How To Help Nonprofits Weather These Uncertain Times

Hello Fair Chance Friends and Family,

Our new normal may no longer feel new but we can agree that it still does not feel normal. The reality is that many of us are scared; we are entering a new world that poses challenges to our health, our careers, and our neighbors. We need each other now more than ever.

COVID-19 has upended the way nonprofits operate – from programing to fundraising. Some of you were probably planning to attend a fundraiser this spring to support your favorite causes. I was supposed to be a table host at an annual banquet but, unsurprisingly, this event did not happen. I visited the organization’s website to see if a new date was proposed. There was no new date, but what I found was even better: an online donation portal. What nonprofits really need right now are steady, monthly donations from loyal donors who care about the mission. I was easily able to take the check I would have written at the banquet and turn it into 12 monthly online payments. I will not wait for the next annual banquet to do it again!

In addition, the recently passed stimulus bill makes giving even easier. Included in the bill is a Universal Charitable Deduction, which allows everyone to deduct up to $300 in cash giving for the 2020 tax year. If you itemize your taxes, the bill also lifts an existing cap on annual contributions for itemizers of 60 percent of adjusted gross income to 100 percent. Corporations can deduct charitable contributions up to 25 percent of taxable income, an increase from 10 percent previously.

While I cannot promise that we can make sense of what each day brings, I know that we can make it better by supporting one another. I invite you to learn more about our nonprofit partners that are doing vital work for children and families in need in our region. Take some time to visit their websites to learn more about their work and how you can best support their mission. And if you’re able, consider a monthly donation. Every little bit helps. At Fair Chance, we continue to support each other and our partners in the community to help shape the new world to come.

 

In Service,
Gretchen Van der Veer, PhD
Chief Executive Officer