54 | NOVEMBER 23 • 2023
GIFT GIVING
of their donation will go to
the charity. Some charitable
organizations contract with
professional fundraisers and
agree to receive only 10%
or 15% of total donations
collected. This is why it is so
important to educate yourself
before donating.
Exactly what information
should you ask for? The
solicitor is required to give
you a truthful answer when
you ask, “What percentage of
my donation does the charity
keep after all fundraising costs
are paid?” It is important to
ask the question using this
exact wording because often
donations are funneled through
a bank account with the
charity’s name. Thus, if you ask
“How much does the charity
get?” The solicitor can say that
100% goes to the charity, while
in fact after being billed for
fundraising costs, the charity
ends up with very little.
You may also want to ask
the charity, “What percentage
of my donation is used
for program services (the
organization’s charitable
purpose) rather than on
administrative, management
or fundraising costs?” In some
cases, the organization may
do little charitable work other
than support its fundraisers
or founders. With so many
worthy charities to donate to, it
is important to make sure that
your generosity is being well
used.
• What’s going to happen to
my donation?
Charities should provide
information on the
programs supported by your
donations. They should be able
to provide an annual report
showing what proportion of
your contribution will go to
program costs and how much
is used for administrative costs
or fundraising. If a charity fails
to be transparent, you should
consider donating instead to
one that is.
• Is my donation tax-
deductible?
For your donation to be tax
deductible the organization
must have received 501(c)
(3) status as a charitable
organization from the IRS. The
501(c)(3) organizations may be
searched using the IRS’ Select
Check.
Some types of donations
deserve special mention at this
time of the year when charities
may appeal to donors seeking
to maximize deductions for
charitable contributions.
Churches, synagogues, temples,
mosques and government
entities are generally not
required to obtain 501(c)
(3) status. Donations to these
institutions are still deductible.
• Before you write that
check:
Review AGCharitySearch,
the Attorney General’s
website, or call the Attorney
General’s Charitable Trust
Section at (517) 335-7571 to
inquire about a charity. For
questions about police and fire
organizations, call the public
safety organizations hotline at
(800) 769-4515.
continued from page 52
Be Brilliant!
Donate: Help us establish 24
Kid Success Neighborhoods by 2024.
Give In-Kind: Support our
Toy and Winter Clothing Drive
( Nov.15 - Dec. 1) for those in need.
Volunteer: Make a hands-on impact
in our community.
Spread the word: Follow us on
social media and help spread our
Giving Tuesday message.
Visit:
brilliantdetroit.org/GivingTuesday
and be the catalyst for our
2024 success!
Our Story: In 2016,
Brilliant Detroit began building
“kid success neighborhoods”
to ensure families with children
“belly” to age eight have what
they need to be school-ready,
healthy, and supported. Today,
Brilliant Detroit Hubs exist in all
Detroit districts working with,
for, and by our neighbors.
By 2024, we aim to have 24
Brilliant Detroit Hubs to reach
transformative change.
Help us reach our goal!
Let’s work together to assure that zip codes
do not predict whether a childs future is
bright or not.