By MARSHA MERCER
The election is over. Let’s get to work building a
better world.
Americans made their voices heard in the election and
can again on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1, the annual day of global generosity after
Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
Giving Tuesday encourages us to take a breath after
days of consuming to reflect on what’s important to us and act on our values.
Charitable giving is more important than ever during
the pandemic and recession as nonprofits have suffered a decline in donations
and loss of in-person fundraising opportunities.
Wildfires, hurricanes, floods and other natural
disasters have wreaked havoc on our fellow citizens. Millions have lost their jobs,
leading to higher levels of food insecurity. We’ve all seen the news footage of
thousands of cars in line for food.
Nearly 26 million adults – 12% of all adults in the
United States – said their household sometimes or often didn’t have enough to
eat in the last seven days, the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey reported
this month.
Among adults with children, the situation was worse –
16% said their household didn’t have enough to eat, compared with 9% of those
without children at home.
A federal moratorium currently prevents landlords
nationwide from evicting renters, but the moratorium is set to expire Dec. 31.
Food banks, shelters, health clinics and other social service organizations are
straining to meet increased demand and would welcome your help.
You don’t have to give cash. You can contribute your
time, energy or talent to a cause or a neighbor. During the pandemic, many
organizations are seeking in-person or virtual volunteers. Check out volunteermatch.org to find opportunities in your ZIP
code.
Giving Tuesday isn’t political; it neither accepts nor
distributes contributions, and anyone can participate free. The idea is for each
person to choose a charity, donate on the charity’s website and publicize the
choice on social media with the hashtag #givingtuesday. Since Giving Tuesday
started in 2012, it has spread to 220 countries worldwide.
Americans donated an estimated $511 million online on
#GivingTuesday last year – up from $400 million in 2018.
If you have the wherewithal, there’s a new incentive
to be generous. By doing good, you basically can reduce your taxable income in
2020.
In the past, only taxpayers who itemized deductions
could take charitable contributions off their federal taxes. But the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief and Economic Security -- or CARES -- Act allows taxpayers who don’t
itemize to take a charitable deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions to
qualifying organizations.
Qualifying groups are those that are “religious, charitable, educational, scientific or literary in purpose,” the IRS says. More details.
Last year Americans gave almost $500 billion to
charities, and about 69% of the total came from individuals, according to Giving
USA 2020, a report researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly
Family School of Philanthropy.
A recent survey found
40% of donors plan to give more to charity this year than last. The survey by
Classy, an online gift processor, found that the pandemic was a big motivator
for charitable giving, followed by the political climate and racial justice
issues.
If your inbox, like mine, is overflowing with Giving
Tuesday requests, deciding which nonprofit to support can be daunting.
A word of caution, though. Scammers are also after
your money. Experts advise against clicking on the handy links that come in
emails. Instead, research the organizations, then go directly to their websites
to give.
To make sure your donation goes to a legitimate
charity, consult Charity Navigator, GuideStar (now Candid), the Better Business
Bureau Wise Giving Alliance or Charity Watch, which monitor charities.
One person can make a difference. Dolly Parton has
received well-deserved praise for her long history of charitable giving,
especially her recent $1 million donation to help develop a coronavirus
vaccine. Her Imagination Library initiative has given 147 million books to
children since 1995. She started it as a tribute to her father, who couldn’t
read.
Few can sing or be as generous as Dolly Parton, but
each of us can make our voice heard on Giving Tuesday.
© 2020 Marsha Mercer. All rights reserved.
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