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It’s the eleventh day of my 12 Days of Charitable Giving for 2019. Readers have suggested deserving charities over the past few weeks, and I’ll be posting the results here. Today’s charity is Hands Up for Haiti.
Hands Up For Haiti (HUTF) began in 2010 when a small team of doctors, nurses and other health professionals led by co-founder Dr. Jill Ratner volunteered to contribute their medical knowledge and skills to help heal communities shattered after the devastating earthquake. This first group of medical volunteers was directed to Cap Haitien, located on the northern coast, a city spared much of the earthquake’s destruction but still very much in need of medical care for its residents and the many refugees who fled there, especially the children.
During the past nine years, HUFH has sent over 100 medical teams to Cap Haitien and the surrounding region. Today, HUFH supports a Haitian staff of more than 40 medical and other professionals as well as community health workers and lay staff. Programs include fighting malnutrition, cervical cancer screen and treat, hypertension screen and treat, prenatal care, the community water project, community health education, and a hospital and surgical fund. HUFH has also made a commitment to train the next generation of doctors and nurses.
So how can you help?
To make a one-time donation, click over to the website.
For federal income tax purposes, if you plan to claim a deduction for a cash contribution, you’ll want to keep a record of the donation. Ideally, the organization will provide a written record with the name of the charity, date, and amount of the contribution.
HUTF also aims to supply medical and laboratory equipment and supplies to their Haitian clinical staff. If you’d like to donate in-kind goods, you can claim the purchase price of new items, but you must value used items at their fair market value.
Do your homework.
As always, you want to make sure that your donation is going to a qualified charitable organization. A search using the IRS’ new Tax Exempt Organization Search (formerly Select Check) reveals that Hands Up For Haiti is on the list. Even though HUTF provides services in a foreign country, it is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization incorporated in the United States of America. That means that donations are tax deductible for US federal income tax purposes. You cannot deduct donations made to foreign charities.
To find out more about the work of the organization, check out their website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
I often suggest checking out third-party sites like Charity Navigator for more information about charitable organizations, including evaluations and access to tax forms and other financials. Hands Up For Haiti is not ranked on Charity Navigator because it has less than $1 million in annual revenue (you can find out how to evaluate an unrated charity here).
Remember: Readers nominate their favorite charities to the 12 Days of Charitable Giving, and in most cases, I can’t personally vouch for the organizations. So be generous but be smart: Do your homework.
For more on making charitable donations, click here.
For other charities in the series: