@cburlakos wrote:
What is considered a non-cash gift then? I am finding conflicting information, which is very confusing. I'm also wondering why the nonprofit would give me a letter for tax purposes if the services provided are not tax deductible.
You can never take a deduction for the value of your time. The charity may not be following the laws, or they may be saying "thanks for your service" and relying on you to know whether or not that is an allowable deduction.
Non-cash donations are items of property. Usually tangible personal property (like office supplies, food for a food pantry , and so on). Property can also include a conservation easement, real estate, intangible property like royalty rights, and so on. You can read more in publication 526. https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-526
Basically, you can take a deduction for money or property that you already paid taxes on, or paid taxes to acquire. For example, when you buy a car with your after-tax dollars, and subsequently donate it to charity, you can deduct the value from your taxes because you can reduce your taxable income by the amount of already-taxed money you are giving away. You can't deduct the value of your time because you never paid tax on it.
