Record number of donors expected
As 2012 winds down, Goodwill’s donations team is gearing up for its busiest time—the final six days of the year. During that time last year, donation attendants assisted double the number of donors who ordinarily visit a Goodwill donation site during the course of a week.
Why the rush? Many donors are giving in order to get their last-minute tax receipt. That’s because all items donated to Goodwill before January 1 is deductible on your 2012 tax return.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when donating to Goodwill.
• Donors who wish to claim a tax deduction should request a receipt form the attendant when they drop off their donations. The IRS allows a deduction for each item, but it is up to the donor to estimate each item’s value.
• Have an inventory of your items ready before your trip to Goodwill.
• If you have a single donation worth more than $500, you will need to complete IRS Form 8283.
• If you have a single donation worth more than $5,000, you will need a qualified written appraisal.
• For donors unsure what to donate, we have compiled a list of items that can and cannot be accepted by Goodwill. You can find that list on www.giveit2goodwill.org — just click on the donate tab and then look under FAQs.
• It helps if you remove all hangers from clothing.
You can avoid the rush by donating before Christmas. There are more than 70 Donations Express Centers located throughout the 46 counties served by Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee.
Because of the generosity of our donors, Goodwill’s Career Solutions counselors will provide free job training and placement services to approximately 16,000 clients in 2012. More than 3,100 of those clients have landed a job this year. More than 80% of the funds used to deliver Career Solutions are generated through the sales of items donated to Goodwill. There are 20 Career Solutions centers throughout Middle and West Tennessee. To find out what Career Solutions has to offer, visit www.goodwillcareersolutions.org
For more than 55 years Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee has provided job training and job placement free of charge to people with disabilities or other barriers to employment through the sale of donated items. For more information about Goodwill’s Career Solutions, retail stores, and donation centers, call 1-800-545-9231.
