I Hope The U.S. Treasury Accepts Pennies!
This weekend was spent gathering [almost all*] our tax receipts to bring to the accountant. I decided it was also a good time to organize the coins collecting dust in the pantry. I call it our OMG, Our Taxes Went Up That Much Fund! Mr. EOS calls it out When The Country Runs Out of Money Fund. So many uses, so little time to name them all.
Now, to explain the [almost all*] above. I think I’ve shared with you that we tend to give money to small organizations, off the beaten track groups that might not otherwise get media or checks from out of towners. The money, even in the smallish amounts we give, often makes a big difference in the rural towns we support, coal country, Appalachia mostly. That’s the good part.
The awkward part is getting these groups to understand they have to acknowledge the donation, in the form of a receipt that we can give the IRS. Don’t jump down my throat – we don’t give money only for the deduction, but the deduction is pretty darn important in today’s crazy tax world so yes, we do expect a letter.
from stus.com
One organization, which shall remain nameless, despite calls and letters from us, even sending them a template of the receipt letter and a self-addressed stamped envelope, has not obliged. It was a reasonably sized check, one that can not go unreported and yes, I have the cancelled check, but our accountant insists on a backup letter.
The Pastor who runs the organization couldn’t be nicer. They do great works for the community. He always says “I’ll get that letter to you” then never does. So, what do we do?
I decided to bump up the hope for a solution by calling the offices of the North Carolina county in which this organization sits and ask for their help. Not to complain. Not to whine but to simply ask for help.
And gotta love small towns. Of course they KNOW the Pastor. Said he was indeed a good old boy but wasn’t all that great with paperwork. But they would call him and see if they could get him to write me a note.
Fast forward two weeks. No letter. One ringy-dingy. Two ringy- dingy. Ashe County government offices again. I felt AWFUL having to go over the Pastor’s head but the woman to whom I spoke was an angel – so very helpful, so very understanding, so very willing to contact the Pastor….yet again.
On Friday, she emailed me this:
The Pastor said he put the letter in the mail to you today!
Today is Monday, I look forward to seeing what’s in the mailbox later. Hmmmmm.
I’ll bet your tin of coins that you don’t get a letter today. How much $$ do you think that tin holds? $100? $200? You should have a contest. Guess the value of the coins. We guess right. We win the pot. deal?
Back to getting a letter: we’d been in that same awkward position before and it takes finesse but firmness to get the organization to understand the receipt isn’t just a formality, it’s a necessity.
Schools letting out early today because of pending sleet/ice. Mine are just getting healthy enough to go back to school and bam, they have a half-day. Cruel.
i’d keep saving those pennies. and be sure to look for valuable ones while sorting and putting them in sleeves.
Yes, let’s have a contest, like the “count the number golf balls Mr. EOS found” winner gets them all. In the tin, we guess $22.13, there seems to be some big coin in there –quarters, dimes, too. In the small dish $2.35, but exclude what appears to be foreign coin. What kind of dish is that, by the way? It looks like an animal head?
Good Eye SB: There are a few nickels and dimes, and one Kennedy half dollar. The other large coins visible are two Australian 20 cent coins.
If I remember correctly, Mags from Australia won the last contest with the golf balls so maybe it bodes well for her that there are Australian coins in the mix.
Let the contest begin. Of course, the downside is now I actually have to sort and sleeve the coins.
Sorry, but anyone running an organization today that doesn’t send a thank you note and a receipt for the donation wouldn’t get MY money the next year – no matter what a good ole’ boy he is.
Well, that’s a good point Peter. I’m torn. I know plenty of people who can’t manage money but do good works so I try and focus on the side of his good works. But I do have to say I was a little hurt that we never even got a note saying what they did with the money.
Bring your loose coins to a coin star machine and apply the total to a gift card. I choose Amazon. No charge for counting the coins that way.
Really? No charge when you apply the sorting to a gift card? That’s a great tip. Thanks. I’m heading out for errands now.
I got audited on this exact point in 2008. Auditor told me that only $250 contributions do not need both the cancelled check/donee acknowledgement. If you want credit for them above that amount, you need both in hand.
85: I did not know the threshold was $250. Our accountant hasn’t given us the option. It’s bring the letter or no dice deducting the donation.
A couple of years ago we made a donation to the Punkin Chunkin event. It took intervention from the Governor of Delaware to get them to acknowledge our donation. Yikes!!!
I don’t know about other gift cards at coin star. I’ll check for you. Amazon works for me so I haven’t tried any other choices. There is a fee for applying the counted coins to Audubon, though.
The are plenty of options for free coin counting per the coin star website. Glad I checked for there are many more than there were when I first used the coin counting machine.
Amazon works for me.
Ooooh, I know who you’re talking about! I hope that they get back to you SOON and shame on them for not being ON this — to such a great donor!! Crossing my fingers ….
Indeed you DO know this Pastor. As a matter of fact, YOUR Heifer blog brought him to my attention. I repeat: he does great work, we were happy to make a donation but, geez man, write me already!!!!
I’m with you, EOS, both in enjoying giving money to small local organizations that are close to the people they serve, and in being disappointed by their inability to generate a rudimentary thank you note that can double as a tax receipt. Really, a xerox of a xerox of a form letter is fine, with blanks filled in by hand with the date, my name, the amount, and an authorized signature. (Although, lately, an additional sentence along the lines of “no goods or services were received in return for this donation” seems to be required by the IRS.)
Although some organizations are crooked, my guess is that most of them are simply inept. I’ve become increasingly cynical, and concluded that an organization that isn’t capable (or interested) in acknowledging my donation likely isn’t capable (or interested) in deploying its funds in an effective way.
RLRR: My mind got carried away one day and I envisioned our donation being used to charter a plane for the Pastor and his family to take a Caribbean vacation. (I have a vivid imagination). I was comforted greatly by the acknowledgment from the county supervisor’s office that this organization’s leader is most definitely inept, but not guilty of any greater sin. I ahve to assume she’s right
The letter did not come today. Sigh. There’s always tomorrow.
PS: That’s good to know about the goods and services line. I believe I added that when I sent him the template but not sure. I’ll go back and check.
You are WAY too nice to let this organization get away without even the common courtesy of acknowledging your gift.
Agree with Little Rock. Someone who isn’t organized with money might be suspect as to how the money got spent. I’d find another charity.
Be sure and look for old nickels too. A 1913 nickel is going on the auction block today and is expected to get $2 million!
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MILLION_DOLLAR_NICKEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-01-29-06-07-07
Hmmmmm…. So now you’re a metals hoarder too huh. No fly list for you!
Uh, oh.