Welcome to our second installment of “Money Matters.” Let’s talk about the lifeblood of the Sierra Club or any other nonprofit: cash donations from supporters who believe in the organization’s mission. Donations are essential to help us work toward a safer, healthier environment for you and your family.
Why donate to our New Jersey Chapter? Because you believe in our mission. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have received this, much less be reading it.
How to donate? We conduct formal fundraising drives via US Mail and e-mail (no annoying phone calls) three times a year. That’s it. Our next fundraising drive will be in summer. Be on the lookout for your solicitation letter.
What if I can’t wait that long? Online donations can be made from our website: www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey/ways-give
Alternatively, you can donate by mail. Make the check payable to Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter, and send it to:
Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter
PO Box 269
Garwood, NJ 07027-0269
A few other ideas to consider:
Monthly Donations: You can support our work all year long by becoming a monthly supporter. Simply determine the monthly amount with which you feel comfortable. When you donate online, you will see an option to make your gift monthly at checkout.
Commemorative and Memorial Donations: Want to honor a loved one who shares Sierra Club ideals? Donate in their name to the NJ Chapter of the Sierra Club. We will notify the honoree of the gift. Similarly, a deceased loved one can be remembered if you invite well-wishers to make a memorial donation in the person’s name. Either type of donation can be accomplished on our website or through the mail.
Here’s how to make a commemorative or memorial donation online:
Visit https://shorturl.at/diCM6 (Click the red “Continue” button for commemorative or memorial gifts)
Tax-Deductible Donations: Because the Sierra Club engages in political activism, donations are generally not tax deductible. The Sierra Club is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. This status allows the Sierra Club to engage in legislative lobbying and political advocacy to a much greater extent than most other groups. Most New Jerseyans do not itemize deductions on their tax returns. Therefore, this is usually not a concern.
However, if tax deductions are important to you, you should make your check payable to Sierra Club Foundation. The Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, and donations are charitable and tax-deductible. The Foundation supports a variety of environmental programs and organizations. It is also the fiscal sponsor of the Sierra Club’s charitable environmental programs. By law, we are allowed to use donations to the Foundation only for the purposes outlined above.
In future columns, we will discuss alternative ways to support the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club.
We thank you for your generosity. You make it all possible.