As 2016 draws to a close, you have likely received many requests for donations. There are many worthy charities and organizations, including your local church! Gilbert Watch has some favorites for your consideration.
Alliance Defending Freedom is a legal group that has defended many organizations and individuals, without charge, in a number of cases involving religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and family. They have helped many Arizonans.
Arizonans Against Common Core. This website is published by Jennifer Reynolds, who is the driving force behind the fight to remove and replace Common Core in the state of Arizona. Ms. Reynolds has been educating Arizonans about this issue long before most of us had even heard of Common Core.
Center for Arizona Policy is headed by Cathi Herrod, the woman the Left loves to call a "hater," simply because she steadfastly stands up for the lives of the unborn, for marriage between a man and woman, and religious freedom. CAP also joined in the successful battle against Prop 205, which would have made recreational marijuana legal in Arizona.
Center for Medical Progress. Remember all those undercover videos documenting Planned Parenthood’s role in the harvesting and sale of unborn baby body parts? CMP, led by David Daleiden, spent nearly two years conducting one of the finest pieces of investigative journalism ever witnessed in America. For his efforts, he was indicted by a Houston DA on bogus charges of "trafficking human organs." All charges were dismissed, However, Planned Parenthood and others who profit from illegal trafficking in baby parts have been referred for prosecution.
Creation Ministries is a Christian, faith-based organization that links the Biblical creation stories to the scientific proof of intelligent design found in geology, biology, molecular biology, plant science, paleontology, nuclear physics, and medicine.
Family Watch International. President Sharon Slater, an Arizona resident, co-founded FWI in 1999. FWI is a nonprofit, international organization with members and supporters in over 170 countries. Family Watch works at the United Nations and in countries around the world educating the public and policymakers regarding the central role of the family and advocating for women, children and families at the international, national, and local level. FWI also provides family-based humanitarian aid to orphans and vulnerable children.
Hillsdale College. For more than 170 years, Hillsdale has provided a true classical education. It also offers several free online courses in topics ranging from the Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court, and C.S. Lewis. Hillsdale helped found several Barney charter schools, and publishes Imprimus, a free monthly speech digest. To maintain its independence, Hillsdale does not accept one penny of state or federal taxpayer funding—even indirectly in the form of student grants and loans.
Institute for Creation Research is a leader in scientific research within the context of biblical creation. ICR conducts scientific research within the realms of origins and earth history, and then educates the public both formally and informally through graduate and professional training programs, conferences and seminars around the country, and through books, magazines, and media presentations.
LifeSiteNews is the #1 most-read pro-life site on the Internet. This news site also helps to END abortion, defend marriage, and preserve religious freedom.
Arizona’s School Tax Credit Programs. As an Arizona taxpayer, you can make a donation to a qualifying school and receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit in return. At the end of the year, if you typically get a refund, you’ll get a bigger refund. If you typically owe, you’ll owe less. This is because a tax credit is different than a normal charitable deduction—rather than reduce your taxable income, it directly reduces your state tax liability(a.k.a. the tax you pay). In addition, you can make a donation all the way up until April 15, 2017. Check with your tax advisor for how this might affect your personal situation.
Arizona Christian School Tuition Program. You can donate to any qualifying Arizona Christian School. You can even identify a child’s name when you donate. Do you you have a relative, friend, or neighbor who needs financial assistance? These folks pay property taxes just like everybody else to their local school district, plus the cost of tuition!
Arizona School Tax Credits. This brochure explains how to donate to a public charter, private school, or public school and receive a dollar for dollar credit for your Arizona tax liability. Remember that parents who pay for their children to attend private schools pay twice. They pay property taxes just like everybody else to their local school district, plus the cost of tuition!