Make the Most Out of Year-end Giving

It’s the time of year when many people look to make a charitable donation to a nonprofit or cause that is near and dear to them. This is good for several reasons.

For one thing, December is a time when many nonprofits and community organizations require additional support due to an uptick in need. Also, giving now makes you feel good and puts you in a holiday mood. Last but not least, donations given before the end of the year are typically tax-deductible for that year. All of this makes timely gifts important for both the giver and the receiver.

When thinking about year-end giving, consider giving in multiple ways, including financial gifts, material donations or volunteering your time. Diversifying your giving in this way allows you to help more people and organizations.

Give Where Help is Needed Most

If you want to direct your giving to where it can do some good within our community, we've compiled a list of some local organizations.

Canton Goodfellows focuses on ensuring that no child in the area goes without gifts and food during the Christmas season. Last year, they served 94 Canton families with 236 children during the Christmas holiday. They offer opportunities to sponsor a child, donate gifts or gift cards and to volunteer on distribution days.

Canton Salvation Army is seeking food, clothing, furniture, monetary donations and volunteers to help distribute supplies and host community events. You can also donate your time as a Red Kettle bell ringer.

Forgotten Harvest rescues surplus food from waste and delivers it to local charities that need fresh and nutritious meals, which are especially in demand during this time of year. Any little bit helps; for instance, a $10 donation provides $70 worth of groceries to those who need it most.

Canton Public Library Endowment Fund helps ensure the library’s long-term financial stability. It is under the management of the Local Impact Alliance, formerly the Canton Community Foundation, which helps a wide variety of nonprofits. A gift to this fund is one that grows, since the principal remains intact.

Canton Leisure Services matches volunteers with a range of seasonal programs, including holiday gift sorting and park clean-ups, as well as year-round programs such as Meals on Wheels.

PORCH provides members of our community with renewed confidence and hope by connecting them with neighbors offering kindness, compassion and friendship. They need volunteers in their efforts to combat an epidemic of loneliness happening right here in our area, which is often worse during the holidays.

Avoid Year-end Charity Scams

Do you know who else knows that a lot of charitable giving happens around the end of the year? Criminals and scammers. They will go out of their way to convince you that they are a real charity in need. Here are some ways you can protect yourself:

• Verify first. Sometimes scammers use organization names that sound like a real one you know, just to confuse you. Do a search online using the name of the charity and words like “complaint” or “scam.” You can also look them up on sites like BBB Wise Giving Alliance and Charity Watch.
• Don’t be rushed. Scammers will pressure you into giving right now. They don’t want you to be able to look them up and do your research. Real charities will be happy to get your donation when you are ready to give it.
• Be wary about how they want you to donate. Any charity that asks you to pay via gift card, cash or money transfer is most likely a scammer. To be safe, after verifying them, paying via credit card is your safest option.
• Don’t give more information than needed. Scammers look to get both money and personal information. Don’t hand out your personal information until you feel safe.

Tips for Year-end Giving

Sometimes, large national organizations receive an overflow of certain items, like toys or clothing, during the holidays. It’s often better to check with smaller, local nonprofits or mutual aid groups that can pinpoint specific shortages or immediate needs. You can also check the websites of organizations or reach out to their coordinators to verify the latest needs and preferred donation methods.

Before donating material goods, contact groups directly to see what they really need. For instance, they may have enough toys or clothes, but need non-perishable food, hygiene products or financial support. You can also personalize gifts based on wish lists if an organization has specific wishes from the people they serve. This can be more meaningful to both you and the receiver than a generic gift.

By combining timely donations, targeted volunteering and thoughtful research, you can ensure that your year-end giving makes a real difference in our community, where help is needed the most.