Back To School: Donating Backpacks, Clothes & School Supplies

(UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed. We have a winner! See the comments for more info.)

It’s Back To School Week on the blog!

When I was in elementary school, I had to borrow a pair of socks for a school performance. The socks that were loaned to me had holes in them but at least they were the right color so I wore them. The principal noticed the holes and I was humiliated.

I thought about this a few weeks ago as my own kids clamored for back to school items. They will, thankfully, never know what it is like to be subjected to ill-fitting hand me downs or have to make excuses for constantly patched clothes. And while they didn’t get everything they wanted this year – of course – they weren’t in tears because they knew their friends would have brand new TrapperKeeper notebooks while they were regulated to ugly, used binders.

It may seem shallow but back to school matters to kids. Having the opportunity to have the same kinds of clothes and supplies as the other kids matters. Fitting in matters.

A few weeks ago, I asked my friends to consider buying an extra pack of crayons or a notebook for a back to school supplies drive or splurging on a new jacket or tee shirt for a clothing collection. I was pretty overwhelmed by the responses.

Friends shared all kinds of existing opportunities for donating school supplies. Most communities offer something for this purpose around this time of year. While my friends seemed to know where to donate, they didn’t seem to know quite how to document their donations for tax purposes. So here are a few quick tips:

Always get a receipt. Always. For donations of goods or cash (or cash equivalent), you need to get a receipt from the charitable organization which has the name of the charity; the date of the gift; the location of the charity; and a detailed description of the property donated.
If the organization doesn’t offer you a receipt, ask for one. If they’re taking your money or your stuff, they should be prepared to offer you a receipt. If they can’t be bothered – and you want that tax deduction – take your stuff somewhere else.
You may only deduct donations to qualified charitable organizations. If you’re not sure whether an organization qualifies, ask to see their letter from the IRS; many organizations will actually post their letters on their web site. If that isn’t possible, you can search directly online using the IRS Select Check tool; keep in mind that churches, synagogues, temples and mosques are considered de facto charitable organizations and are eligible to receive deductible donations even if they’re not on the list (some exceptions apply so be sure and ask if you’re not sure).
Donations to individuals, no matter how needy or deserving, are never deductible.
Keep excellent records. Scan or copy receipts and make sure that they’re accessible, readable and accurate.
You can only claim a tax deduction for a charitable donation if you itemize. You’ll report the donations on Schedule A of your federal income tax return.
For donations of non-cash items, your deduction is generally equal to the fair market value of the item: what the item would sell for in its current condition or the purchase price if the item is new. Be sure and note on your records the description and condition of the item. If you make non-cash deductions of used clothing and household items, they are only deductible if in good used condition or better.
For most charitable gifts valued at over $250, you will need a statement from the charitable organization showing a description (but not value) of any property donated and a statement as to whether the organization did or did not give you any goods or services in return for your contribution. One piece of paper can suffice for both requirements. To figure whether a gift is valued at $250 or more, do not combine separate donations. Treat each payment or gift as a separate gift.
If the amount of your noncash deduction is more than $500, you must complete and attach federal form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions (downloads as a pdf) to your federal income tax return.
If your total deduction is over $5,000, you may have to get appraisals; exceptions apply for certain kinds of property such as clothing and household items (the threshold may drop to $500) as well as cars, boats and qualified easements.

Keep these tips in mind when you’re out shopping for fun new back to school items. Think about how excited your kids are to have new backpacks, pencils, and notebooks. You could put a smile on the face of another child, too.

And that brings us to today’s giveaway: Zappos is offering a fun backpack for one reader. The one and only classic JanSport SuperBreak backpack, found on Zappos.com, will fit all of your student’s school necessities with ease. This backpack is durable with padded shoulder straps for added comfort. The backpack’s 2 compartments will give your student space to organize their school supplies and essentials. This JanSport backpack from Zappos is the perfect way to start off the new school year in style!

To enter to win, just post a comment below telling me the name of your favorite school supply. I’ll go first to get you started: Freshly sharpened pencils.

Entries must be posted in the comments section for this blog post in the space below by 10:00 a.m. EST on September 7, 2013. It’s just that easy. I’ll choose the winner randomly (using a number generator) out of all of the qualifying entries.

Be sure and read the fine print for more rules because, as you know, I’m a lawyer and I like rules:

Don’t panic if your comment doesn’t show immediately. If it goes to moderation because, for example, you’re new here, the time stamp on your comment is what counts.
I love my Twitter followers and my Facebook fans but for this particular giveaway, tweets and Facebook comments will not be counted. Ditto for emails. You must leave your comment on the blog at this post.
You can enter as many times as you like but you must leave a different answer each time you comment.
Offensive comments or comments that otherwise violate the comment policy will be deleted and will not be considered valid for purposes of the contest. Similarly, pingbacks and other links will be disregarded for purposes of the contest.
You must include your full name and your email address with your entry, just enter it when you register to comment. I won’t publish your email address but I do need contact information for the winning entry.
Due to shipping considerations, only United States addresses, please. Sorry, Canada, eh?
I respect your privacy and I will not send you anything unrelated to your entry in this contest. By entering the contest, you agree that I may post any part or all of your submission including your name as a part of the contest announcements or promotions, with the exception of your email address.
Like Judge Judy, my determination is final.
Prizes are provided directly by our sponsors. Sponsors do not pay for placement and do not receive any compensation for contributions – nor do I have any affiliation, paid or otherwise, with any of our sponsors.