As divided as Americans may be about a whole bunch of issues, it's heartening to see that we do still agree on the importance of giving back. According to recent reports, as America faced some of its toughest challenges ever in 2020, charitable giving rose 5.1% to a record $471.44 billion.

That number is really remarkable when you think about how hard the pandemic hit so many individuals and businesses in their wallets. Add in the stress and uncertainty we were all dealing with and it's clear Americans really went out of their way to help important causes and communities in need.

That big boost in giving could also be a positive long-term trend, as many experts had worried that recent changes to tax laws might disincentivize charitable giving. As we discuss on today's show, effective giving plans for the year ahead should account for those changes while weighing some important options for doing the most good.