How to Set Up Charity Donations
Non-profit organizations rely on the support of donors to help fund the group's activities. When you donate to charity--either financially or with goods--you not only help the organization and the cause it supports, you also feel better about yourself. Additionally, you can use charitable donations as a tax deduction, reducing your taxable income.
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Instructions
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Decide which charity to donate to. Thoroughly research any organization before donating your well-earned money. Find a non-profit that supports a cause you believe in and find out what percentage of donations are spent on the organization's advertising and administrative costs.
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Ask the charity about donation options. Most charities accept donations through a variety of methods and may allow monthly or quarterly donations rather than one large sum.
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Donate money by check or credit card rather than cash so you'll have a paper trail of your donation.
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Ask the charity for a receipt when you make a donation and save this receipt for tax purposes.
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Consider non-monetary donations. Your charitable donations needn't be only in the form of cash. You can also donate food, clothes, cars and many other items that a charity may need.
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Tips & Warnings
Some charities spend more money on administrative costs, which means less of your donation actually helps the cause you are trying to support.
Ask your accountant if you have questions about the details of deducting charitable donations on your taxes.
Be sure that you are only donating money that you can afford to spend. It's great to want to help non-profit organizations, but if you are falling behind on your bills, you're hurting yourself.
Make sure you are donating to the charity that you really mean to donate to. Some organizations have similar names, with one greatly outperforming the other.
