Speaking for myself and myself alone. I do not have enough deductions to itemize much less have an accountant.

LOL, I am considered so poor, I fall in that class that gets to efile for free!! LOL

If you are talking about donating to Trudi's site, it would depend on whether she has filed the organization with the IRS. My understanding is that non profits have to file paperwork with the IRS in order to be considered a qualified organization.

Otherwise it would probably be considered an individual or civic or social club, which aren't considered acceptable deductions.

Maybe Trudi will jump in here or you could email her directly to find out.

If you are talking about donating seeds in newbie packs then it is definitely not an acceptable deduction.

taxes, fun! just kidding
I am not an accountant or tax consultant, just wanted to give you my 2 cents . . . .
good luck
weebay

Here is a link that might be useful: IRS bulletin on Charitable Contributions

I'd say a question for Trudi....Yoo Hoo, Trudi....

"Many Winter Sowers and gardeners would like to share their seeds with WinterSown.Org so that the seeds can be distributed to individuals through our Seeds for SASE programs or sent in bulk to worthy organizations. The FAQs on this page will assist you in sharing your seeds.
What type of organization is WinterSown.Org?

WinterSown Educational is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization and maintains a presence on the web with WinterSown.Org. "

That makes it a little fuzzy to me, and it hadn't occurred to me to claim my gardening related donations of any type....hmmmmm. Pots, seedlings, bagged compost to our Food Bank volunteers....

Did your accountant look it up and possibly see this? I do the quarterly accounting, record keeping, payroll taxes....when it comes to the year end stuff and that FINAL number, I'm running for our accountant or she comes here. I don't trust myself to interpret any of it, or keep up with it - I know our accountant goes to a workshop late winter every year just to make sure she is abreast of any changes for that year herself.

Thank you for the feedback. According to my accountant (Mother-in-law,lol), even though wintersown.org says it's a 501c3 because it's not showing up on the IRS website that my return will be flagged for audit.

Oh and I forgot to say that it was a small cash donation.

That makes more sense!! I was seriously wondering how in the heck are you going to figure out the worth of seeds. Then I was thinking well is she going to figure in the time of collecting the seeds. I was really baffled on that one, I couldn't figure how you would come up with a set figure!!

My advice, get your mother in law to do your taxes and if it was a small donation do not worry about it unless it throws you in a lesser tax bracket. Why have the irs flag your return if it really isn't going to be of much help anyway. That is just me though!!

You can deduct monetary, and the purchase cost of seeds that you donate, or the costs involved with growing seedsthat you donate--but you cannot deduct labor costs. Save your receipts.

WinterSown is a registered 501c3, I won't display the ein number publically and I won't give it to any individual either.

And by the way, I feel very uncomfortable that a Winter Sower would make such a declaration on a public website questioning my non-profit status. I am not comfortable with it at all, and I am very VERY dissapointed. I spend a lot of time and effort in protecting the anonymity of my donors and the individuals and organizations that I donate to, I will never share that information publically, and though I could well fund my organization with selling a mailing list of names of people who request seeds I have never done it or never will. And, I don't draw a GD salary either. My blood, sweat and tears in in this non-profit and I hugely resent this post.

Sorry you read the post as someone questioning your organization.
I don't think I or anyone else was questioning your organization with this post.

I was just giving info on what I understand about how IRS views charitable donations, that is why I suggested the poster contact you.

I never looked into how you have your organization listed and wasn't claiming, or suggesting that I did. I wasn't reading that as the intention of the post either.

I also didn't know if the poster was talking about donating seeds to individuals on this site.

I felt the poster was just trying to understand how it worked. I have worked in various non profit organizations and people often need to know how the organization is registered in order to understand their deductions and I don't think an organization should take those questions personally. I don't believe anyone was making accusations, rather they were just are trying to understand.

Once again I apologize if my comment was read in any way as negative as it wasn't intended or written that way.

-weebay

No problem with you Weebay, none at all.

T

Trudi, did I participate in offending you? If so, I certainly didn't mean to - I simply didn't understand what the statement (pasted) about 'maintaining a presence on the web' meant, and hoped you would clarify if donations to WinterSown.org shared the same status as Wintersown Educational.

By fuzzy, I truly didn't mean shady, or anything remotely close if that's what you thought, only that I myself didn't think I clearly (opposite of fuzzy) understood it.
I'm so sorry you felt insulted. I very much regret the misunderstanding and apologize if I offended you too.

No problem with you Weebay, none at all.

T

to get along with people and I do a lot of work to help people. It just drives me nuts when anyone would think that I was any less than completely sincere. Why do I go through any of this, I dunno why I should continue? Tell me. Why should I give a da

Trudi, wow I guess I need to say I was wrong by assuming the op knew what she was talking about when it came to the irs flagging the returns. I sincerely didn't mean to offend you Trudi but I can sure see if the roles were reversed I would be offended.

