Document text
Nonprofits make pitch for tax refunds Low-key charity appeals focus on local needs By JONEL ALECCIA Count local nonprofit agencies among groups hoping to dish up a piece of taxpayer refund pie. As federal checks of up to $600 land in mailboxes in the Rogue Valley and across the country, social service agencies are conducting quiet campaigns to encourage recipients to share. And, sometimes, it works. Planned Parenthood of Southwest Oregon has raised about $2,000, with pledges for more, through a fund-seeking letter timed to coincide with refunds mailed starting July 23, said Kellie Shoemaker, local community outreach coordinator. "A lot of people are saying they're frustrated with the funds taken out of critical programs such as family planning and they want to give back," Shoemaker said. Other nonprofits are being nudged by local or national officials to do the same. "I know a lot of folks are going after it," said Dee Anne Everson, executive director of United Way of Jackson County. "I think there are a lot of direct service providers who do have plans to ask." Her agency leaves such tasks to member agencies, preferring to raise funds through an annual campaign set to begin next month, Everson added. But representatives from several local nonprofits said it hadn't occurred to them to target refunds. "It's a great idea," said Lynn Green, communications coordinator for Goodwill of Southern Oregon. "I wish we had thought of it." "I hope this isn't a missed opportunity," said Katherine Thurber, director of the foundation at Providence Medford Medical Center. The refund checks reflect a new 10 percent income tax bracket created by the 10-year, $1.35 trillion tax cut signed into law by President Bush. In Oregon, about 1.1 million checks totaling $482 million are expected to be mailed by Sept. 24. As of last week, 99,820 checks totaling $42,017,724.84 had been bestowed in the state, said IRS spokeswoman Shawn George. The average check amount in Oregon is $420.93. Refund amounts can vary from up to $300 for a single taxpayer, $500 for a head of household and $600 for a married couple. That adds up to a tidy windfall for most taxpayers and a potential income-producing market for retailers and nonprofits alike. Large chain stores such as Fred Meyer, for instance, have been offering deals to shoppers who cash and spend their refund checks on site. Nonprofits might do well to follow their lead, but one local fund-raising specialist says he's not so sure. "Personally, I have some mixed feelings about capitalizing on that," said Ed Roussell, incoming development director for Community Works, a Medford social service agency. "I honestly don't know how that would play here. (Retailers) are out to make a buck, but nobody says they have to hold to any standard." Roussell, who is leaving a development post at the local Boy Scouts of America council, said neither the Scouts nor Community Works has asked him to pursue tax refund contributions. Donations of up to $600 a pop would add up, he said, but at what price? "Most people are going to take some comfort from it. A few will take some comfort in contributing," Roussell said. "I personally believe people should feel some permission to use that money for whatever they want to do, to use that money for their own personal needs ... "If that includes giving back a little to an organization, then all the better." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.