How to Make Charitable Donations on a Tight Budget

You're on a tight budget but still want to take part in charitable giving. Most charities find money to be the most useful gift because it provides them more flexibility, but that shouldn't stop you from finding other ways to give from the heart without breaking your bank account. The following steps offer suggestions for finding ways to make the most of the resources you have to give.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet access
• Phone book
• Willingness to be charitable

1. Browse online or use the phone book to determine if your community has a volunteer center or office for volunteer opportunities. The social services department can be another good source to locate volunteer opportunities.
   

2. Contact your local volunteer center or large non-profit organization to determine which non-profit groups in your area are currently in need of volunteers or materials.

3. Examine the various organizations' needs and compare them to the time or goods you have to give in order to determine which groups have needs you can meet.

4. Contact the organizations you have chosen and ask to speak to a volunteer coordinator or program director.

5. Arrange delivery of materials or schedule a time to volunteer.

6. Follow through with your promised donation!

Tips & Warnings

• If applicable, keep a log of your time and/or mileage incurred for charitable work. Remember to give this log to your accountant at tax time.
• Keep in mind that many organizations may be inundated during the holidays when a larger number of people are giving. Homeless and hungry people need help all year round, so spreading your donations out throughout the year will mean more to the recipient and be easier on your time or budget.
• Many of the larger groups have their "regulars" and may not need more volunteers. The community volunteer center will know best which groups are currently accepting volunteers.
• Plan ahead and be patient! Many non-profit organizations require volunteers to fill out applications, so simply walking in to the office one day and offering your time may not be possible.
• Donating household items is a great way to support local charities. Organizations such as animal shelters, women's shelters, homeless shelters and nursing homes may be in need of items such as food, eating utensils, blankets, towels, toys, clothes, books, newspapers, board games, toiletries or small household appliances.
• If you would like to donate your time, consider the following activities: building homes with an organization like Habitat for Humanity; volunteering at schools, retirement centers, nursing homes or hospitals; picking up trash or guiding tours at nature centers, parks or historical museums; preparing meals at homeless shelters; or mentoring at children's centers such as the Boys and Girls Club.
• Remember that you can contribute without impacting your schedule or your budget. Use credit cards that donate a percentage of purchases to a charity of your choice, or shop at resale stores that give proceeds from items sold to local charities.
• Don't forget to get a tax receipt for your donation of goods.
• Some volunteer organizations may require criminal background checks or drug testing, as they need to prevent against liabilities like an employer would, so don't be offended or surprised.

[DavidAnderson]

on 12/19/2008 If you donate items to any charity, the best way to maximize your donation is to find the individual fair market value of each item and make a detailed list of your donation. Don’t just claim a bag of clothes and a few hundred dollars on your tax return. The IRS allows you to deduct the full fair market value of any item you donate, but they don’t provide you with a way to determine those values.

If you only have a small number of donations then use the free salvation valuation guide: http://www.salvationarmysouth.org/valueguide.htm

If you do your own taxes using Turbotax, then use their Itsdeductible software that integrates your charitable donations into the tax software. It requires you to purchase TurboTax to view the results: www.itsdeductible.com

If you have an accountant or tax professional do your taxes, then I would recommend: www.charitydeductions.com