(The Center Square) – As Year 11 of GivingTuesday took flight, charitable entities across North Carolina were hopeful generosity from the previous year would be matched.
An increase of $10.4 million, to better than $58 million, was reported in the 2022-23 North Carolina Secretary of State Charitable Solicitation Licensing annual report. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall’s release earlier this month said 75.58% went “directly to charities’ programs instead of professional fundraising and administrative costs.”
“As people continue to contend with the effects of global inflation, so many charities are doing vital work for people in need and struggling to meet the demand with donations,” Marshall said.
The report measured giving from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023.
GivingTuesday, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, started from a social media campaign in 2012. It evolved on the heels of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
However, whereas the previous holidays involved commercialization and money, the website GivingTuesday.org reminds there are other ways. It categorizes and includes giving money, but also paying it forward, giving nourishment, giving time, helping a neighbor, giving kindness, giving talents, giving a voice and giving to “Our Earth.”
The IRS governs 29 types of nonprofits. Donations can be but are not always tax-deductible. The most common are 501(c)(3), defined as “social welfare,” gets tax deductible donations, and is usually charitable, educational or religious groups; and 501(c)(4), also created as “social welfare,” donations are not tax-deductible, and is usually political candidates or parties, and those who lobby for them.
The North Carolina Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Josh Stein, advises checking out charities before giving. It encourages use of four online resources: give.org, charitywatch.org, guidestar.org and charitynavigator.org.
