Dec. 31 deadline to make tax-deductible donation
Don’t let the uncertainty around tax reform muddy the water: Donations to Season for Sharing are still deductible on your 2017 federal income taxes.
The catch: Mailed donations must be postmarked by Saturday, Dec. 30, and online donations must be made by Sunday, Dec. 31.
The online form can be found at sha ring.azcentral.com.
The mail-in coupon is on 4A of The Arizona Republic.
As you know, 100 percent of donations to Season for Sharing go to Arizona non-profits that are helping domestic violence victims, boosting education, asthe sisting older Arizonans and supporting children and families. All overhead and fundraising costs are donated or paid for by The Republic/azcentral.com.
Since 1993, Season for Sharing has raised more than $60 million. Last year, 159 agencies shared the $2.4 million in generous donations from our readers and matching partners.
Meanwhile, here are other Season for Sharing questions answered.
QUESTION: Does my Season for Sharing donation qualify for a state tax credit? ANSWER: The way the state law is written, “umbrella” funds such as Season for Sharing that give to numerous charities do not qualify. The only way we would qualify is to to limit our grants to charities on the state-approved list. Last we checked, only about 50 percent of our partner agencies were on that list.
Q: Can I claim the donation on my federal taxes?
A: Yes. Season for Sharing partners with the non-profit 501(c)3 Arizona Community Foundation to collect and distribute donations, so your gift qualifies for a federal tax deduction.
Q: Can I donate monthly through the year?
A: Yes. Just click the monthly installment option under “Payment Plan” on the online form that can be found at sha ring.azcentral.com or at facebook.com/seasonforsharing.
Q: I support a non-profit that I don’t see on your list of grant recipients. Why don’t you give to them?
A: In most cases, it’s because they either didn’t apply or don’t fall within one of Season for Sharing’s four areas of focus: older adults, domestic violence, education and children and families. If you think a charity should apply for a Season for Sharing grant, have them reach out to me at ssullivan@azcentral.com or call 602-444-8749.
Q: Can I designate that my donation go to a specific charity or cause?
A: No. If you feel strongly about supporting a specific charity, we encourage you to give directly to that group.
Q: I run a non-profit that missed the grant application deadline. Can I still apply? A: The grant review process takes time, so we have to cut off applications in mid- to late October each year. I encourage folks to mark their calendars for midAugust next year to be on the lookout for the call for applications. The deadlines will be posted on Season for Sharing’s Facebook page first (facebook.com/sea sonforsharing) and also on azcentral and in The Arizona Republic. Q: Do all donations stay in Maricopa County?
A: Depending on the year, between 10 and 20 percent of Season for Sharing donations come from areas outside greater Phoenix. Because of that, we aim to make sure a commensurate amount of grants go to non-profits in areas around the state. Usually this is to support domesticviolence shelters and other agencies that are the only service providers for entire regions of the state.
Q: Who makes the decisions about who gets funded?
A: Our grant review process is very strict and has been sharpened in Season for Sharing’s 24 years. Happy to outline it here:
❚ We ask non-profits to abide by some general guidelines. For instance, first-time applicants should ask for no more than $5,000. If they’ve received a grant before, they should ask for no more than a 50 percent increase the next year.
❚ Our non-profit partner, the Arizona Community Foundation, vets the applications.
❚ The applications then come to a committee made up of The Republic/azcentral employees and the Arizona Community Foundation for further review. That committee begins the review process in early December and will be done in January.
❚ Committee members serve threeyear terms to ensure familiarity with the program and standards.
❚ We have 238 applications to review this year.
Q: How do you decide how much to give each charity?
A: Ultimately, the amount we give depends on the amount we raise. Beyond that, the grant amounts are based on (a) how much a group asks for, (b) how much they received the previous year, (c) where Season for Sharing ranks in their list of funders (we never want to be No. 1 and (d) the results that they report from previous year’s funding and/or predict for the coming year.