I will state here and NOW I don't question what you do, I do not know how you do it!! That ONE swap was enough to put me under for awhile!! I think I have said before and I will say it again. My hat goes off to you and what you do!!

Forgive me!!

"According to my accountant (Mother-in-law,lol), even though wintersown.org says it's a 501c3 because it's not showing up on the IRS website that my return will be flagged for audit."

think that was the comment that set off the fireworks right there. this person should have emailed trudi and not went to all this trouble to publicly start crap. is a small cash donation really going to make a difference in your taxes and why you word things that way if trudi says she is a 501c3 why is it necessary to dispute it on a public forum, dont care what your mother n law says. I find the knowledge that trudi has so generously shared with us all invaluable, if i make a donation that is the end of it not going to be worth my time to try to figure how many nickels i can get back on it at the end of the year. whatever happened to just giving from the heart. that is what trudi does and i would assume she expects the same from us! sorry trudi dont let this bother you, noone thinks you do this for anything other than the love of it, your a fine lady and we all appreciate you and this forum and your site, and your caring. and i dont even know this lady personally but i know that!

WinterSown is in Guidestar.

I'm going to take a break for a while.

After winter sowing all I received from Trudi and everyone else, I can't wait to donate the seeds I will collect this year!

I mean really, do people donate for the tax collection or for the good of mankind?

I believe that every single plant every single critter is on this earth for some reason we just do not know what it is!! With that said I would do it to preserve NATURE!!

Trudi you will be missed!!

None of us can say what motivates or influences anyone else. We're individuals, each one of us is unique and chances are we won't always agree with everything that's said or suggested on this forum. Some have strong opinions; others have expertise and credentials. We all share one thing in common--the urge/drive/commitment or compulsion to plant seeds and grow plants from those seeds for our own or others' benefit. Not one of us knows what any other may be thinking/wishing/hoping/dreaming/scheming/praying or longing for--and to make assumptions based on words we may interpret in a way not intended by the poster is to force our own explanation of those words.

This forum draws people in by its very nature of welcoming all and forgiving as readily any faux pas by newcomers or doubting-thomases. Questions are answered and advice offered without qualification to any who ask or seek them.

I think it might be best if those with strong opinions on this topic do as trudi has suggested--take a break.

Winter sowing is an amazingly effective method of growing just about any seed in conditions not many would have believed possible a few years ago. There's no longer any question that WS works with astounding success. It's proven, accredited and endorsed by a growing number of seed sellers.

Aside from trudi, most folks on this forum are not winter sowing experts or authorities and would be wise to offer only their individual results with specific conditions/seeds.

We're all here to help and learn from each other, not dictate what's right or wrong or what should or should not be done.

Trudi why should you give a dern!! Well for one if I get this lupine to grow you need to help me spread it to all of you up in the north eastern corner!! I am thinking optimistic here!!

Why should you give a dern!! Because the system works, and I will say this that I ALWAYS stayed away from seed that said cold period, stratification, cold frame. I was like what!! That confused me a tad bit. So without you I wouldn't of tried even things like that lupine!!

Why should you give a dern!! Because dog gone it look at where you are and where you started look how far you have come. Look where this economy is going!! People need you and your way!!

The main factory in town announced yesterday they are moving out of town by the end of the year and they are starting lay offs in march!! Goodyear, who employs over 2000!! This community is a farming and goodyear money based community without one or the other we are screwed!!

Another huge factory in town, lennox, several years back laid off to 12 years of seniority our town took a huge hit then. Now with this latest news, lol.

Tell me people don't need you Trudi, they just don't realize how much they are going to need you!! Your way just simply makes sense!!

I am feeling much better this morning. A good nights sleep can do wonders.

I went to bed thinking why I do the things I do and the same answer now is the same answer as when I started all of this. It's where my feet were led and I can't change destiny. So today, I knew I would be running off more 'How to WS' brochures which are what I send out with the six packs. Inside of it has always been a feedback form which rarely comes back, sigh. Nowadays, I don't really need the feedback because I can just google 'wintersown' and read current blogs and discussions to see how people feel. So, no more feedback, and in its place will be the Group Seed Request Form. CC, we must be twins because what you wrote is what I feel.

A few years back my USDA friends contacted me because someone had contacted them--they needed seeds for food gardens because almost all the town was out of work. It was Elkhart, Indiana--ground zero for unemployment in the USA. That was the beginning of helping groups. Through word of mouth the requests came in, and last year I added a downloadable PDF to the website that could be used for requests. God helps those who help themselves, so if someone went looking such a thing they would find it. Putting the form on the back of the brochure will get it out to more people and it can be passed on to those who need it. For now it's an experiment to see if it helps more groups, but only the future will tell.