The Arthritis Foundation holds the Annual Arthritis Walk to raise funds for the cause and to promote awareness of the nation’s number one disability that impact 50 million Americans. It is the nation’s most common disability. Approximately 9,000 Americans die from the disability every year. More than half who suffer from the disability also suffer from heart disease and diabetes.

The Arthritis Foundation is the nation’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to find a cure for the number one joint pain disability in the United States.

Since its inception in 1948 as the Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation and renamed in 1964 as the Arthritis Foundation, this is the largest contributor for arthritis research in the United States and other parts of the world. It raises funds through annual walks, dinners, galas and other events. Every year the Arthritis Foundation supporters gather in Washington, D.C. to lobby the Congress to promote its causes. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia the foundation has approximately 50 local offices in ten regions.

Many types of arthritis including Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis and others cost over $128 billion a year to the nation for treatment, due to loss of work and productivity and other economic hardships.

When the weather gets better, so does the urge to hold a picnic for the homeless and hungry. Many of the States and local jurisdictions in the U.S. have rules regarding food and serving food outdoors to unrelated individuals.

Most of the rules require that in order serve food, it has to be prepared in a commercial kitchen that holds a permit from the local jurisdiction or the state health agency. Also, they may require an additional permit to serve food at a public place or to feed the homeless. Check your local jurisdiction and the state for requirements and obey the law. Failure to comply with the state and/or the local jurisdiction’s requirements may carry a penalty as well as a ban on holding any events that serve food for the homeless and the needy.

Some argue that a charitable organization feeding homeless on a public park is a social issue rather than a health issue. They argue that local jurisdictions are trying to prevent homeless gather on highly visible public areas such as parks and downtown main transport corridors.

Jurisdictions argue that it is not about the homeless gatherings but their health and welfare.

Charitable organizations in the U.S. are recognized by the Internal Revenue Code. They are contained in Section 501(c) of the code. Many of us are very familiar with the 501(c)(3) designation among many categories included in the code. In IRS Publication 557, 501(c)(3) is defined as Religious, Educational, Charitable, Scientific, Literary, Testing for Public Safety, to Foster National or International Amateur Sports Competition, or Prevention of Cruelty to Children or Animal Organizations.

Generally they are non-profit associations or corporations and are tax-exempt unless they have unrelated business income which is subject to income tax.

The definition of a 501(c)(3) is clearly stated in the tax code. Anyone donating to any of these causes can get a tax deduction depend on their tax status. If a donor wants to know whether the intended charity is listed under the code, donor can review IRS Publication 78.

In order to obtain the status under the IRS code, an organization seeking the tax exempt status must submit Form 1023 along with the required fee to the IRS.

Before you make a charitable donation, check to see whether they are recognized by the IRS and make sure to obtain a receipt for your donation.

It’s tax preparation time. You may want to get those charitable donation records in order to claim your tax deduction. If you itemize deductions, you can claim your gift to the qualified charitable organization using Schedule A that is attached to your Form 1040. Here are some important things to consider:

If you donated cash get copies of your cancelled checks, credit card or bank statements. If you have donated stocks to charity, you need to submit all your records to the tax preparer. If you have donated more than $250, you may need a receipt from the charity including your non-profit religious organization. Make sure it is a 501 (c) (3) designated charitable organization under the IRS Code.

If you donated non-cash items such as vehicles, household items, office furniture, cloths and other like items to a charity, make sure they are in good condition and obtain a receipt from the charity. If you are doing your taxes using one of the popular tax preparation software, use available tables to figure out the value of the items donated.

If you donated your time to a charity, you can deduct the mileage you drove for the charity.

Planned giving or charitable gift annuities are common today with many non-profit organizations benefiting greatly from the tax exemption that comes through this avenue from both the state and federal governments. There are many advantages that are closely associated with the charitable gift annuities and many and any organization that is duly registered can benefit from this kind of an arrangement.

Advantages of charitable gift annuities
1. One of the greatest benefits of the planned giving includes tax deduction from a certain percentage of the gift given. The donor is also guaranteed of a certain amount of tax-free retirement income which can be enjoyed by the donor or his or her spouse. This income can either be deferred until they are needed or be given immediately.
2. The recipients of the gift are also guaranteed of a certain amount of funds which will become available to them upon the demise of the donor.
3. Of the many benefits of the gift annuities, the peace of knowing that there are lives helped and changed by the gifts given is one of the greatest benefits for many.
4. In case the gift annuity is funded using appreciated securities, there is no straight tax on capital gains. The tax is outspread over your allowance payments and only a small section of the investment gains is reportable.

It is important to bear in mind that the rate of your annuity is determined by your age. The older the donor, the higher the payments issued. The gift annuity can benefit both the donor as well as some other two people they might decide to name, giving them a fixed income throughout their lives. It is important to consult a financial adviser before buying the charitable gift annuities and understand how your financial situation could affect the payment of your payments as far as tax is concerned.