Father Fred Food Drive Volunteers Needed : News : The Ticker

January 27, 2015
The Father Fred Foundation is in need of volunteers for its upcomingFrostbite Food Drive in Traverse City. The food drive runs Feb. 6-15. There are various opportunities for co-workers, church groups and families to volunteer together. To learn more or sign up, contact Sue at 947.2055. Permalink

Father Fred Food Drive Volunteers Needed : News : The Ticker

Swingshift Raises $300k, Breaks Record : News : The Ticker

The official, bank-verified donation totals are in. The 7th season of SwingShift and The Stars raised more than $300,000 – a record-breaking $301,984 to be exact – for six local charities. Leelanau Christian Neighbors raised $129,362, the most money raised by any of the 44 charities that have participated in the local fundraising dance competition. The other 7th season participants and their totals follow: Mariposa Pathway – $53,757 BrickWays – $46,988 Conflict Resolution Services – $26,250 Building Bridges With Music – $26,083 Justice For Our Neighbors – $19,543 Permalink

Swingshift Raises $300k, Breaks Record : News : The Ticker

From the IRS Tax e-Newsletter

New Online Resource Available for Your Clients: Publication 5187, Health Care Law: What’s New for Individuals & Families

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Publication 5187 provides information to help you and your clients understand the Affordable Care Act and its effect on their taxes. This publication explains how taxpayers satisfy the individual shared responsibility provision by maintaining minimum essential coverage, qualifying for an exemption from coverage, or making a shared responsibility payment. It also provides information about the premium tax credit, which helps make health coverage more affordable for eligible taxpayers. You will also find a glossary that defines terms related to ACA.

Programs, events seek to inspire social justice and equality - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

Programs, events seek to inspire social justice and equality - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

Bequests: A Gift Anyone Can Make - Webinar

Gayle Union, CFRE with Viken Mikaelian

From PlannedGiving.guru

Bequests: A Gift Anyone Can Make Thursday, January 29 @ 2:00 PM EST

Majority of gifts to charity are bequests. They are the largest gifts prospects can make. And bequest-giving continues to grow, even in a down economy. Why? Because it's a real simple gift to make that does not affect the donor's cash flow.
This webinar will address the questions:

• If you're not marketing bequests, why not?
• How are you marketing and promoting them?
• How do you communicate with donors, and vice versa?
• Who are your most likely donors?
• How do you ask?
• What objections will there be?

Venues for marketing (examples):

• Benefits-driven messaging
• High-impact messaging
• Multi-channel marketing
• Personalized marketing

If you ask typical donors, "Would you consider placing a charity in your will?" Majority will say yes. Yet if you ask, "Have you already put a charity in your will?" Majority will say no.

Click here for more informaton

Token Benefit; Limitations for 2015 Charitable Contributions

Interesting article from the Planned Giving Design Center ...

By Richard L. Fox, Esquire


When a donor receives goods or services in consideration for a contribution, only the excess of the amount of the contribution over the value of the goods and services received in return is deductible for income tax purposes.  In addition, where the amount of the contribution exceeds $75, the charity is required under the “quid pro quo” rules of IRC § 6115 to provide a written statement to the contributor providing a good faith estimate of the value of the goods and services provided.

In Rev. Proc. 90-12, 1990-1 COB. 471, the IRS provides specific “safe harbor” rules for situations where “token benefits” received by a donor in the context of a fund-raising campaign will be treated as having such insubstantial value that they will be disregarded for purposes of the foregoing rules under IRC § 6115.

Where these safe harbor rules are met, the benefit received by the contributor is also disregarded for purposes of the “contemporaneous written acknowledgment” rules under IRC §170(f)(8) applicable to contributions of $250 or more.


More ... Token Benefit - Limitations for 2015 Charitable Contributions

See your tax adviser before implementing any tax strategies.

CherryT Ball Drop Raises $13k For Charity : News : The Ticker

CherryT Ball Drop Raises $13k For Charity January 14, 2015

The CherryT Ball Drop - an annual nonprofit New Year's Eve celebration held in downtown Traverse City - raised $13,500 for local charities this year, organizers announced Tuesday. Between 10,000-12,000 attendees braved the frigid temperatures to participate in the holiday event, donating dollars and food products in lieu of admission. Donations were distributed to area nonprofits as follows: $3,000 to Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency/Meals on Wheels $2,000 plus 350 pounds of food to the Father Fred Foundation $8,500 to Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan This was the sixth year of the CherryT Ball Drop. Permalink

CherryT Ball Drop Raises $13k For Charity : News : The Ticker