I received this PR announcement and wanted to pass it on. This isn’t getting much publicity.

The millions of Americans who have donated money to the earthquake relief efforts underway in Haiti will be able to claim an itemized tax deduction on their 2009 tax returns, when a bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate becomes law.

H.R. 4462 gives taxpayers the option of claiming charitable contributions for relief in Haiti on either their 2009 or 2010 tax returns, so long as the contribution is made before March 1, 2010. In addition, the bill allows taxpayers to use a telephone bill as proof of donations made via a text message.

In the PR announcement, they also warn of scams. As you might expect, there are many that are trying to take advantage of such a tragic situation.

Reputable non-profit organizations such as the International Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, and The Salvation Army are staging and providing relief to Haiti. All of these organizations have experience in dealing with these types of disasters and are well established with a solid reputation of monetary and volunteer relief that will go directly to Haiti.

Research the Other Organizations Before You Donate:

There are many credible and worthwhile charities that were operating in Haiti before the quake hit that are now in desperate need of financial assistance.

Check the Better Business Bureau site at http://www.bbb.org/us/charity/ for information about the charity’s mission, compensation, expenses, and rating.

Check to see if the charity is a 501(c)(3) organization by visiting this link: http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96136,00.html.

Use an Internet search engine on the charity name to see what news articles may have been published and what the public is saying about it. Has there been an investigation recently on how that particular charity misused funds? Is one charity giving more of their proceeds than another, which could sway your final donation decision? Also, read message boards to find out what others are saying about their experiences with the charity.

Be An Educated Donor:

Do not give out your personal or financial information freely. If you give a credit card number, address, or birth date, you can easily be a victim of identity theft. Do not respond to unsolicited e-mails, since it could be a scam or the e-mail could contain a virus. The safest way to donate is to call an organization and ask what the best way is to donate to it.

The PR announcement said that it would take an estimated $41.5 billion dollars to recover. Take a moment and go to this web-site for some great information www.360financialliteracy.org.

Tags: Bob Brooks, donations, earthquake, Haiti, tax deduction