We are just a couple weeks away from the close of the 2025 tax season. Many of us look forward to the possibility of receiving a little financial bump from Uncle Sam this time of year—we’ve all viewed tax refunds as “found money” at one point or another in our lives. This beginning-of-the-year infusion of cash is great for paying off the holiday shopping bills, checking a few items off the household “to do” list, or putting it toward a getaway somewhere.
Don’t get me wrong, we go through that same process in my own household each year. But what if everyone puts a tiny little spin on their refund planning? What if we all commit to a little “refundraising” for nonprofit organizations each tax season?
You’re probably thinking: “What good is my $50 or $100 going to do to help my local food pantry or nonprofit childcare or library or park district or art museum or…?” The list goes on and on and the answer is simple: Those $50 and $100 donations, when multiplied by hundreds of households, can make significant impact on those organizations and our entire region.
According to 2020 US Census numbers, there are 36,465 households in Stephenson, Jo Daviess and Carroll counties. For the sake of simple math, let’s assume that number breaks down to 10,000 tax filings. And we also need to further assume that all of those filings will receive some type of refund. If every one of those filers donates $100 to a local nonprofit of their choice, that would result in ONE MILLION DOLLARS infused into our local nonprofit community…into our local economy.
One Million Dollars.
We do not need to be communities flush with millionaires to make a million-dollar difference. We just need to work together, believe in the power of collaboration, and believe in our collective future.
Additionally, a donation in 2025 could qualify for a deduction on next year’s taxes. Donations to endowments held with The Foundation for Northwest Illinois—including those benefiting RAMP, United Way of Northwest Illinois, the Boys and Girls Club of Freeport and Stephenson County, and Freeport High School Theatre and Communications Department—also qualify donors for State of Illinois tax incentives via the Illinois Gives Act. Our staff at The Foundation would be happy to talk with you about how donations to these funds ultimately benefit all nonprofit organizations throughout Northwest Illinois.
Look at it this way—instead of thinking of your tax refund as found money, think of it as an opportunity to give to a cause that matters to you, to show appreciation to a favorite museum or park or cultural program you frequent…an opportunity to begin a ripple effect of change that extends far beyond you, potentially for generations to come.
