The Association of BellTel Retirees has benefited from the Amazon Smile program for many years. Unfortunately, Amazon has made the decision to dissolve this decade long program, that not only contributed to the Association, but to thousands of nonprofit organizations across the country.
As of February 2023, the program has officially shuttered its doors. While Amazon Smile may be gone, there are other alternatives to stretching your dollar at no extra cost to your wallets!
One of the easiest ways for any current Verizon employee would be to donate through the Verizon Foundation. The Verizon Foundation matches all current employee donations – from $25 to $5,000 – to eligible nonprofit organizations, including the Association.
You can learn more about the Verizon Foundation’s matching donation program on the Verizon website: https://www.verizon.com/about/responsibility/giving-and-grants
Unfortunately, our retired members from Verizon are not eligible to donate to the Association through the Verizon Foundation for matching funds.
There are still other ways that you can donate. One of the best ways to contribute as a retiree is to include the Association in your estate or planned giving.
Planned giving, sometimes referred to as gift planning or legacy giving, is a way to support nonprofits or social-good organizations like the Association, that enable individuals to make larger gifts than they could make from their ordinary income.
These plans use estate and tax planning to provide donations to charities—as well as heirs and educational institutions—in ways that maximize the gift and minimize its impact on the donor’s estate.
Also keep in mind that the new age for Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) is 72 years old. Your RMD is the required amount to take out every year after you turn 72.
However, with a QCD, Qualified Charity Distribution, you can take your RMD and avoid the tax increase on your income, if you donate to a qualified charity like the Association of BellTel Retirees.
The Association of BellTel Retirees would be nothing without the support of our members and volunteers. We are exceptionally grateful to every single dollar donated by our member to support our advocacy for the rights of retirees, and our earned benefits, all over the country.
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