Tis the season for giving: A guide for how to give, even a little

By THALIA BEATY
Associated Press

Christmas is over, but giving season for nonprofits is just starting to peak. The end of the calendar year is when nonprofits make appeals far and wide to attract donors. And because of holiday traditions or, for some, tax advantages, donors themselves think about giving now. Only 11% of Americans itemize their taxes, which allows them to claim significant tax deductions for charitable donations. That means most Americans don’t give in December for tax reasons. Chuck Collins, of the Institute for Policy Studies, says many donors are “thinking about the organization in their community that’s having an impact and digging deep and giving.”