Maybe you're a regular donor to dozens of nonprofits or maybe you give at random. Whatever your approach to charitable giving, chances are that when tax time approaches, you begin to wonder where your receipts are from the donations you've given or made.
For answers on your own specific situation, you should always check with a tax professional. However, below are answers to some of the basic questions you might have about deductions for charitable donations.
Are donations to charity tax-deductible?
Yes, with some caveats.
The main caveat is that to claim a deduction you have to itemize, instead of taking the standard deduction. Another important caveat is that your donation must be to a "qualified organization," like a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, (for example the loan you make to your brother-in-law to get his business off the ground may feel like charity, but it probably doesn't count).
How do I know if I itemize?
Itemizing means you add up all the individual deductions you're eligible for up to certain limits, including potential charitable donations, mortgage interest, state and local taxes, or in some cases medical expenses.1 Taking the standard deduction means there's a set dollar figure you take as a deduction—for 2025 it's $15,000 for single filers and married people filing separately, $22,500 for heads of household, and $30,000 for those married filing jointly and surviving spouses.2 It generally only makes sense to itemize if all your individual deductions add up to a greater amount than the standard deduction.
Most people don't itemize—the IRS states that only 11% of individuals itemize deductions.3 However, if you do itemize you'll generally need records for any tax-deductible donations you made during the relevant tax year. Nonprofits often email a summary out to their donors at the end of the year, to make life easier.
How do I know if a specific contribution I made is deductible?
Again, always check with a tax pro if you need personalized advice. The organization you donated to may also be able to give you some guidance, and the IRS has resources on its website that can help too, including a search tool that lets you look up whether a particular organization is tax-exempt.
One major restriction to know is that donations to individual people—whether through a crowdfunding campaign, a link on social media, or just someone who needs help—typically are not deductible. However, a donation to a crowdfunding campaign that benefits a nonprofit organization very well might be deductible, so always make sure you understand where your money is actually going.
What if I donated items, and not money?
Donating items are potentially deductible too, but you'll need a receipt that documents what you donated. Charities often have blank receipts for donors, but you typically need to grab one and fill it out when you make your donation—not later.
These receipts generally include a description of what you donated, plus your estimate of the fair market value of the items (which is probably a lot less than what you paid). The IRS has guidelines that can help you figure out an appropriate amount to claim.
What if I donated my time through volunteer work?
The value of your time, or the value of the services you provided, typically isn't deductible.
Out-of-pocket expenses incurred during volunteering might be deductible, for example mileage costs if you were driving your car for eligible volunteer work. Again, you'll generally need receipts or supporting documentation, and you'll need to make sure they meet the IRS's requirements. To be sure, always check with a tax pro.
What are some other philanthropic efforts?
If you're in search of other ways to give, here are some ideas to consider:
- Donate appreciated securities: If you have stocks (or other investments) that have increased in price since you bought them, consider donating them. You can typically take a deduction for the current market value of the securities, but also avoid paying capital gains tax on their appreciation (as long as you've owned the investments for more than a year).
- Look into a donor-advised fund: With a donor-advised fund, you can make a deductible contribution and invest your contribution so it can potentially grow tax-free over time. You can then advise the fund to make grants to nonprofits of your choosing. (Learn more about how donor-advised funds compare to other giving vehicles and take a quiz to find out if a donor-advised fund might be right for you.)
- Consider bundling your donations: Let's say that in a typical year you don't donate enough to merit itemizing, but you're close. One option, if you have the resources, would be to combine several years worth of donations into a single year's contribution to a donor-advised fund. You could take a deduction for the full amount of your donation that year.4 Thanks to the fund's structure, your money could then be parceled out to the charities you choose slowly over a number of years.
Ready to take the next step? Learn more about charitable giving strategies and take a look at our charitable contribution calculators, which can help you add to your potential tax savings. If you're interested in donor-advised funds, consider exploring the Fidelity Charitable® Giving Account®, which supports grants to virtually any 501(c)(3) IRS-qualified public charity.