Season for Sharing donors’ most asked questions answered
No, you didn’t accidentally toss the Season for Sharing direct mail letter to make your annual donation.
More than 150,000 letters and accompanying clip-and-return donation coupons are in the mail a few weeks late this year. Who gets the letters? Anyone who gave to Season for Sharing the previous two years and to a small group of prospective donors.
Blame delays and changes on several things, starting with supply chain issues that limited paper availability. Additionally, a spike in postage costs required us to make the mailer smaller and to ask donors to provide a return envelope and postage this year.
Thank you in advance for your patience — and the stamp.
No matter the challenges, Season for Sharing donors come through each year. In fact, last year, you gave $2.1 million that was shared by 176 charities that help struggling individuals, foster kids, families, domestic violence victims, students, educators and older adults.
The Arizona Republic covers all administrative costs, so 100% of donations go back to the community.
Here are answers to some other questions that donors have asked. Still have questions? Email ssullivan@azcentral.com or call 602444-8749.
QUESTION: What is the QCO or QFCO code for Season for Sharing?
ANSWER:
Season for Sharing does not qualify for either the “Qualified Charitable Organization” or the “Qualified Foster Care Organization” codes, which are used to claim state tax credit. Why? Because we give grants to multiple organizations. Current state law only allows the credits for donations given to specific charities on a state-approved list.
The way to make Season for Sharing qualify would be to limit our grants to the charities on the state list. Only about 50% of our partner agencies were on that list. For instance, many organizations that help older Arizonans are missing.
Q: Can I deduct Season for Sharing donations on my federal taxes?
A:
Yes. Season for Sharing partners with the nonprofit 501(c)(3) Arizona Community Foundation to collect and distribute donations, so a gift still qualifies. However, the newest federal tax law allows write-offs only if your overall deductions — charity, property taxes, mortgage interest and more — exceed what you would take as a standard deduction. That deduction is now almost double what it was before the changes in the tax law a few years ago: $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples.
Q: Can I claim any of my Season for Sharing donation on state taxes?
A: State law allows taxpayers to deduct up to 25% of gifts without itemizing, but it’s only applied to the state’s lower tax rates, so the dollar impact is less than at the federal level. For example, if you donate $1,000, you could deduct $250 without itemizing on state returns -- if you’re filing under the lower tax rates.
Q: Can I donate monthly through the year?
A: Yes. Just click the monthly installment option under “Payment Plan” on the online form at sharing.azcentral.com or facebook.com/seasonforsharing. If you’re mailing in a payment, check the “recurring donation” option on the 4A coupon or the form you received in the mail.
Q: I support a nonprofit 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 areas of focus: older adults, teachers/students and children/families. If you think a charity should apply for a Season for Sharing grant, have them reach out to ssullivan@azcentral.com or call 602444-8749.
Q: Does Season for Sharing accept donations of stock? Can I transfer money directly from an IRA?
A: Yes to both. Donations should be directed to Season for Sharing, c/o Arizona Community Foundation, 2201 E. Camelback Road, #405B, Phoenix AZ 85016. Feel free to call the Community Foundation if you need more specific instructions: 602-381-1400.
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: Do all donations stay in Maricopa County?
A: No. In a typical year, 10-20% of Season for Sharing donations come from outside greater Phoenix. Because of that, we aim to make sure a commensurate amount of grants go to nonprofits around the state. Usually, this is to support domestic-violence shelters, food banks or other agencies that are the only service providers for entire regions of the state.
Q: Who decides who gets funded? A: Our grant review process is very stringent and has been sharpened in Season for Sharing’s 28 years. Briefly:
We ask nonprofits to abide by some general guidelines. For instance, firsttime applicants should ask for no more than $7,500. If they’ve received a grant before, they should ask for no more than a 50% increase.
Our nonprofit partner, the Arizona Community Foundation, vets the applications.
The applications then come to a committee made up of The Republic/azcentral employees, the Arizona Community Foundation, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust and ASU’s Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation. The committee begins the review process in early December and will be done in January.
Q: How do you decide how much to give each charity?
A:
The amount we give depends on the amount we raise. Beyond that, 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 they report from the previous year’s funding and/or predict for the coming year.