Donating a DVC vacation

[jwmccullough]

Has anyone if the group either done or thought of doing this: donating a vacation to a charitable organization (such as Make a Wish)? I think this would be a wonderful thing to do for those who would not otherwise be able to go. Any comments are welcome.

Thanks in advance!
Jess

 

[niks81]

I didn't have many points left this year (and if I would have known about it farther in advance I would have saved a few more!) but I did donate the points I had left for a few nights stay to raise money for a Cancer benefit. My best friend's mother just recovered from breast cancer and I felt it was a really great cause. I would certainly be up for Make a Wish at some point, also a great cause.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Yes. I once donated points to our son's private high school as part of a fund raiser. Another time, a bunch of us donated points to a young mother who was dying of cancer.

 

[Pluto4Pres]

You can try to donate to Give Kids the World. This is like Make-A-Wish but it specializes in WDW. Check them out at this link:


http://www.gktw.org/

 

[bobbiwoz]

This is the e-mail that I received when I initially contacted GKTW. We followed through and a 2 night stay was given to a volunteer:

Bobbi


"It was a very kind offer, and we truly appreciate your efforts to support the mission of Give Kids The World (GKTW). For your consideration in the future, we normally need a block of five nights to host one of our Wish families so we don't have to disturb their fun by moving them during their stay. However, if you are willing to allow alternate uses, we have been able (with the agreement of the donor) to accept one or two nights stays for special situations such as volunteer and staff recognition (we have more than 3,000 volunteer "Angels" who fulfill 950+ shifts/week at the Village). Of course, the volunteers and staff never expect any rewards - other than the true joy of serving children with life-threatening illnesses and families at GKTW Village. They are genuinely dedicated to pampering and protecting the children and families, and so it's sometimes nice to treat the volunteers or staff to a couple of nights away. If you have any additional questions, please call me directly at 407-396-1114 ext. 225. And, whenever you are able to make it back to Orlando, I would love to take you on a tour of the Village. Until then, please check out our website at www.gktw.org Thank you again! "

 

[JimMIA]

You can try to donate to Give Kids the World. This is like Make-A-Wish but it specializes in WDW. Check them out at this link:


http://www.gktw.org/

I do a lot of work with charities, and "Give Kids the World" is one of the finest charities I have ever seen. They provide all-expense-paid Disney vacations to terminally ill children and their families. The Police Officer Assistance Trust is a large police charity here in Miami which provides last-resort assistance to law enforcement families for things other resources can't provide. They have sent a number of kids to GKTW. and it is just an unbelievable experience for the families.

If you're thinking of making a charitable contribution, I'd encourage you to spend a couple of minutes browsing the Give Kids the World website.

 

[spiceycat]

I have given here at work to surport a charity and to a local hospital.

remember this is not a tax deduction.

Only your full membership would be a tax deduction.

 

[niks81]

Well my motive certainly was not for a tax deduction. In fact I never even thought of it until my mom asked if I could claim it. I said I really didn't care. What would be the point of giving to a charity if that was your main reason??

 

[DizneyNutz]

hopefully, this doesn't sound rude, but do you know if you make a donation of points if it is tax deductible? I too support cancer causes...my Mother and Mother-in-Law are breast cancer survivors---thankfully, we still have them both!!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Hi DizneyNutz, Your question has been asked lots of time on this board. Apparently, you cannot deduct a gift of use of points or a reservation on your income tax. Someone, maybe Dean, quoted paragraphs from the IRS's manual. If you donated a whole contract, not just the points, but the contract that lasts until 2042 or whenever SSR ends, that's a different story, if I remember correctly, but the use of the points is not deductible. Ask your tax consultant!

Bobbi

 

[Dean]

In order to donate and deduct you'd have to meet the same rules as if it were a condo you owned full time, something that would be hard to do with most timeshares. The IRS had an example relating to timeshares with this exact question and it said no but it's not on their website now or at least I couldn't find it again last time I looked. The TUG advice section says the same, no change of a deduction.

 

[tjkraz]

Well my motive certainly was not for a tax deduction. In fact I never even thought of it until my mom asked if I could claim it. I said I really didn't care. What would be the point of giving to a charity if that was your main reason??

I don't think anyone ever the tax deduction was your primary motivation, but it certainly would be a pleasant byproduct if legal. Unfortunately that's not the case.

 

[bobbiwoz]

After the volunteers had the 2 night stay, I received a Thank You letter from GTKTH and 2 forms which states to the Internal Revenu "that no goods or services were received by you in exchange for the gift." It also suggests to "Contact your accountant/tax specialist for information regarding the amount you may deduct for tax purposes."

That's how it stands, contact an expert!

Bobbi

 

[sjdisneywedding]

just doesnt seem right that it wouldnt be a tax deduction. why would you have to donate the entire contract when you wouldnt be claiming the entire contract? doesnt make sense.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Dean posted the "rules" last year or so, and they were so explicit, you couldn't take the donation.

I can only think that there's room for fraud. IRS is cracking down on car donations now apparently they think there were real problems there too.

Anyway, there are 2 forms that GTKTW sent. Fill out one, with what you value the donation at, and one to send to them for their records. It would be great if the rules have changed and the donation can be deducted, but I'm not sending it in, it's fine with me that the points were used, and not just allowed to expire. I guess a cash donation to GTKTH is the way to go for a tax deduction.

Bobbi