Visa Gift Cards for Charitable Giving and Donations
Visa gift cards for charitable donations are amazing ways to give back to the community. Charities and nonprofit organizations do a lot of good across all sectors, and they rely on donations from people like you to keep doing all they can. The best time to donate is right now. If you are stable financially, no donation is too small toward a cause you care about. This article will cover all you need to know about Visa gift cards for charitable giving and donations, how nonprofit organizations can use them, and how they compare to traditional cash donations.
Earn Cash Back On Gift Cards with Gift Card Granny
As a quick reminder, we’ve pointed out all of the retailers on this list that you can find on Gift Card Granny as of this writing. Gift Card Granny makes it easy to buy and send customized gift cards online and earn cash back while you do. Gift Card Granny carries thousands of local and national brands, including Visa gift cards, Mastercard gift cards, and gift cards for many amazing retailers.
Text eGift Cards on GiftYa
Another popular gift-giving site is GiftYa, which also offers customizable eGift cards! GiftYa lets you add custom photos or videos to all your gifts in the form of a virtual gift wrapper. A GiftYa can be sent by text or email, so the gift is always delivered within minutes. You can also schedule the gift to be sent on a specific date, such as a birthday or holiday. With over 16,000 local merchants and 280 national merchants usable at over 230k locations across the US, you can find the perfect gift for anyone!
Tax Deductions Using Visa Gift Cards for Donations
Making donations with Visa gift cards counts the same towards tax deductions as if you donated with cash. It falls under the same section, and during tax season, you can add together all of your charitable donations, including Visa gift card donations.
Using Visa gift cards for community service is another amazing way to give back. Your time is valuable, and you, through a day of volunteering, can make a big change in your community!
How to make Charitable Donations with Visa Gift Cards
Making charitable donations with Visa gift cards varies on the nonprofit organization. Some organizations have portals where you can send the card number into their database, some have ways for you to give the Visa gift card physically, and some have yet to have any procedure set in stone for donating Visa gift cards. Using Visa gift cards for social impact is a great way to use your Visa gift card when you have extras, but you can always donate the cash equivalent of the Visa gift card for charity if you run into trouble donating the card. This section will cover a lot of amazing ways to use your Visa gift cards to give back.
Buy Items with Visa Gift Cards
Many charities rely on items, not cash, for their drives. Food, clothing, and toy drives are common fundraisers where you can spend your Visa gift card for philanthropy by purchasing items with it that you donate to the drive. In that situation, you can head over to the store and use your Visa gift card for giving by purchasing a load of items for the drive. One challenge with charitable donations is figuring out how much to give. Visa gift cards let you set aside the perfect amount for a charity, taking away any worry about giving too much or too little.
Gift Visa Cards to Someone in Need
Another way to use your Visa gift card for community service is to make someone’s day by handing over the card. There are many ways to help someone in need, and a Visa gift card goes a long way. Depending on who it is, money might be the best thing for them, but if you see a homeless person, hygiene kits are amazing alternatives to cash.
Donate Visa Gift Cards to a Charitable Cause
Many nonprofits and organizations accept Visa gift cards as donations. In the eyes of a nonprofit, a Visa gift card is just about as useful as a cash or check donation. There are not, however, always portals to make the Visa gift card donation. If you run into trouble making your donation, contact them through their service line to ask about the best way to donate and if you can donate your Visa gift card.
You are likely to run into less trouble if you are at an in-person donation center, as you can hand over your Visa gift card rather than send the card information online.
Make a Donation Using a Visa Gift Card
If you cannot find a gift card donation portal on their website, you can always use the funds in the card to make a monetary donation. If you go into the regular portal to donate, you can input your Visa gift card information as if it was a credit card and donate that way. The only problem here is that you can’t donate more than is on the card, so if you have a card that’s almost used up, we recommend spending it in another location. To make a donation using a Visa gift card, you can always set aside the cards to pay for groceries or gas and use your regular credit or debit card for the donation.
