The holiday season is a busy time for donations to area nonprofit groups.
Fast Facts
Nonprofit Groups
-Goodwill has six locations in Northwest Arkansas. In fiscal 2012, Goodwill’s career centers served 2,480 people with 480 placed in jobs.
-Helping Hands partners with 26 churches in Benton County to provide food for more than 1,300 families each month. In 2010, the organization provided $2.4 million in aid.
-United Way of Northwest Arkansas works in partnership with 67 programs and agencies to solve community problems. The organization has worked with every nonprofit charity in Northwest Arkansas through monetary support or references.
Source: Individual Nonprofit Groups
People are trying to make room for gifts they have received, said Rebecca Brockman, public relations manager for Goodwill Industries of Arkansas. Donations also must be made by the end of the year for a deduction on 2012 tax returns, she said.
“Last year, we saw a 100 percent increase during our busiest time, from Christmas to New Year’s,” Brockman said.
Donations to Goodwill across the state jumped from $7,000 to $8,000 per week to more than $14,000, Brockman said.
Helping Hands, which operates a thrift store in Bentonville on Airport Road, also sees huge increases, said Bill Crawford, executive director.
“Our donations in December are double the usual level, maybe triple,” Crawford said. “We have room to store some items, but things like furniture will sell as soon as we put them out.”
People are given a receipt for the donations, based on an established value, Brockman said. They can use the receipts with their tax returns.
United Way of Northwest Arkansas also brings in more donations late in the year, said Julie Petree, manager for marketing and communications for the organization. The organization staff is wrapping up year-end work force donations people make through payroll deductions, she said.
Scott Shepherd, Northwest Arkansas manager for Raymond James investment advisers, said charity donation of both goods and money is up due to financial uncertainty for the new year.
“People have no idea what will happen with the fiscal cliff,” Shepherd said. “Tax-wise, it may be better to donate this year and it might be better to donate next year. There is a lot of debate.”
The term “fiscal cliff” refers to the scheduled expiration of tax and government spending cuts on Dec. 31, that could have a detrimental effect on the economy, according to investopedia.com.
“If you have the inclination to make donations, you can offset up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income,” Shepherd said.
A change in the tax rate for 2013 would make a difference in the impact a donation would have on tax returns, Shepherd said.
Based on how busy Shepherd said his firm has been, it appears many people are taking their chances and making their donations this year.