The end of the year is a busy time for nonprofits. December brings in more than 25% of all charitable contributions.
Contributions are deductible in the year you make them. That means credit card charges made before the end of the year are deductible, even if you don’t pay the credit card bill until next year. Similarly, checks written and mailed by December 31 count for this year, even if cashed in 2017.
To help you plan your year-end donations to United Way and meet the December 31 deadline for tax deductions, follow the instructions below.
Gift by check
To make a donation by check for the 2016 tax year, please mail or deliver the check to the address below no later than 4:30 p.m. on December 31, 2016. Envelopes postmarked by December 31 will qualify as gifts made in 2016.
United Way of East Central Iowa
317 7th Avenue SE Suite 401
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Gift online by credit card
Gifts by credit card are complete when it charges to your credit card account. You can make an immediate gift with your credit card on our website at uweci.org/donate. Donations made by 11:59 p.m. central time on December 31, 2016 will count in the 2016 tax year.
Credit card gift by phone
To make a credit card gift by phone, call us at 319-398-5372 by 4:15 p.m. on December 31. Note that we can’t process credit card payments from voicemail messages and can’t guarantee instructions left as a voicemail will process on time to count as 2016 gifts. If donating by phone, please be sure to speak with a United Way staff member.
Gifts of securities
Your electronic transfer of securities from a brokerage account is complete when an account owned by United Way receives the securities. These gifts are not complete at the time of giving instructions to a broker. Please contact Abbie Covenah at 319-398-5372 ext. 827 if your broker needs our Depository Trust Company (DTC) instructions.
Making a pledge online
Fill out our electronic pledge form and email to destiny.hastings@uweci.org. Just like pledges made during workplace campaigns, you won’t pay this pledge until 2017. This means your pledge will count as a 2017 donation.