The IRS has issued an updated guide for donors and charities, spelling out the contribution deduction rules. Publication 1771 — with the not-so-jazzy title “Charitable Contributions, Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements” — provides a solid, plain-language statement of the recordkeeping, proof and disclosure rules. A must-have for every any donor who wishes to deduct donations on [...]
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Giving declined in 2009 for the second consecutive year, according to Giving USA Foundation’s just published 2010 annual report on giving in the U.S. While total giving showed the steepest decline ever (Giving USA began issuing its annual reports in 1956), total giving was still an impressive $303.75 billion. Are you a “regular” donor who wants to be more thoughtful and strategic in your giving? Why not learn from the work of the professional givers? There are some terrific learning resources out there, including publications created by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO). A few favorites from GEO The little blue book, a thought-provoking 59-page guide recently published by New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), is now available for free online. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that “Wealthy people who give away 10 percent or more of their income to charity tend to build a higher net worth — and to be happier — than other wealthy individuals who give less” — quoting Thomas J. Stanley in his new book, Stop Acting Rich … and [...] Whenever you are thinking of donating or volunteering, keep our top ten tips in mind. Research each proposed organization’s key performance indicators. Research their spending, program, reserve, fundraising, compensation and other information. Get The Smarter Giving Guide To Finding Key Charity Information for help with your research. Whenever you are thinking of donating or volunteering, keep our top ten tips in mind. Understand each proposed organization’s mission. Don’t rely just on their name. Research how they focus their work, and where the spend their money. Get The Smarter Giving Guide To Finding Key Charity Information for help with your research. Charities publish an immense amount of data in their IRS Form 990 returns each year. The giver’s challenge has been to find and evaluate the key information tucked away in those returns. We’ve created a new guide to help givers meet that challenge. The Smarter Giving Guide to Finding Key Charity Information helps you Thirty-five lucky attendees at our May 6 “Smarter Giving for Everyone” class will win copies of one of my favorite “smarter giving” books: Inspired Philanthropy by Tracy Gary. Find more about |
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