Time to make your 2016 Charitable Tax Credit Donation even if you are filing an Extension

Taxes and Charitable Donations DO mix, especially in Arizona. Your "regular" charitable donation can be used as a deduction for 2017 or can carryever for 5 years. And your donations to Qualifying Charitable Organizations (QCO) and Qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organizations (QCFO). You can even give right on up to April tax day for the previous year! Which means YOU CHOOSE WHERE YOUR TAX DEBT GOES - to the State Government or to the Charity of your choice (for Tax Credit They must already be qualified. - find the links to Credits lists here!: https://www.azdor.gov/TaxCredits/QualifyingCharitableOrganizations.aspx
AZ Tax FORMS 301 and 321 (among many others) are here: https://www.azdor.gov/Forms/Credits.aspx



In the next few days you will hear a lot about Arizona GIVES Day and giving through their site. Pros: MUCH more is raised this way, and yes, giving to charities helps the AZ economy. Charities can win part of a bigger pot there to add to their direct donations. Cons: 6.9% of your donation is taken in fees. This is my own bias....write a check,to the organization directly (but better do it quick), then 100% goes to the charity instead of the credit card company and the fundraiser. Even in my everyday giving, I"ve started writing checks. A bit inconvenient but all my donation goes to where I intend it.

Not sure where to give? Here are a few of my suggestions.

Deductions:

1) MOMA'S HOUSE is a domestic violence shelter and also takes in women rescued from sex trafficking. I have huge respect and admiration for a woman who changed her entire life because she was called by God to do this. Here is how to give as a tax credit, but you can give " https://www.azgives.org/momashouse
 
2) 100Pedals: 100Pedals provides parents and other family members with educational resources and coaching programs to navigate their life through addiction's chaos. https://www.azgives.org/100Pedals

3) Arizona Consortium for the Arts Charity an all-volunteer community organization. Please help us continue to provide programs, events and festivals Free to the community. Click here to donate http://www.artizona.org/donate.html


Credits:

1) Christian Family Care Agency: Christian Family Care serves Children and Families through Foster Care, Child and Family Counseling, Pregnancy Counseling, and Adoption.

2) Phoenix Rescue Mission: The Phoenix Rescue Mission is committed to transforming lives of the homeless and hungry. Our core values: • Christ-centered: We believe that we first exist to glorify God and advance His kingdom; through grace we receive and grace we share.• Servant-Leadership: We highly value and intentionally serve each other, our clients, and our ministry partners, leading by following Christ’s example. • Transformation: We invest in the spiritual, personal, and professional development of one another; restoring and equipping each other for intentional living.

3) St. Vincent de Paul: The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international non-profit organization dedicated to serving the poor and providing others with the opportunity to serve. The Phoenix Diocesan Council has been assisting central and northern Arizona families since 1946. Programs include services for the homeless, medical and dental care for the working poor, charity dining rooms, thrift stores, a transitional housing shelter and general assistance for individuals in need.
THERE ARE SOOO MANY more choices: Get the PDF lists here.

We have that we may give! May this Blessing be so in your life: " Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38

Be blessed My Purposeful People!
Heather Wearable Art - Heather J Kirk's VIDA Collection: http://shopvida.com/collections/heather-j-kirk and https://artofwhere.com/artists/heatherjkirk
Art by Heather J. Kirk http://heather-kirk.pixels.com and http://AEC.pixels.com
Literature by Heather J. Kirk http://www.photographicartistry.citymax.com/Books.html

#AZGiveDay #ArizonaGiveDay #ArizonaTaxCredit #CharitableDeductions #CharitableGiving #donate #give #blessedtobeablessing

Pandora, General Mills and Help Feed America

5 meals donated per code entered, 10 codes per day.Same code works repeatedly. "3003M4X" 

When you put in your zip code, it goes to a local Food Bank! (For me, St. Mary's Food Bank)

General Mills has already given $500,000 and giving $200,000 more. Let's make sure the goal is reached!

Share with your friends and make it go LOCAL!

Oh yeah, and some Pandora perks for you too!

https://outnumberhunger.com

Be blessed My Purposeful People! Heather Wearable Art - Heather J Kirk's VIDA Collection: http://shopvida.com/collections/heather-j-kirk and https://artofwhere.com/artists/heatherjkirk
 Art by Heather J. Kirk http://heather-kirk.pixels.com and http://AEC.pixels.com
Literature by Heather J. Kirk http://www.photographicartistry.citymax.com/Books.html

#helpfeedamerica #meals #donate #generalmills #localfoodbank #stmarysfoodbank #outnumberhunger #givefood #pandora

#MittRomney Can't Put #PBS or #BigBird Out of Business - Even as President...Unless Listeners Stop Giving

Will Mitt Make Big Bird Disappear? Turns out cuts in federal funding would hardly make a dent. But why do so few listeners and watchers donate? I don’t have the answer, but let’s take a look at a few of the facts and a real life example.

Mitt Romney “threatened” to cut funding for Jim Lehr and Big Bird – or actually for PBS, but Big Bird has been used as the mascot to upset children around the country.

A silly example:

 

Would we really lose PBS if it did not get federal funding? (Note: there is a difference between federal and “public” funding)

National Public Radio (NPR) faced a similar situation not too long ago...and it is still going strong, because people who listen (the 'public' in ‘public radio’ and ‘public broadcasting’) are the largest portion of donors, and there are many other sources of funding.

I even heard Republican David Schweikert (Arizona Congressional District 6) say in an interview on KJZZ (our local NPR station) say that while he voted to cut national spending, he gives personally to KJZZ. I was impressed, especially since only 8% of listeners do.

I think people should look at and understand the way funding works before they fall for the gimmick (lie) that a lack of federal funding will put public broadcasting under. Government funds only account for 4.6% of NPR funs -real life example -down from 6% in 2009 - which means that 1.4% constitutes the reduction in NPR’s total budget by the cuts in federal funding).

Here’s a great visual: http://www.npr.org/about/aboutnpr/publicradiofinances.html   If we want Public Broadcasting so badly, we should be willing to pay for it - and in fact we do! At least 8% of us do - providing 39% of the budget. And by the way, "big bad corporations" also donate a good-sized chunk to National Public Radio (17%) - much more than the government in fact.

 

“Disclaimer: I do listen and I do give to public radio. I do not watch PBS – because I can’t receive it with my rabbit ear antennae. Which means I don’t “give” to cable either. Interesting that ao many people are up in arms about cutting federal funding to PBS, but don’t give to PBS, while they do give LOTS to commercial cable or satellite companies. Go figure…

Heather J. Kirk