Is crypto safe?

A nonprofit team asked us that question recently, and they’re not alone. There’s a lot of hesitation around cryptocurrency, and we welcome this discussion because the question itself is a sign of good leadership.

When a board hears "crypto," most members picture the headlines: wild price swings, exchange collapses, coins named after dogs. Hesitation is common. It's also a healthy instinct for a team that takes stewardship seriously. I'd be more worried about an organization that never asked.

But here's the truth: the real question isn't whether crypto is a safe thing to hold. It's whether your organization can safely receive it, and whether turning it away is quietly costing your mission.

Let's walk through what we told that nonprofit team, and what the data says.

Crypto donations are a stewardship decision

At Infinite Giving, we only accept Bitcoin and Ether. No memecoins. No tokens that launched last month.

That's a deliberate stewardship choice. Bitcoin and Ether are the two largest and most established cryptocurrencies, with the deepest markets and the longest track records. When a donor gives one of them, there's a clear, liquid path to turn that gift into dollars your team can put to work.

This is the piece most boards miss. Accepting a crypto gift doesn't mean your nonprofit has to become a crypto investor. Your gift acceptance policy can simply state that crypto gifts are converted to cash when they arrive, so your organization never has to ride the market. You can see how crypto donations work on Infinite Giving.

Safety is not the absence of risk. It's the presence of a plan.

What the data says about crypto gifts

Fear tends to shrink when you look at the numbers.

In our State of Asset Giving Report, we were excited to share that the largest crypto donation processed on our platform in the past year was over $300,000. One gift. That's a program funded, a key hire made, or real breathing room in your reserves.

The typical gift is meaningful too. The average crypto gift nationally is about $10,000. On our platform, the data was right in line, with an average crypto donation of around $11,000. Compare that to your own average online gift.

These aren't speculative windfalls. They come from donors holding assets that have grown in value, looking for a meaningful place to give them. Our Crypto Giving Guide has more supporting data, and we created the ultimate

Why donors want to give crypto

Here's what motivates many crypto donors. When someone sells cryptocurrency that has grown in value, they owe capital gains tax on the increase. When they donate it directly to a nonprofit instead, they can generally avoid that tax. If they've held it for more than a year, they may also be able to deduct its full fair market value.

The numbers add up quickly. A $50,000 crypto gift can potentially save the donor about $9,520 in capital gains tax*. That's money that would have gone to taxes, now free to go to your mission instead.

It's the same logic behind stock gifts, which is why we so often talk about why nonprofits should accept stock and crypto donations together. These donors aren't just being generous. They're being smart. Your job is to make the smart choice easy.

Donors should always talk with their own tax advisor about their specific situation.

How to find your crypto donors

So how do you actually bring in crypto gifts? The number one thing you can do is simple: promote to your nonprofit’s donors and “giving partners” that you accept this asset, and do it consistently.

Many donors who hold crypto would never think to offer it, because they assume you can't take it. They won't ask. You have to say it first.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Email: mention crypto, stock, and DAF giving in your regular donor emails, not just in your year-end appeal.
• Social media: share that you accept crypto, especially around Giving Tuesday and the end of the tax year.
• Your website: make crypto a visible option on your donation page, right alongside stocks and DAFs.
• Your board: give board members one simple sentence they can use in donor conversations.

Repetition matters. One announcement won't do it. Our guide to empowering your donors to give stocks and cryptocurrency has more ideas for getting the word out, and our nonprofit Q&A on crypto donations answers the questions your team is likely to hear.

Give your team permission to say yes

Hesitation about crypto is wise. Staying stuck in it isn't.

You don't need to become a crypto expert to receive a crypto gift. You need three things: a narrow, well-chosen set of accepted assets, a clear gift acceptance policy, and a partner who handles the rest. With those in place, "Is crypto safe?" becomes a better question: "Are we ready for the donor who wants to give it?"

Generous donors don't want to fund a financial hole. They want to invest in a vision. Let's make it easy for them.

Discover how Infinite Giving helps nonprofits accept crypto gifts

DISCLOSURE

*Hypothetical example for illustration only. Assumes a donor gives $50,000 in cryptocurrency held for more than one year, with a cost basis of $10,000 ($40,000 in unrealized gains), and would otherwise pay the top federal long-term capital gains rate of 20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax (23.8% total). Excludes state and local taxes. Actual savings depend on each donor’s cost basis, holding period, income, and tax situation, and charitable deductions are subject to IRS limits. Infinite Giving does not provide tax or legal advice; donors should consult their own tax advisor.

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