Donating to a private party and claiming on my taxes?

[urbancountrygir]

Here in Green Bay, WI we have a facebook page called "Lifting up Green Bay".  It is used for those in need; ie: lost everything in a fire, left a bad relationship and starting over, school supplies, etc.

If I donated items (furniture, kitchen household items, school supplies, etc), can i still claim this as a donation on my taxes?  If so, what do i need to do?

[Carl]

In order to claim donations on your tax return, the organization you donate to must be a registered, qualified charitable organization or NPO. The IRS has a list which you can check at https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search

Basically, if they are not on the list, then donations to them do not qualify for any type of tax deduction. You must also have the required documentation to support your claim that your donation is deductible. For the documentation requirements, see https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/substantiating-charitable-contributions

Understand there are two basic types of charities/tax exempt organizations one can donate to. 30% type and 50% type. For a 30% type, only 30% of your donation or donation value is tax deductible. Ditto for a 50% organization.

[urbancountrygir]

Thank you!