Charitable gift trusts and donor advised gift funds are a great way to get a current tax deduction while postphoning what charity the gift goes to, while the money grows tax free until the donation is made.  See this posting in The Wall Street Journal by Laura Saunders for the details:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/tax-smart-philanthropy-made-easy-1408728248

Higher income investors have used these funds and trusts for a long time to reap the benefits of a private charitable foundation without the expenses and hassles, and now the smaller income people can use these funds, with $50 dollar minimum investments making them accessable to almost anyone.

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