How to Determine if a Charity is Qualified to Receive Tax-Deductible Donations

To take a tax deduction on a charitable donation, you must make your donation to a qualified organization, according to Internal Revenue Service guidelines. Qualified nonprofits - generally identified as 501(c)(3) organizations by the IRS - include groups that are religious, charitable, educational, scientific or literary in purpose, as well as those that work to prevent cruelty to children or animals.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• IRS Forms
• Financial Calculator
• Telephones
• Paper And Pencils

1. Ask yourself whether the charity appears to fit the IRS definition for qualified organizations.

2. Ask the organization whether it is qualified; most will be able to tell you.

3. Check the organization's status in IRS Publication 78, which lists most qualified organizations. The IRS Web site has a searchable form of Publication 78.

4. Call the IRS at [phone] to verify a new organization's status.

Tips & Warnings

• Although most nonprofit groups qualify to receive tax-deductible donations, some do not. In addition, having "tax-exempt" status does not necessarily mean that a group is qualified to receive tax-deductible donations.

on 8/8/2006 House for disabled aged people, without government support, purely supported from private donations.
Located in Surabaya, Indonesia.

on 8/8/2006 Foundation created by a catholic priest, to take care of mentally and/or physically disabled children. Abandoned by family from cultural shame or inability to obtain medical help. They are all incurable conditions: hydrocephalus, bilateral blindness, tetraplegia, malnutrition, autism, etc. The foundation has several houses in different cities; I have personally visited the one in Surabaya and Malang. In my 40 year medical career, I have not seen this degree of illness. They are now cared for by religious nuns and severely underpaid lay staff; are in short of multiple rehabilitation equipment.