As of today, there are just 45 days left in 2016. That feels nearly impossible since I’m pretty sure that I was just writing about tax season. But the signs are there: Christmas candy is in stores, it smells like pumpkin practically everywhere – and my mailbox is filled with year-end solicitations from charitable organizations. With just a few weeks in the year to go, charitable organizations are relying on the idea that many taxpayers are planning to make year-end gifts to whittle down taxable income. If you’re looking for inspiration – or hoping to inspire someone on your own – you’re in luck: my annual 12 Days Of Charitable Giving feature is coming!
As I do every year, I’m asking readers to submit via email (charity@taxgirl.com) the name of a charity which deserves mention this year for the 12 Days Of Charitable Giving. Ideally, it would be one that you have supported financially over the past year or that you plan to support before the year end. In addition to the charity’s full name, I’ll need the city where the charity is located, what the charity does, and why you support the charity (a personal story would be great). Please also link to the website if the organization has one (Facebook is okay, too): the more information that you can provide, the better.
The charity must be a bona fide 501(c)(3) organization, meaning that deductions are tax deductible to the donor in the United States. Examples include schools, libraries, and purely public charities like the Red Cross. The organization must also be in good standing: check to make sure that tax-exempt status hasn’t lapsed or expired. You can confirm the tax status of the organization using the Internal Revenue Service’s Select Check Tool; additionally, most charitable organizations will post evidence of tax-exempt status on their website.
Convince me why your favorite organization deserves a mention. Anecdotes are great, as are links to stories in the press. I’ll review the nominations and select one charitable organization to feature for each of 12 days in December – with some tax tips for charitable giving mixed in (of course).
The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2016. That’s just about two weeks away – plenty of time to send in your nomination.
For more on making charitable donations, check out this prior post.
