Your support helps families, seniors, veterans, and many other neighbors who are facing critical situations, like choosing between buying food or paying for other basic needs. A gift of $250 can feed a family for one month, or help in many other ways though our partner nonprofits — and you can select all wishes or specific wishes below. Also, the East Bay Times and Bay Area News Group covers all transaction fees so 100% of your gift goes to the charities.
Share the Spirit does not share or sell donor information. We do, however, honor our donors by publishing their names in the East Bay Times in January, after the holiday campaign is completed and/or on this website — but only if permission is given.
We accept many forms of payment including donor-advised funds, stocks and corporate matching funds. Please refer to the “More ways to give” section on this page.
Thank you for taking the time to make a gift and for your generosity!
Share the Spirit is a nonprofit campaign of the East Bay Times, The Mercury News and Bay Area News Group. It is a 501(c) (3) organization, Tax ID #77-0229665.
Yes. Donations to Share the Spirit are tax deductible. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID number: 77-0229665. View our IRS Form 990 for additional details.
NO! All donations are held in strict confidence. Share the Spirit will not provide donor information to anyone. Names are published on this website and in the East Bay Times — only with your permission. We take donor privacy very seriously and only publish names when we have your consent.
Yes. You can also send your donation by mail using this downloadable donation form. Fill out the coupon, attach your check or credit card information (please do not send cash) and mail it to:
Share the Spirit, East Bay Times
P.O. Box 2127
Dublin, CA 94568
Yes. Donations are accepted year round. Please note that direct donations to certain Stories may be fulfilled, but you can still contribute to the general fund, which will be distributed to local charities throughout the year.
Sorry, we are unable to manage donations of any type of goods, including toys, holiday food baskets, clothing, furniture, automobiles, etc. Please email us at [email protected] for suggested organizations that accept such donations.
Share the Spirit maintains transparency on all costs that are essential to advance the mission to help as many as possible in the Bay Area. The Bay Area News Group covers all printing and costs for producing the stories, and staff time. There are some costs to offer secure online donation option, issue tax receipts to all donors, postage, and to select and fully vet all fund recipients in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz counties, and those costs remain around 5%. ALL of your donation goes to work helping here in the community.
During the annual fundraising effort, reporters and photographers from the East Bay Times and other Bay Area News Group news publications document the challenges facing individuals, families and nonprofit organizations in our community and their successes in meeting those challenges. These stories are published in the East Bay Times and on its website. The paper publishes lists of contributors and coupons advising readers how to contribute, as well as ads throughout the paper and online to further encourage readers to help their neighbors in need. Share the Spirit also manages the grant-making application process, distribution of donated funds to the grant qualified nonprofit organizations, processes readers’ donations, maintains the nonprofit accounting and reporting, and provides all donors with tax receipts in a timely manner.
Yes, Wish Book is operated by The Mercury News, which is the sister paper of the East Bay Times. Both papers are part of the Bay Area News Group. Although Share the Spirit and Wish Book are managed by the same board members, share production costs and have the same Tax ID, there are differences. Share the Spirit primarily serves the East Bay whereas Wish Book serves the South Bay and Santa Cruz. Donations to each entity are kept separate and distributed independently.
A donor-advised fund (DAF) allows you to make tax-deductible charitable donations of cash, publicly-traded stock, mutual funds, and, in some cases, certain illiquid assets. Some of the advantages of DAFs are higher tax deductions, lower capital gains taxes, reduced estate tax, setting up a legacy of giving and no transaction fees. This article may provide more insight on the benefits of DAFs. Check with your financial institution or tax professional for more information.
When you designate your DAF, please note that the name of the organization associated with the tax ID is “San Jose Mercury News Wish Book Fund.”
You can use this tool to find a DAF with your financial service company
Many companies offer a matching gift program to their employees that can boost the reach of a gift. Please contact your HR department for details on how to get a company match. We’re happy to help with paperwork, just email or call us.
A gift of assets can be a big help and have tax advantages for the giver. The total value of stock, securities, and mutual fund shares are tax deductible upon transfer, and require no obligation to pay any capital gains on appreciation. If you are interested in making such a donation, please email us at [email protected].
A legacy gift is a distribution from your estate to a charitable organization through your will, trust or financial accounts. You can designate a specific amount, a percentage or the residual of your estate to Share the Spirit.
Your legacy gift provides future support to Share the Spirit when you remember us through your will or trust or name us as the beneficiary on your savings, checking or pension account. All these gifts represent a meaningful way for you to create a philanthropic legacy to help throughout the Bay Area.
There is no minimum gift amount required and you can adjust it at any time. Your gift also may entitle your estate to an unlimited federal estate tax charitable deduction. Please contact us at [email protected].
A donor-advised fund (DAF) allows you to make tax-deductible charitable donations of cash, publicly-traded stock, mutual funds, and, in some cases, certain illiquid assets. Some of the advantages of DAFs are higher tax deductions, lower capital gains taxes, reduced estate tax, setting up a legacy of giving and no transaction fees. This article may provide more insight on the benefits of DAFs. Check with your financial institution or tax professional for more information.
When you designate your DAF, please note that the name of the organization associated with the tax ID is “San Jose Mercury News Wish Book Fund.”
You can use this tool to find a DAF with your financial service company
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