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People really seem to get into the giving spirit this time of year. The most obvious reason is that the Christmas season (and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Festivus, etc) is a season of gifts and generosity. We give not only to our loved ones, but to strangers—whether it’s by dropping a buck or two into a red bucket outside the mall, or into the jug of a Dearborn Goodfellow at an intersection—‘tis the season for helping others. But also just the very nature of giving to others makes us feel warm inside, and if there’s any time of year where an extra dose of warmth is welcome, it’s now.
But ‘tis also the season for receiving, and by giving to non-profit organizations, you can also get something for yourself. First and foremost, by giving to community and charity groups, you will be the lucky recipient of a more balanced, thriving community. But also, by giving to non-profit organizations, you’ll receive a nice fat tax deduction (how “fat,” of course, depends on how fat your donation is). It’s win-win. By donating a few bucks now, you’ll be helping others, but, as the tax year draws to a close (on December 31), you’ll also be saving yourself some dough come tax season.
The Counter Project supports a number of great local organizations, and some great regional and national ones. If you’re looking to support your community (as well as save yourself a few bucks at tax time), take a look at the list of our eight favorite charity and community organizations. We’ve made it as easy on you as possible by providing direct links to each of these organizations’ donation pages. Give $10, $20, $50 or whatever you can afford. When making your donation, make sure to ask for a tax receipt for your records, and bring that with you when you do your income taxes next year. You’ll feel good and you’ll be doing something great for your community! Happy Holidays and Happy Giving!
-Players Guild of Dearborn. We love community theater! Watching actors perform live on stage can be as exhilarating as it is entertaining. And the Players Guild has been entertaining audiences since 1927. Recent shows have included 'Grease,' 'Fiddler on the Roof,' and 'The Importance of Being Earnest.' Putting on big-name shows isn't cheap, and we want to make sure the Players Guild continues to do so for many years to come. A successful theater scene also boosts local business, which is great!
-DearbornSymphony Orchestra. Since 1961, Dearborn has had a Symphony Orchestra. The Dearborn Symphony puts on a number of shows a year, and we as a community are blessed to have such a dynamic and experienced source of beautiful music so close to home. Unfortunately, only 30% of the Dearborn Symphony's operating expenses are covered by ticket sales and grants. That means the other 70% have to come through donations. That's why we're making it a point to give back to them here.
-Arab American National Museum. The AANM opened its doors in 2005, and ever since they've been a major source of culture and entertainment in this area. They offer Global Thursdays (where professional musicians from around the world perform), numerous workshops, world class art and historic exhibits, craft days for kids, meditation classes, films (including the recent 2009 Arab Film Festival), book talks and many other activities and events. A cultural gem this valuable within our borders deserves our continued support.
-Dearborn Community Arts Council (pdf). Founded in 1969, the DCAC is a non-profit organization that has dedicated itself to supporting, promoting, and developing arts and culture in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. Without them, we wouldn't have the Padzieski Art Gallery inside the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, art classes for young people at Henry Ford Community College, Art on the Avenue street fair, the summer music festivals in parks across the city, and the Dearborn Homecoming Art Festival.
-WHFR (89.3 FM) (pdf). This is Henry Ford Community College's student-run radio station. We're big believers in college radio. This is the place to escape the corporate-designed playlists of commercial radio, and experience great music that you won't hear anywhere else-- blues, jazz, folk, country, alternative rock, funk, electronica, hip-hop, metal, punk, experimental noise, world, rockabilly, indie, classical and more. Without listener donations, WHFR would stagnate and eventually die. With our donations, WHFR will continue providing diverse music, and continue to expand its reach into the commuinity.
-Dearborn Library Foundation. Public libraries are critical to providing culture, education, and information to communities. But they can also provide entertainment (programming for kids, DVD rentals, film series). The Dearborn Library Foundation is a means for raising funds for capital improvements (for the children's area, HFCL auditorium, computer lab, etc), as well as for making sure the Dearborn Libraries can continue to secure top-notch authors to give presentations on their works. A community without dynamic libraries is a community without culture (not to mention declining property values).
-American Forests' Trees for the Environment. American Forests is an organization dedicated to planting trees. For every dollar you donate, they will plant one tree. Simple as that. Their Trees for the Environment program focuses on replanting trees in areas ravaged by wildfire, hurricane or other natural disaster. Trees not only beautify an area, they provide much needed oxygen to our atmosphere and help prevent soil errosion. In Dearborn, we're blessed with an abundance of trees in our neighborhoods and parks; let's now spread the wealth to other parts of the world where people and animals could benefit from the resources provided by trees.
-Dress for Success, Southeast Michigan. At a time when unemployment is at a 20-year high here in Michigan, Dress for Success is an organization that makes sure financially-distressed people have the right tools for finding a job-- including the proper attire for interviews. Money donated to this organization will help provide suits to job-seeking women in southeast Michigan, who otherwise couldn't afford new clothes.
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