For the past several years a group of Southern Arizona non-profits have combined resources to help inform Arizonans about the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit program. This year, group feedback and a conversation with another coalition in Northern Arizona led the group to seek a partnership with the Arizona Community Foundation.

In the summer of 2020, the group partnered with Angie Laskarides, MA, CAP, Arizona Community Foundation to open a collaborative fund to allow donors a “one-click” donation process. “The Arizona Community Foundation is excited to assist Southern Arizona non-profits in achieving their goals. This partnership serves a common good with greater efficiency, and we are pleased to be able to meet the Coalition’s needs through a collaborative fund,” said Laskarides.

The coalition is a collective group of non-profits serving a variety of important missions throughout Southern Arizona, all certified by the Arizona Department of Revenue as Qualified Charitable Organizations (QCO) or Qualified Foster Care Organizations (QFCO). Upon realizing that many members of the general public were only aware of the public school tax credit, the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit Coalition was brought to life, hoping to create more awareness around the critical need for designating tax dollars to support local non-profits within our Southern Arizona community. Even now, many do not realize that there are other credits available. It is also not well known these credits can be used together up to the total amount of the tax liability.

The coalition meets monthly from January to May and August to November to strategize marketing plans and ways to increase awareness of the tax credit. Coalition members pool funds to pay for items such as joint advertising, outreach to local tax preparers, and a coalition website.

Locale Neighborhood Italian will open to the public on Friday, Dec. 3. The restaurant's opening will mark the first time the building located at 60 N. Alvernon Way will have been used since 2015 - minus a short two month venture in 2018. The restaurant will also offer a cafe and bakery. (Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star)

“Together, we are able to have a greater media reach than we would have on our own,” said Nikki Hunt of Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Inc., a coalition member. “And SALA also benefits from working with many other local nonprofits. There are so many ways we can support each other!”

Working in collaboration also emphasizes that the needs facing the community are interconnected and that no organization works in isolation.

“Community issues require community solutions,” said Andrea Carmichael of Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse. “While each of our organizations focuses on different needs within the community, we recognize and affirm that it takes all of us working together to support the people of Tucson.”

The tax credit lets Arizona taxpayers re-direct their tax liability to the qualifying non-profit of their choice. The dollar-for-dollar credit, up to $400 for individual taxpayers and $800 for married taxpayers, can be used to reduce Arizona Income tax liability, and it can be combined with other credits, such as the Public School Tax Credit and the Certified Tuition Organization tax credit.

The Arizona Tax Credit coalition website is located at givelocalkeeplocal.org. On the site, you are able to learn more about the tax credit, view additional information about the participating organizations and make a donation to one or all of the participating organizations. By making a gift to givelocalkeeplocal.org, you can rest assured that your tax dollars are impacting missions and individuals, right here in our community.

For more information, email givelocalkeeplocal@gmail.com.

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