Do I qualify for a charitable tax deduction for my donation to a fundraiser?

Generally, no. When you donate to a fundraiser for a specific person or family, the IRS treats your donation as a personal gift, not a charitable contribution. Personal gifts are not tax-deductible.

Why donations to personal fundraisers are not deductible

The Gift of Parenthood crowdfunding platform is operated by Give Panda, LLC, a for-profit company. When you give to an individual's fundraiser, your money goes to that person rather than to a registered charity, so it does not qualify for a charitable deduction and we do not issue charitable tax receipts for it.

That does not make your gift any less meaningful. You are helping a real family move closer to parenthood, directly and personally.

The exception: the Gift of Parenthood grant fund

Our grant fund works differently. It is run by Gift of Parenthood, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that awards fertility grants through our application review. Donations made to Gift of Parenthood, Inc. in support of the grant fund, and not earmarked for any particular individual, may be tax-deductible to the extent the law allows.

You can support the grant fund through our Support Our Mission page. For more detail on that side, see Is my donation to Gift of Parenthood tax-deductible?

Keep your receipt

Every donation comes with an email receipt sent right after checkout. Hold on to it for your records. If you claim a deduction for an eligible donation to the grant fund, you will need that receipt when you itemize your deductions.

When in doubt, ask a professional

Everyone's tax situation is different, and we are not able to give tax advice. If you are unsure whether a specific donation is deductible, please check with a qualified tax professional.