Making a Last Minute Donation?
If Mailing, Please Be aware of the New Policy on Postmarks
The simplest way to ensure your donation is effective before the year's end is to make it online via our secure platform. Donations made with a credit card or from a bank account (ACH) can be made right up until 11:59 PM Eastern Time on December 31st and will be included in your tax receipt letter for 2025 (however, be aware that in the case of ACH donations, the debit to your bank account likely will not be reflected for two business days).​​
If you are planning to mail a check in the last few days of the year, please be aware that the US Postal Service recently issued guidance to the effect that it will no longer automatically apply a postmark on your letter when you drop it off at your local US Post Office. Instead, the postmark may be applied – potentially days later – when it arrives at one of the USPS’s Regional Facilities. To protect your tax deduction and ensure your donation is counted for 2025, follow these steps:
DO: Visit your local post office counter in person and do ONE of the following:
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If your envelope already has a postage stamp on it, request a FREE manual postmark handstamped by the USPS employee
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If you haven’t already put a stamp on your envelope, purchase your postage at the counter and the postal employee will add a sticker to your envelope reflecting the postage and also the mailing date (called a postage validation imprint)
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Request Certified Mail or Registered Mail options that include a dated receipt, for which there is an additional fee for
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DO NOT:
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Drop your envelope in a mailbox
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Use a self-service kiosk
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Send your item via UPS or FedEx (which do not qualify under IRS guidance for charitable mailing dates)
