A. Taxpayers who are 70.5 or older can transfer up to $100,000 from a traditional IRA tax-free to charity each year, as long as you transfer the money to the charity directly. The "qualified charitable distribution" will count as your required minimum distribution without being added to your adjusted gross income, which can be a boon if you were going to take the new, higher standard deduction instead of itemizing (you can't deduct charitable transfers).
The transfer could also help keep your income below the threshold at which you are subject to the Medicare high-income surcharges as well as hold down the percentage of your Social Security benefits subject to tax.
Make a QCD well in advance of New Year's eve because the money has to be out of the account and the check needs to be cashed by the charity by December 31.