There are so many ways to support PVAS!
Click on any of the links below to learn more about ways to support PVAS.
Click on any of the links below to learn more about ways to support PVAS.
Give the gift of Membership! When you enroll someone as a Potomac Valley Audubon Society local member, ALL of the dues stay here to support local PVAS efforts and helps us grow!
Their local member benefits include:
To give a gift membership, you can register online through our secure gateway with Stripe or you can download, print, and complete this membership form and mail it in with your payment. Make the check out to “PVAS.” This fee covers membership for everyone in their household for one year.
Questions? If you have any questions about our membership policies or procedures please contact us at (681) 252-1387 or kristin@potomacaudubon.org.
Donating stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares is an especially attractive option if you’ve held these securities for a year or more and they’ve increased in value since you acquired them. If you donate securities under those circumstances, the benefits to you are:
The benefit to PVAS is that we receive a larger donation than we would if you sold the securities and gave the net, after-tax proceeds to us.
How to make a donation:
Please remember the following:
Donating land for conservation purposes is one of the most enduring legacies a person can leave. It can also offer significant tax benefits.
Donating land is especially worth considering if you:
PVAS is always willing to consider accepting donations of land. We are particularly interested in land that would be suitable for a nature preserve. Under some circumstances we might also accept a property that we could retain as an income-producing asset or sell for income.
Please remember the following:
Questions? To consult with us about donating a specific property or for more information please contact Kristin Alexander or call (681) 252-1387.
Donating a vehicle to PVAS is easy. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of selling your old vehicle yourself and/or if a tax deduction would be easier or more valuable to you than a trade-in or cash payment, it’s a step worth considering.
Your vehicle doesn’t have to be in running condition; all vehicles have at least some residual value from parts or scrap. All you have to do is complete this form and email to Kristin Alexander at kristin@potomacaudubon.org, or mail to PVAS, PO Box 578, Shepherdstown, WV 25443. In addition to your contact information, the form will require information on the title and any outstanding liens on the vehicle, as well as its make, model, year, condition, mileage, location and VIN number (the VIN is mounted on the top of the dashboard on the driver’s side and can be easily viewed through the windshield). Please contact Kristin at (681) 252-1387 with questions.
We’ll handle everything from there, including making arrangements to have the vehicle picked up. There is no cost to you for pickup, even if that involves towing.
PVAS typically sells donated vehicles through the Winchester Auto Auction in Frederick County, VA, which holds auctions every Tuesday. PVAS receives the net proceeds from the auction sale of your vehicle, after the auction house’s fees and towing or transportation costs are deducted. You get to deduct the full auction sale price.
After your vehicle is sold, PVAS will provide you with a letter that documents the sale for tax purposes. If the auction sale price is more than $500, you’ll need to attach a copy of that letter to your next year’s tax return along with a copy of Internal Revenue Service Form 8283 (“Noncash Charitable Contributions”). For a copy of Form 8283 and its accompanying instructions go to the IRS website and enter “Form 8283” in the search box.
If the auction sale price is less than $500 you do not need to document your deduction on your next tax return but you should keep a copy of our letter in case your deduction is challenged.
The IRS offers a handy, complete guide to all facets of vehicle donations. To access this publication, click here or go to the IRS website and type “Publication 4303” in the search box.
Please remember the following:
Questions? If you have any questions about donating a vehicle, please contact Kristin Alexander.
It’s easy to make a donation to PVAS through your will. There are many options you can choose:
With any of these options, you can–if you wish–specify exactly how your bequest should be used. For example, you can state that it should be used generally, to support PVAS’s overall operations or be used specifically to benefit a PVAS program you particularly favor, such as children’s education programs or nature preserve operations.
Bequests to PVAS are fully deductible from your gross estate for estate tax purposes. This means they reduce the estate tax burden for your heirs and other beneficiaries. There’s no limit on the amount that can be deducted from your estate for charitable bequests.
If you choose to make a bequest to PVAS, we suggest that your attorney uses the following language when referring to PVAS:
Potomac Valley Audubon Society, Incorporated, a not-for-profit membership organization incorporated by the laws of the state of West Virginia, having as its principal address PO Box 578, Shepherdstown, WV 25443.
It may also be helpful to include PVAS’s federal nonprofit tax identification number, which is 55-0626891.
Questions? To consult with us about mentioning PVAS in your will or for more information please email Kristin Alexander or call (681) 252-1387.
PVAS welcomes donations of useful goods and services, and over the years such donations have been a big help to us. Examples of useful goods include building materials or office equipment and supplies. Useful services include many different kinds of skills, from trade skills like carpentry to professional skills like legal assistance.
Our specific needs vary from time to time, so if you have a possible in-kind donation in mind, please contact Kristin Alexander or (681) 252-1387.
The value of donated time or services is not tax-deductible but you may deduct the fair market value of donated goods. PVAS will provide you with a letter that documents your donation of goods for tax purposes.
If the fair market value of your donation is more than $500, you’ll need to attach a copy of that letter with your next year’s tax return along with a copy of Internal Revenue Service Form 8283 (“Noncash Charitable Contributions”). For a copy of Form 8283 and its accompanying instructions go to the IRS website and enter “Form 8283” in the search box.
If the fair market value of your donation is less than $500 you do not need to document your deduction on your next tax return but you should keep a copy of our letter in case your deduction is challenged.
Please remember the following:
Each year, the annual fundraising campaigns of United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) get underway in September and last into the winter. PVAS receives from both agencies and encourages its members to give to their campaigns. Because PVAS is an IRS-qualified non-profit agency, individuals who contribute to either United Way or CFC can designate all or part of those contributions to PVAS, if they wish.
If you have any questions, please contact Kristin Alexander at kristin@potomacaudubon.org or (681) 252-1387.
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