Dear AAVSO Members,
It is that time of year once again. Thanksgiving, or November for our international members, is now a recent memory and signs of the coming holiday are everywhere. This is also the time of year most non-profit organizations receive over half their donations for the calendar year. One reason for this is the traditional feeling of goodwill that comes with the holiday season. Another reason is the benefit you get from making a tax-deductible donation.
What ever motivates you to give to the AAVSO, we try to make giving as easy for you as we can. You can make a donation online right now by simply clicking here.
You can make a valuable donation to the general fund or to any of the special funds we have set up for specific purposes.
If you do any of your holiday shopping online, remember you can find almost everything you're looking for at Amazon.com. If you go to Amazon.com through the Amazon link on our website, Amazon will donate 5% of your total purchase amount to the AAVSO.
As you do your tax planning, consider making good use of the income tax charitable deduction. Your year-end gift can significantly reduce your income taxes while providing meaningful support for the AAVSO.
Regardless of your income, in most cases, you can lower the taxes you pay through charitable giving. The amount of the income tax savings will depend on your tax bracket. Here are two year-end gift ideas.
Cash
If you itemize, you can lower your income taxes simply by writing us a check by December 31. There is no easier way to garner a year-end charitable deduction. Gifts of cash are fully deductible — up to a maximum of fifty percent of your adjusted gross income. For instance, if your adjusted gross income is $50,000, up to $25,000 of charitable gifts may be deducted this year. Any excess can generally be carried forward and deducted over as many as five subsequent years.