Pay it Forward with a Visa Gift Card
Our final way to use Visa gift cards is to pay it forward at a restaurant or cafe. If you have a Visa gift card for philanthropy, you can pay for someone’s meal, groceries, or anything anonymously. Even though it is best to stay anonymous, the surprised joy on people’s faces, when they hear of your good deed, should be reward enough. You can use a Visa gift card for social impact in many ways, and we believe that you will find one that suits you and makes you happy with the funds you have to give. There is no amount too big, and no amount too small. There’s also no shame in spending your money on you. Donations are amazing, but you should not pull from your necessary finances to make a donation.
There are many ways to use Visa gift cards for charity. Finding a way to donate that makes you happy is a great place to start!
Visa Gift Card Versus Cash: Which is Better for a Charitable Donation?
When it comes down to it, a Visa gift card for charitable donations makes things a bit more complex on your end. We recommend using the card as a guide to how much you can give, making the donation, and then using the card on your own purchases. If you are interested in using the Visa card itself, however, the donation is still appreciated. Cash it better, but only by a hair.
On a larger scale, using Visa gift cards for corporate social responsibility runs into more problems, mainly because Visa gift cards have an upper bound on how much they can hold, usually $500. A $500 gift from an individual is a serious donation, but corporations often give greater amounts in their charitable donations, making checks or other monetary transfers a better way to donate. In this section, we will talk about the pros and cons of utilizing Visa gift cards for charity.
Not all Charities Take Gift Cards
There are numerous charities that rely on monetary donations or volunteers but do not take gift cards. If one of your favorite charities does not accept Visa gift cards for donations, don’t fret! Look into other ways you can support your favorite charities and causes, and always look for changes you can make in your community. There are many charities that work towards unbelievable goals, and there are also small charities that make small but equally important changes in town. Don’t let anything as simple as a charity that doesn’t take Visa gift cards stop you from making a donation!
Spend Gift Cards on Charitable Activities
If you have a gift card that cannot be used at your favorite charity, look into other ways you can spend the card. One big one is by picking up items for a drive. We touched on this earlier, but purchasing cans for a food drive, thrifting clothes for a clothing drive, or picking out toys for a drive are all amazing ways to spend your card on charity. You can also, if you are volunteering, use it to pick up some food for the volunteers, but we recommend asking the supervisors first. If you get the green light a box of joe or a bag of bagels goes a long way during a long morning of volunteering!
Donate a Gift Card to Specialized Organizations
There are also websites that specialize in taking Visa gift cards for charity and donating them. A website like Gift Cards for Change lets you enter your gift card information and they will take a donation of any value, using the high volume of cards to make donations in the future. There are a variety of ways to donate gift cards.
What is your favorite way to give back to your community? Using Visa gift cards for charity is a great way to do so.
Our Favorite Ways to Use Visa Gift Cards for Charitable Donations
We hope that this article has helped you figure out the best way to use your Visa gift cards for charitable donations. There are a lot of amazing causes out there, and if you feel like you want to make a donation: do it! There are lots of great ways to donate your time and money, and organizations are always immensely appreciative and happy for anything you can give them.
Visa Gift Cards for Charitable Giving and Donations
How do I donate Visa gift cards to a charity or nonprofit organization?
There are some charities and nonprofit organizations, like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, that will take Visa gift cards as donations. An organization would rarely turn away Visa gift cards.
Can I use Visa gift cards for crowdfunding or peer-to-peer fundraising?
Yes! Visa gift cards for fundraising are excellent ways to donate money to a cause you care about. You can use the Visa gift card to make a donation on the site or send the card itself to the cause. This is easier when in person, but there are many online tools to donate Visa gift cards for charity.
Can I personalize Visa gift cards for a specific cause or charity?
Absolutely. Utilizing a gift card website like Gift Card Granny allows for Visa gift card customization with a photo, logo, and gift message. Sending a personalized Visa gift card for giving is a great way to show your appreciation.
Are there any tax implications for giving Visa gift cards to a charity?
Yes. Visa gift cards for nonprofit organizations are tax-deductible as charitable donations. They function the same way as cash would in regard to your taxes.
How do I track the impact of Visa gift cards on social causes?
There is no particular way to track the impact of Visa gift cards on social impact other than that organization’s progress towards its goal. Any donation you make to a charitable cause, no matter how small, goes towards their continued operation and all the good they do.