Before you make a year-end donation, check whether your employer will match a gift made directly to your chosen charity. Some companies accept a receipt after you give. Others require you to start in their workplace giving portal. If your employer approves a match, the charity can receive a second contribution. For your personal tax records, count only what you paid. Employer and workplace giving FAQs
Check how the match works before you pay
Suppose you live in Gainesville, work in Fairfax and want to support a community organization in Manassas. You find its donation page, but your employer’s portal also has a Donate button. Which one should you use?
Start with your employer’s matching-gift instructions. Look for answers to three questions:
- Is this organization eligible? Search for the charity by its legal name and employer identification number (EIN). If you cannot find it, ask whether employees can nominate a charity and whether approval must come before the gift.
- Where should I make my payment? If the program accepts gifts made outside the portal, check what receipt it needs. If you have already donated, look for an option to request a match for an existing gift. A new donation form may charge you a second time.
- How much will the company match, and by when? Check the employer’s rate, minimum gift, annual cap and submission deadline. Save the confirmation so you can tell whether the request is pending, approved or paid.
How one workplace portal handles an existing gift · Inova’s Fairfax-area employer lookup example
Choose the community work you want to support
Helping Hands for Nations Inc. offers free online Women’s Support & Guidance from Manassas. Women can request help finding community resources and independent providers in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu or English, depending on staff availability. The organization’s Virginia Medical Equipment & Mobility Support initiative is at an earlier stage. Its page describes a planned 2027 launch, subject to approvals and operating arrangements. A donor interested in equipment can ask what preparation a gift would support before ordering or purchasing anything. Women’s Support & Guidance · Medical Equipment & Mobility Support
Helping Hands’ official Donate page offers one-time and monthly gifts through Zeffy. If you want both your gift and a possible company match to support a particular initiative, confirm the designation separately with Helping Hands and your employer. The organization’s donation policy calls for written acceptance of restrictions. Use the direct donation page once you know that payment route fits your plans. Official Donate page · Donation policy
Keep the gift date and the match deadline separate
For a calendar-year donor using a bank credit card, a qualifying gift charged by December 31, 2026 generally counts for 2026, even if the card bill is paid in January. A contribution first charged in January 2027 belongs to 2027. Filing your 2026 return later in 2027, including on extension, does not give you extra time to make a 2026 gift. IRS guidance on when to deduct a contribution
Your employer sets a separate deadline for the match request. If the company pays in January, keep that confirmation with the original receipt. The company’s payment date does not move your completed December gift into January or add another gift to your personal return.
| Record to save | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Dated charity receipt or bank record | The recipient, payment date and amount you personally gave. Keep a qualifying written record for every monetary gift you plan to deduct. |
| Charity acknowledgment for a single gift of $250 or more | The cash amount and whether you received goods or services. If you received a benefit, the acknowledgment generally needs to describe it and estimate its value. Obtain it by the earlier of the date you file your original return or its due date, including extensions. |
| Employer’s match confirmation | The amount the company approved or paid. Keep it separately identified if the workplace dashboard shows a combined total. |
The $250 threshold applies to your own single contribution. An employer’s separate payment does not turn a smaller personal gift into a $250 gift. IRS acknowledgment requirements
What can a Virginia donor deduct for 2026?
On a federal return using the standard deduction, eligible individuals may deduct up to $1,000 in qualifying cash gifts for 2026, or $2,000 on a joint return. The limit covers qualifying gifts for the whole year. Recipient eligibility matters. For example, contributions to donor-advised funds and supporting organizations are excluded from this provision. IRS deduction guidance for nonitemizers
On a federal return with itemized deductions, only the portion of annual qualifying charitable contributions above 0.5% of adjusted gross income is generally deductible for 2026. Cash gifts to most public charities are also generally subject to a 60%-of-AGI ceiling. Other limits can apply. Use your own qualifying contributions when working through those limits. IRS Publication 505 · IRS contribution limits
On a Virginia resident return, Virginia generally requires the same choice between standard and itemized deductions that you made federally. If you itemize, eligible personal gifts may enter the Virginia Schedule A calculation, subject to state adjustments. If you take the standard deduction, use Virginia’s standard deduction and avoid entering the federal nonitemizer allowance as a Virginia itemized gift. Consult the final 2026 Virginia instructions when filing. Virginia Tax deductions · Virginia Tax forms
A deduction lowers taxable income. Actual savings depend on the amount allowed and the tax rate applying to that income, and may be zero. A credit reduces tax owed under the rules of a specific credit program. Employer approval of a match establishes neither a personal deduction for the company’s money nor eligibility for a Virginia tax credit. IRS credits and deductions
Frequently asked questions
Can I request a match if I already donated through Zeffy?
Check whether your employer accepts outside donations and what it requires as proof. If it does, use the receipt from your completed gift to request the match. Helping Hands’ public Donate page confirms Zeffy as its giving platform. Participation in your particular employer’s program needs separate confirmation. Official Donate page
My workplace dashboard lists a combined total. What should I give my tax preparer?
Give your preparer the record showing your own payment and the acknowledgment if required. Label the company’s payment separately. If your own gift came out of your paycheck, save the payroll and campaign records described in the Virginia payroll giving guide.
Where can I check the charity independently?
Use IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and select Pub. 78 Data to check eligibility to receive deductible gifts. Virginia has a separate charitable-solicitation system. VDACS says organizations generally must register before soliciting in Virginia unless exempt. An employer’s charity directory answers a different question: which recipients that employer accepts. IRS charity lookup · VDACS registration and public lookup