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Making sure donations to me are all tax-deductible from the donor's end
I'll be working with a 501c3 organization (let's call it "Help South America") that does missionary work in South America. For this work, I am completely a volunteer. I receive no salary, food or housing as payment for my work, and no W-2 forms or 1099s are issued. "Help SA" has been telling me "We can feed you and give you a room so that you don't have to cook or find your own apartment. But you must pay us for the food and room. We are not providing you these services as a reward for the volunteer work you do for us." Thus, I'm raising support.
I'm asking donors to send the money to "Help SA" and not to me. I want to make sure my donors are making tax-deductible donations and not simply "gifts." So, let's say a friend donates to "Help SA," who now has complete control over the funds from my friend. (Thus, I cannot decide what my donor is paying for.) Let's say that "Help SA" tells me "We know that one of your friends gave us this money. We are deciding that this money will pay for your food and rent for this month. You don't owe us anything out of your own pocket."
My biggest question: Is my friend still eligible for a tax-deduction, or is the donated money considered a salary / gift to me?
And, is "Help SA" doing a legal thing with the gift they've received by providing me, a missionary, the food / room I would have otherwise had to pay for out of my own pocket? How does "Help SA" (or I myself, as the case may be) need to report this to the IRS?