Being a Supportive Alumnus

Many of us hold deep ties to the colleges we graduated from. As a result, many of us also wish to donate to these organizations in some way.

One of the most common ways of “giving back” to a college or university is buying a personal sport license for a sporting event or a series of sporting events. In the past, making this purchase meant you could claim 80% of the price as a deduction.   

Recent tax reform has done away with that allowance, but don’t worry. There are still other ways in which you can support your alma mater and still benefit yourself in the process.

Sports-Related Deductible Donations

To start off with, if you are a sports fan, there are many other ways to support your alma mater’s athletic department and still deduct the money spent. In fact, doing any of the following can still earn you a tax deduction:

·        Supporting the Booster Club via a donation, providing the booster club is a 501(c)(3) organization.

·        Attending charity dinners or other events

·        Donating items to an auction or raffle held by the sporting department

·        Giving a direct monetary donation to the sporting department

Other Ways to Give Back

Of course, the athletic department is never the only part of a university that needs your donations. If you would like to donate elsewhere, you can give directly to the college or university or any of its specific departments. Just like the Booster Club, though, the organization in question should have a 501(c)(3) status that you can verify. Otherwise, your donation is not likely to count as a tax deductible one.

A Few Caveats

No matter how you choose to donate or to which department, make sure to get a receipt for your donation or some other proof of the donation.

Also keep in mind that anytime you receive a gift or other item for your donation, you will need to deduct its value from your donation so that your deduction amount will be accurate.

As long as you can follow this advice, you can benefit greatly from your donation while helping your alma mater at the same time.