appreciated stock are generally not subject to capital gains tax.
Quick DAF Donation Options
If you have a DAF at Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, or BNY Mellon, you can make a contribution directly via DAF Direct. For contributions originating from other DAF-sponsoring organizations, please contact your DAF sponsor on how to make a gift to Evidence Action.
Do I need an appraisal to donate stock to charity? +
It depends on the type of stock. For publicly traded shares that are freely tradeable, a qualified appraisal is generally not required — the fair market value is typically based on the stock's market price on the date of the gift. However, for restricted stock, stock subject to lockup agreements, or stock with transfer limitations, a qualified appraisal may be required to substantiate the fair market value for tax purposes. Your tax advisor can help determine whether an appraisal is necessary for your specific shares.
For your records, our gift acknowledgment letter will confirm the date of transfer, the security name, and number of shares received — but not a dollar value. It is the donor's responsibility to determine fair market value and, where required, obtain a qualified appraisal.
Source: IRS Form 8283 Instructions — Noncash Charitable Contributions
What's the process for transferring stock to a charity? +
The process typically involves a DTC (Depository Trust Company) transfer from your brokerage account to the charity's brokerage account. You'll need to contact the charity to get their transfer instructions — including their DTC number and account details — and then instruct your broker to initiate the transfer. Most transfers take 2–5 business days. It's important to complete the transfer before December 31 if you want the deduction to count for the current tax year. Contact Evidence Action's team for transfer instructions.
Can I spread my giving over multiple years instead of making one large gift? +
Yes. A multi-year pledge allows you to commit to a total giving amount while spreading actual payments across multiple tax years — aligning gifts with vesting schedules, lockup windows, or income fluctuations. You deduct each gift in the year it's made. Evidence Action can provide a pledge acknowledgment letter and work with you to structure payments. This approach can also help organizations plan their programs more effectively. Talk to your tax advisor about whether spreading deductions across years makes sense given your income trajectory.
Can I donate stock to Evidence Action? +
Prior to initiating the transfer of your stock to Evidence Action, please complete our donation form or contact our team. This enables us to track and record your donation more efficiently.
Information for the delivering firm/broker to initiate a transfer via DTC (for shares held in "street name" with your broker):
Name: Evidence Action
Woodbury Financial Services
DTC Number: 0443
Evidence Action, Inc
Account Number: AUW183093
If you have any questions, please contact our advisor:
Put Phimmasone, Managing Partner
Private Investment Management Capital
+1 202-603-6094
[email protected]
What does Evidence Action do? +
Evidence Action delivers rigorously evaluated, highly cost-effective health interventions at massive scale across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. We reach more than 200 million people annually through programs that treat and prevent conditions we already know how to address — including intestinal worms, unsafe drinking water, iron-deficiency anemia, and congenital syphilis. All of our programs are grounded in academic research and exceed the WHO's threshold for "highly cost-effective" interventions.
Is Evidence Action rated by GiveWell or other independent evaluators? +
Yes. Evidence Action's programs are supported by multiple independent evaluators. GiveWell, The Life You Can Save, Founders Pledge, and Giving What We Can all recommend Evidence Action's programs. Evidence Action also holds a Charity Navigator four-star rating and Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency (2025).
What programs does Evidence Action run? +
Deworm the World treats children for intestinal worms — reaching one in five children who need treatment worldwide — at roughly $0.50 per child. Research shows deworming increases future incomes by 13% and boosts school attendance.
Safe Water Now provides communities with access to safe drinking water, which can help prevent the deaths of one in five children under five.
Equal Vitamin Access fights micronutrient deficiencies in children and pregnant women through iron and folic acid supplements, prenatal vitamins, and nutrient-dense sachets.
Syphilis-Free Start works to prevent mother-to-child transmission of syphilis, the second leading cause of preventable stillbirths globally.
The Accelerator screens and tests the next generation of high-impact health interventions — only 3% of the 100+ interventions screened have met our bar to scale.
How cost-effective is Evidence Action? +
Evidence Action's programs exceed the WHO's threshold for "highly cost-effective" interventions. We focus exclusively on proven, neglected health challenges where the evidence base is strong and the cost to reach each person is low. Independent evaluators like GiveWell assess our programs and their cost-effectiveness. Read more about how we calculate cost-effectiveness →
How do I give to Evidence Action through a donor-advised fund? +
Most DAF platforms — including Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, and Vanguard Charitable — allow you to search for "Evidence Action" directly and recommend a grant. Our EIN is 90-0874591. Grants typically arrive within 5–10 business days. If you have questions, contact Madeleine Nasta.
Quick DAF Donation Options
If you have a DAF at Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, or BNY Mellon, you can make a contribution directly via DAF Direct. For contributions originating from other DAF-sponsoring organizations, please contact your DAF sponsor on how to make a gift to Evidence Action.
Does Evidence Action accept large or complex gifts? +
Yes. Evidence Action works with donors to structure gifts of all sizes, including stock transfers, multi-year pledges, DAF grants, and wire transfers. For larger or more complex gifts, our team can coordinate with your financial advisor to ensure the process is smooth and tax-efficient. Contact Madeleine Nasta to discuss your giving plans.
What happens to my donation at Evidence Action? +
Your donation funds the delivery of health interventions to people who need them. Evidence Action's programs work through government health and education systems — which means your gift supports the infrastructure, technical assistance, supply chains, and monitoring that make it possible to reach hundreds of millions of people at very low cost per person. We publish detailed financials and program results annually.