“Charities expect busy week ahead” |
| Charities expect busy week ahead Posted: 28 Dec 2010 02:47 AM PST The drop-off area at the Goodwill on Church Street in Frederick was busy as a steady stream of residents were dropping off donations. Items replaced by new Christmas gifts and a search for last-minute tax deductions make this week a hectic one at the organization's different locations. (Frederick News-Post/Bill Green) by Blair Ames @ The Frederick News-Post Local charities are expecting a busy week of donations as Frederick residents drop off items replaced by Christmas presents and search for last-minute tax deductions. "We expect it to be very busy," said Tina Lilly, store manager at the Goodwill on Church Street in Frederick. "Usually, this time of year, it gets pretty hectic around here." The last week and weekend before the new year is typically the busiest time of the year for Goodwill, Lilly said. Most of the items being donated to the stores include clothes, TVs, DVD players and video game consoles that were replaced by Christmas gifts. The beginning of spring and the month of October were also busy times for Goodwill this year, but things have been pretty slow at the store the past couple of days, Lilly said. She attributed that to many people who may still be out of town and she expects the activity to pick up within the next day or two. The three Frederick County Goodwill locations combined expect to receive contributions from 10,300 people, according to Wayne Hatcher, vice president of Operations for Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley. That is about 60 percent more than the weekly average of 6,400 people donating throughout the year, he said. Anyone dropping off a donation that plans to claim it as a tax deduction needs to have a receipt from the charity with their name, what they donated and the date. Goodwill locations in the county have self-service kiosks where those donating can enter their information and receive a receipt while their cars are unloaded. Having the records of your contributions is the most important part of claiming those contributions as a tax deduction, said Carl Hildebrand CPA of Hildebrand, Limparis and Associates in Frederick. His clients must have the documentation for him to deduct it, he said. "Most clients typically have it, but some new clients may not be aware of it," Hildebrand said. The easiest type of contribution to claim as a tax deduction is by check or cash. Any noncash contributions under $500 need a receipt, but those over that amount require more information be disclosed, he said. At the Community Foundation of Frederick County, almost all contributions are financial gifts, according to President Betsy Day. The foundation serves more than 600 funds all based out of Frederick County. From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, the foundation receives 75 percent of their contributions. "People are very cognizant of human needs and family sustainability," Day said. "They're very conscious about those who are less fortunate and support them." Of the more than 600 funds available at the foundation, 30 percent of those are devoted to college scholarships and educational institutions. "All of the funds were started by people and organizations who wanted to invest in Frederick County," Day said. Every contribution received is tax deductible to the furthest extent of charitable giving law, she said. Copyright 2010 The Frederick News-Post. All rights reserved. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Content Keyword RSS To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment