(Daviess County, Indiana) The Daviess County Community Foundation is once again hosting a Giving Tuesday event, focused on building permanent endowment for charitable organizations serving Daviess County. This year, $25,000 is available to match gifts by $1 for every $2 given.
Celebrated this year on Tuesday, December 1st , the event follows the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.
The Foundation says the local event is different this year.
“Last year, the Foundation challenged all nonprofits with funds to raise money for their endowments,” says Mary Smith, Regional Director of Development. “We conducted it as a one-day only promotion, relying on non-profits with funds to spread the word and their audience to make gifts on one single day.”
“This year, the pandemic has placed additional challenges on organizations and people. With recommendations to stay at home, the Community Foundation changed our event this year, inviting donors by mail, on behalf of our non-profits, to give to these funds and receive a match. In addition, we expanded the timeframe for giving beyond a single day, so gifts do not have to be delivered to our office and can be made by mail and online.”
The Foundation is accepting Giving Tuesday gifts to build endowment for local organizations through December 1. Any gift postmarked by that date is eligible for a matching gift of $1 for every $2 given. Gifts by mail should be sent to the Daviess County Community Foundation at 320 E Main St., Washington, IN 47501 or online gifts can be made at CommunityFoundationAlliance.org/Daviess. The name of the non-profit should be included in the memo line of a check or in the comment section for online gifts.
Gifts to funds help non-profits by growing annual endowment distributions. “A good rule of thumb for nonprofits is to have at least 20% of their operating income fueled by an annual grant from an endowment. Our Giving Tuesday promotion is centered on that rule, and as a community we have an opportunity to help our non-profits achieve that goal,” explained Smith.
Besides building endowment, there are additional reasons to being generous during 2020 found in the unique tax breaks offered through the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security).
The CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, helps Americans deal with the economic impact and health crisis brought on by the outbreak of COVID-19. It gives donors two income tax advantages to charitable giving during 2020. Both are designed to reduce income tax bills for those making charitable gifts this year:
- The legislation includes a universal (or non-itemized, above-the-line) deduction allowing all tax payers to deduct up to $300 for individuals/$600 for married couples in charitable contributions (cash donations, not in-kind contributions) made in 2020.
- For those who claim itemized deductions, the CARES Act raises the charitable deduction limitation from 60 percent of adjusted gross income to 100 percent; and for corporations, raises the annual limit from 10 percent to 25 percent.
Local organizations that can benefit from Giving Tuesday gifts to the Community Foundation include:
- AgrIInstitute of Daviess County
- Barr-Reeve Scholarship Foundation
- Barr-Reeve High School Scholarship Program
- Camp Illiana
- Catholic Education Endowment
- Christ United Methodist Church Youth Programs
- Compassionate Friends Memorial at Eastside Park
- Daviess Community Hospital Foundation
- Daviess County Community Foundation
- Daviess County Family YMCA
- Daviess County Historical Society Museum
- Daviess County Right to Life
- Elnora/Elmore Township Volunteer Fire Department
- First Choice Solutions (formerly Pregnancy Care Center)
- Future Farmers of America – North Daviess Schools
- First Baptist Church Youth Programs
- First Christian Church, Odon – Youth Programs
- Four Rivers Rehabilitation Resources
- Friends for Animals Daviess County
- Habitat for Humanity Daviess County
- Ilula Orphan Program
- Ketcham Memorial Center
- Leadership Daviess County Program
- Lena Dunn 1st Grade Education
- North Daviess Schools Scholarship Program
- Parkview Village Christian Care
- Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church – Plainville
- Psi Iota Xi Sorority-Washington (Charitable Work)
- Red Cross Services in Daviess County
- Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Daviess County
- Southwest Indiana Power House
- St John Cemetery Association (Loogootee)
- St Martin and St Rose Cemeteries (Whitfield)
- United Way of Daviess County
- Washington Carnegie Public Library
- Washington Catholic Schools
- Washington Community Schools Band Boosters
- Washington Community Schools Foundation
- Washington Community Schools Foundation Athletic Department
- Washington Community Schools Foundation College Scholarship
- Washington Little League
- Washington Parks and Recreation
- Washington Soccer Federation
- Whitfield Men’s Club Scholarship Program
For more information, please contact Mary Smith at 812.254.9354 or mary@daviesscommunityfoundation.org.
