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Flagstaff’s nonprofit organizations do heavy lifting for our community, and I’m immensely grateful for their great work.
You and I rely on Flagstaff nonprofit organizations to do the work that benefits our lives, but often goes unnoticed and underfunded.
Flagstaff’s nonprofit organizations do heavy lifting for our community, and I’m immensely grateful for their great work.
It’s well established that Flagstaff lacks enough housing that people living and working here can afford. The problem is beyond the capacity of the city or any single non-profit housing organization to solve, but we work well together to find solutions. These organizations help us and our neighbors find emergency shelter, provide rental assistance or find stable housing. They serve individuals and children fleeing domestic violence, people with chronic illnesses, veterans and, increasingly, seniors with limited incomes.
If you get to know Catholic Charities, Flagstaff Shelter Services, Habitat for Humanity, Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona, or Northland Family Help Center, I think you’ll be impressed with their creative approaches to finding funding to house people. This work is not only compassionate and reflects the values of our community, but it’s essential to our economy. Without emergency shelter, people would be left to fend for themselves in often extreme weather. Similarly, a roof over one’s head and a stable place to call home leads to improved health, social connections, lower crime rates and the ability to show up for work healthy, rested and ready to fully participate.
Flagstaff is a highly educated community and values education at every level. The support we show our schools pays off in many ways, including student achievement, economic development and mobility, lower crime rates and contributing to making this a great place to live. Flagstaff boasts many nonprofit organizations that support our students.
Tynkertopia has been a place of wonder and curiosity for K-8 students and fosters interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). Soon they’ll be opening a “maker space” for middle to high school students to continue to build skills and solve problems. The Flagstaff Festival of Science, “the best 10 days of the year,” showcases the outstanding research and science that occurs in and around Flagstaff and hosts an outstanding annual festival. Camp Colton has, for more than 50 years, been providing outdoor environmental education to generations of local students. Whether it’s several days “camping” in cabins with outdoor exploration and a science curriculum, or day camps for younger children, this organization educates and instills respect for the beautiful environment we’re lucky enough to call home. Willow Bend Environmental Education Center is another premiere educational opportunity for the entire community. Operating year-round, they provide classroom activities, field trips, family activities and adult educational opportunities. Recognizing the need for early childhood education throughout the region, the United Way of Northern Arizona created Kindercamp, a summer program for 4- and 5-year-olds that prepares them socially, foundationally and academically for kindergarten. Its success has attracted additional success, as Northern Arizona University and Coconino Community College now offer tuition-free education to all local high school graduates who completed Kindercamp. Equipped classrooms and field trips are critical components to students’ educational experiences, and the Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) Foundation raises money to offer mini grants to district teachers who need materials or equipment for their classrooms or who need assistance to provide field trips for their students.
Flagstaff’s nonprofit organizations do heavy lifting for our community, and I’m immensely grateful for their great work. They’re able to do all this through skilled grant writing and the generosity of people like you and me.
As this year draws to a close, I want to remind us of all about Arizona Tax Credits and how you can support many worthy organizations by directing where a portion of your Arizona tax dollars get allocated. If you owe money when you file your taxes, you’ll owe less – you might even score yourself a refund. The two places I’ll point you to for information are https://azdor.gov/tax-credits and https://www.flagstafftaxcredit.org.
The tax credits are easy to claim. You don’t need to itemize your tax return, you can claim a tax credit on donations of any amount within the state-established limit, and donations made to several qualifying organizations that add up to the amount you can claim can be submitted as one tax credit. You can either set up automatic monthly donations or donate smaller amounts throughout the year to claim the entire credit when filing your taxes. Arizona gives taxpayers until April 15 to make donations to qualifying organizations and claim a credit on your tax filing.
This is an incredible opportunity for both taxpayers and nonprofit organizations. Credits to Qualifying Charitable Organizations range from $495 for single taxpayers to $987 for married taxpayers filing jointly. Credits to Qualifying Foster Care Organizations (like Coconino CASA for Kids locally) range from $618 to $1,234. There are also Public School Tax Credits and you can make contributions to each category and claim three tax credits!
While the U.S. Department of Agriculture decides whether to pay out Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the government shut down, with significant cuts to Medicaid and SNAP on the horizon and the expiration of the enhanced tax credits that help make health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act more affordable for millions of Americans, our local nonprofit organizations are going to be stretched even thinner. They’ll need all of us that can give to give as generously as we’re able.
I’ve been claiming these tax credits for many years and would be happy to talk to you about them, as would any of your favorite nonprofits. For tax advice, you should consult with a tax professional. I’m always available to Flagstaff residents at becky.daggett@flagstaffaz.gov. FBN
By Becky Daggett
Becky Daggett is the mayor of Flagstaff.
Filed Under: Columnists
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