Leveraging Payment Cards For Charitable Contributions Can Add Convenience And Impact (NAPSA)—Estimated charitable giving reached a record high in the United States with contributions totaling more than $295 billion in 2006, according to the Giving USA 2007 report. Individual giving rep- resents the single largest source of donations, accounting for three- quarters of the total charitable contributions made. Though cash and checks remain the most common method of donation, the use of credit and debit cards for charitable donations continues to grow. Spurred by the increased use of the Internet and e-mail for solicitations and donations, a new generation of donors who have a preference for electronic payments has emerged. Making charitable donations with a payment card also helps contributors keep up with the increased tax reforms demanding that Americanskeep better records of their donations. Giving Made Easier Leveraging credit and debit cards can help simplify the process of giving and receiving charitable contributions, with benefits for both donors and recipients. Many charitable organizations—both large and small—accept payment cards as a form of payment for donations. For donors, this presents the opportunity to: Give more generously over time and with a greater view of yourtotal charitable contributions; Plan your charitable giving by prearranging the date of your donations with your charitable organizations—planning ahead allows you to arrange for your contributions to be made at regular intervals throughout the year; Enjoy the added convenience of using your credit and debit card statements as a record of your charitable contributions throughout the year for tax deduction purposes; March ofDimes: @ Eliminate the hassle and cost associated with writing, mailing or delivering paper checks to makecontributions; and Earn rewards such astravel points, merchandise and even cash back, depending on the specific payment card program, every time you makea charitable donation. Makean Added Impact Through Everyday Purchases Affinity card programs and other payment card promotions tied to charitable organizations provide an opportunity for donors to make an added impact simply by making your everyday purchases. For example, MasterCard Worldwide is helping the March of Dimes gain donor attention and support for Prematurity Awareness Month occurring in Novem- ber. Between November 1 and November 30, 2007, MasterCard will match the following donations for a total MasterCard donation to March of Dimes of up to US $225,000: Donations made online at www.marchofdimes.com with a MasterCard card; Off-line donations made with a MasterCard card at March of Dimes’ Signature Chefs Auction” charitable events. To learn more, visit www.mar chofdimes.com/mastercard. The March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For more information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org for Spanish.
