It’s the seventh day of my 12 Days of Charitable Giving for 2019. Readers have suggested deserving charities over the past few weeks, and I’ll be posting the results here. Today’s charity is National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV).
Every year, ten million people are physically abused by an intimate partner: that works out to about 20 people every minute in the United States. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men in the United States have experienced some form of violence from a partner in their lives. And remarkably, an average of 3 women per day are murdered by their husbands or partners in the United States.
Domestic violence is not limited to physical abuse. Emotional and psychological abuse can be just as extreme as physical violence. According to the NCADV, a lack of physical violence does not mean the abuser is any less dangerous to the victim, nor does it mean the victim is any less trapped by the abuse.
Many members of the tax professional community know these statistics well: a beloved colleague was killed by her boyfriend in a murder-suicide not so long ago. Today, friends of Lisa Sexton (EA) work to keep her memory alive, and also encourage others to support efforts to end domestic violence.
The NCADV Public Policy Office collaborates with other national organizations to promote legislation and policies that serve and protect victims and survivors of domestic violence, and we work to change the narrative surrounding domestic violence.
For anonymous, confidential help available 24/7, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).
So how can you help? To make a one-time or monthly donation, click over to NCADV’s website. If you wish, you can make a donation in honor of, or in memory of, another person.
For federal income tax purposes, if you plan to claim a deduction for a cash contribution, you’ll want to keep a record of the donation. Ideally, the organization will provide a written record with the name of the charity, date, and amount of the contribution.
You can also donate used electronics. Under a partnership with Cellular Recycler, NCADV receives a portion of funds from the sale of refurbished electronics, like cell phones, laptops, and video game systems; for more (and to find out how to ship for free), click here.
In-kind donations may be deductible. Remember that the value of your in-kind donation is limited to the fair market value. For new items, that’s generally the cost you pay for new items, but used items must be valued. Since these items may be difficult to value, NCADV offers a pricing guide to help you estimate the cost of your items (downloads as a PDF).
Do your homework. As always, you want to make sure that your donation is going to a qualified charitable organization. A search using the IRS’ new Tax Exempt Organization Search (formerly Select Check) reveals that the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) is on the list.
To find out more about the work of the organization, check out their website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter or Instagram.
I often suggest checking out third-party sites like Charity Navigator for more information about charitable organizations, including evaluations and access to tax forms and other financials. NCADV has a four-star ranking on Charity Navigator and has earned the GuideStar’s Gold Seal of Transparency.
Remember: Readers nominate their favorite charities to the 12 Days of Charitable Giving, and in most cases, I can’t personally vouch for the organizations. So be generous but be smart: Do your homework.
For more on making charitable donations, click here.
