This week marks the official start of the holiday season, and in just a month, we will be beginning a new decade. I don’t think many of us will miss 2020 with all its challenges. Children’s Friend has continued to serve our children and families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the generous support of your funders, donors, and friends.
Our families need us now more than ever, and we hope that you’ll consider Children’s Friend as we begin the season of giving. Here are some ways to sort Children’s Friend this Holiday Season:
Spirit of Giving Holiday Drive
It’s Holiday Drive time here at Children’s Friend and a time for many to set plans to give back. This longtime tradition provides Rhode Island’s most vulnerable children and their families with holiday gifts and necessities each year. During these unprecedented times, the need is greater than ever. The pandemic has hit vulnerable children and their families the hardest. There are many safe, socially distant, and Santa-approved ways to participate this year. Please go to spiritofgivingdrive.org to spread hope and joy to children in need this holiday season.
New Tax Incentives for Charitable Giving in 2020
There’s an even better incentive to give back this year. Thanks to the CARES ACT pandemic relief program, taxpayers can deduct up to $300 in charitable giving, even if they take the standard deduction. Taxpayers not itemizing deductions may take a charitable deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made in 2020 to qualifying organizations. For more details, go to https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/how-the-cares-act-changes-deducting-charitable-contributions.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) – A Smart Option for Donors 70.5 Years Old and Older
Did you know that if you are 70.5 years old or older, making a qualified charitable distribution directly from your IRA to Children’s Friend can satisfy all or part of the amount of your required minimum distribution and save you taxes?
Please consult your tax advisor for more information about how you can personally benefit from QDCs.
For more information about supporting Children’s Friend with a QCD, please contact me at scouto@cfsri.org or 401.276.4306.
Join the Best Club in Town – The Harriet Ware Society
All of us at Children’s Friend realized more than ever before the value of our Planned Giving. Who would have imagined a pandemic and the impact it would have on our lives? It was a great reminder of the need to plan for the future not only individually but also for our agency. Thanks to prudent thinking throughout the years, generous donors with a long-term vision have invested in Children’s Friend’s future for generations to come.
The Harriet Ware Society, named for our founder, honors those who help ensure that we continue to meet our children and families’ needs long into the future. Individuals who remember Children’s Friend in their will and who notify us of their intention qualify for this recognition, along with exclusive benefits.
You can be part of the agency’s future by creating a gift now for later. You can be a part of changing lives. It is easy, safe, beneficial to both you and others, and a living remembrance. For more information, contact Joyce LaFrance Tormey, Planned Giving Coordinator, at 401.276.4318 or jtormey@cfsri.org.
Do you remember the first time you gave back or helped someone out? Remember the feeling of pride and joy? That is why people give. We are all human beings, and supporting one another makes us feel good. It’s that simple. We cannot support our children and families without you.
No matter how you give to Children’s Friend, please know that your investment in our children and families changes lives. I hope this information is helpful for you in your plans for giving this holiday season. Thank you for your support, and please have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday!
Stacy Couto, Chief of Advancement