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It’s the sixth day of my 12 Days of Charitable Giving for 2018. Readers have suggested deserving charities over the past few weeks, and I’ll be posting one a day for – well, 12 days (I’m clever that way). Today’s charity is Rise Against Hunger.
Rise Against Hunger originally began as Stop Hunger Now in 1998. In 2017, the organization rebranded as Rise Against Hunger.
The mission of Rise Against Hunger is to end hunger by providing food and aid to the world’s most vulnerable. To accomplish their mission, Rise Against Hunger meal packaging volunteers produce millions of nutritious meals each year that are distributed to partners in countries around the world.
Rise Against Hunger also responds to crises. From droughts to transitioning political situations, food is often the most immediate need. Rise Against Hunger works through a network of in-country partners to address those needs. The organization strives to ensure aid is efficiently and effectively deployed to and received by communities when it is needed most.
Finally, Rise Against Hunger bolsters agricultural production and incomes through programs promoting improved agricultural methods, business skills, and market access.
So how can you help?
To make a one-time donation or monthly donation, click over to the organization’s website.
For federal income tax purposes, if you plan to claim a deduction for a cash contribution, you’ll want to keep a record of the donation regardless of the amount. Ideally, the organization will provide a written record with the name of the charity, date, and amount of the contribution.
Rise Against Hunger depends on volunteers. To schedule a meal packaging event or to find volunteer opportunities near you, check out the locations page or reach out via email to [email protected] or phone (919.839.0689 or 1.888.501.8440). Remember that you cannot deduct the value of your time: the IRS does not allow a charitable deduction for volunteering your services even if you can easily put a dollar amount on your time. You can, however, deduct out-of-pocket expenses for volunteering, including your mileage (you’ll see the 2018 rates here and the 2019 rates here but spoiler alert: the charitable mileage rate hasn’t changed since the 1990s).
Do your homework.
As always, you want to make sure that your donation is going to a qualified charitable organization. A search using the IRS’ new Exempt Organizations Select Check reveals that Rise Against Hunger is on the list.
To find out more about the work of the organization, check out their website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Instagram or Twitter.
I often suggest checking out third-party sites like Charity Navigator for more information about charitable organizations, including evaluations and access to tax forms and other financials. Rise Against Hunger has a four star rating with Charity Navigator.
The organization earned the Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, an online service that provides information about nonprofit organizations.
Remember: Submissions to the 12 Days of Charitable Giving are made by readers, and in most cases, I can’t personally vouch for the good work that these folks do. So be generous but be smart: Do your homework.
Here are the other organizations on the 12 Days of Charitable Giving list this year:
For more on making charitable donations, click here.
For information about 2018 tax rates – those you’ll use for the 2018 tax year when you file in 2019 – click here.