+ Is my donation tax-deductible?

Yes, The Freedom Cafe is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization, which means your gift to The Freedom Cafe can be deducted from your taxes. You will be provided with a gift acknowledgment that shows the amount and date of your tax-exempt donation.

+ How do I get a tax receipt (gift acknowledgment) for my donation?

For online donations, a transaction confirmation email, which can be retained for your records, will be sent to you within a few minutes of donating. For online gifts above $250, you will also receive a paper acknowledgment via the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) within two weeks of our receipt of your gift. If you’d like to opt-out of paper acknowledgments for your online gifts, or if you’d like to request an acknowledgment reissue for a previous gift, please contact info@thefreedomcafe.org. For donations made by check or money order, you will receive an acknowledgment via USPS within two weeks of our receipt of your donation.

+ Can I designate my donation to a specific grassroots organization?

According to US tax laws, you may not designate your gift to a specific grantee, entity or individual. However, you may restrict a donation of $10,000 or more to support specific Freedom Cafe programs, such as Outreach, Operations, Grants etc.. The Freedom Cafe requires donors to specify gift restrictions in writing.

+ Will my employer match my gift to The Freedom Cafe?

Please contact the Human Resources department where you work to inquire about your company’s policies on matching gifts. Once you have more information, please contact us at info@thefreedomcafe.org.

+ How can I make a gift of mutual funds?

To learn more about making a gift of mutual funds, please visit our Gift of Stock page or contact us at info@thefreedomcafe.org.

+ How can I make an IRA gift?

For information about making an IRA gift, please contact your financial advisor or the organization that houses your IRA and request your gift transfer to The Freedom Cafe.

+ Does The Freedom Cafe accept contributions of Donor Advised Funds (DAFs)?

Yes, you are permitted to direct gifts to a charitable organization through Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). Your contribution to qualifying DAFs (often held at community foundations) are treated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a charitable contribution at the time of the contribution to the DAF. You may subsequently advise as to which charitable organization or organizations distributions are to be made. IRS regulations prohibit you, your donor advisor, or your family members from receiving any benefit in excess of an incidental one as a result of the DAF distribution. Failure to adhere to these regulations could put you, the DAF, or the charitable organization receiving the gift at risk.

+ Can my DAF gift support a Freedom Cafe event?

Yes, The Freedom Cafe can accept DAF gifts supporting an event only if you do not attend the event. If you plan to attend the event, The Freedom Cafe will be unable to accept your DAF contribution. A ticket or table purchase for an event may be considered an impermissible benefit resulting from a DAF distribution. Guidelines published by several Donor Advised Funds prohibit you from using the DAF distribution to cover the deductible portion of an event ticket or table price and using other (non-DAF) funds to cover the non-deductible portion. If you wish to purchase a ticket or table to a charitable event and receive the corresponding benefits, you should make a non-DAF gift. For more information, please consult your professional advisor.

+ I purchased a ticket or table for an event and cannot attend. Can I consider this purchase 100% tax deductible?

The ticket or table can be considered 100% tax deductible if you return the table or ticket to The Freedom Cafe prior to the event and The Freedom Cafe has the opportunity to make the ticket or table available for resale. The ticket or table cannot be considered 100% tax deductible if you do not inform The Freedom Cafe in advance of the event that you will not be attending. In such instances, you should claim the tax-deductible amount listed on the event invite or receipt.

+ Does The Freedom Cafe accept contributions of Donor Advised Funds (DAFs)?

Yes, you are permitted to direct gifts to a charitable organization through Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). Your contribution to qualifying DAFs (often held at community foundations) are treated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a charitable contribution at the time of the contribution to the DAF. You may subsequently advise as to which charitable organization or organizations distributions are to be made. IRS regulations prohibit you, your donor advisor, or your family members from receiving any benefit in excess of an incidental one as a result of the DAF distribution. Failure to adhere to these regulations could put you, the DAF, or the charitable organization receiving the gift at risk.

+ May I donate clothing or other goods?

The Freedom Cafe may on occasion accept material donations, though they pose a financial and logistical burden to providing urgently needed assistance. Cash donations to The Freeom Cafe are the most efficient way to give people what they need rapidly and appropriately.