Support Our Community of Caring
Looking for creative ways to bring comfort to animals in need? There are many options available to help support our community of caring from hosting your own fundraiser to participating in other third-party opportunities. Your help in any way goes a long way to help us protect and care for animals in need.
List of Ways
There are a number of animal-related items that help us care for our animals that are needed on a continuous basis. If you want to lend a hand in providing for our animals, check out our Amazon wish list which allows you to order directly from Amazon to fulfill our needs. We update the list as our needs change, and are always grateful to receive these Amazon packages. Anti-Cruelty's Wish List
Thank you for purchasing items off our Wish List! Due to Amazon.com protecting their customers’ information, we are unable to express our gratitude with a thank you letter. If you need a thank you letter/donation receipt, please email Phaedra Bounas at pbounas@anticruelty.org.
Each year, passionate animal advocates, adopters and supports run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in support of Anti-Cruelty’s mission. Click here to learn more or to support a runner.
One of our biggest and most fun events is BARK which is held each year. This fundraiser begins with a walk along Chicago’s beautiful lakeshore, but you can make it even more effective by setting up your own fundraising page and reaching out to your friends and family to sponsor your walk for the animals. Learn more here!
Chewy's Wish List feature allows any non-profit shelter or rescue in the United States to curate a list of items they need, which is then made available to millions of pet parents who can donate these items and have them delivered directly to the doorstep of the organization.
Support our four-legged friends from the comfort of your own home through our series of Do-It-Yourself Donations. These craft tutorials will teach you how to create toys, blankets, and beds that are truly needed by the animals of Anti-Cruelty. Easy-to-follow instructions make these items a hit for different group functions such as birthday parties or corporate events. Grab your friends and have fun creating these fun pet accessories!
Feel free to call ahead and see what our greatest needs are – but any and all DIY donations are greatly appreciated!
Thank you so much for thinking of Anti-Cruelty’s animals. Click here to see a list of items we are currently accepting.
We are open to any ideas you have to support the work of Anti-Cruelty. Some other unique ideas have included the following:
- A towel, blanket or newspaper drive
- Collecting new or unopened pet food and treats
- Raising funds with a lemonade stand
- Creating and selling jewelry or other items to raise funds
- Requesting items for the animals in lieu of birthday gifts
To discuss your ideas or if you would like more information about hosting a donation drive, please contact our Development team at 312-645-8200 or development@anticruelty.org.
Tribute gifts are the most heartfelt, no matter the occasion. If you’re hosting a wedding, birthday party or special event, ask your guests to make a gift to Anti-Cruelty in your honor; or, if you’re attending a momentous occasion, consider giving a gift in honor of an animal.
Click here for our online donation form. For additional options and more information, please contact the Development Office of Anti-Cruelty at 312-645-8200 or development@anticruelty.org.
Facebook Fundraisers are a great way to easily support Anti-Cruelty in lieu of a birthday, adoption anniversary, wedding or celebratory occasions. 100% of all proceeds raised during your Facebook Fundraiser will benefit Anti-Cruelty to support animals in need.
It’s easy! Go to our Facebook page, scroll down to “Fundraisers”, and click on “Create Fundraiser”.
Call us at 312-645-8200 or email development@anticruelty.org if you need help setting up your Facebook Fundraiser.
Grounds & Hounds Coffee uses the sale of their fair trade, organic, specialty coffees to support animal welfare organizations.
When you shop Grounds & Hounds Coffee, you'll receive a 15% discount which is donated to Anti-Cruelty.
Use the link above or discount code Anticruelty15 to help pets in our care and drink delicious coffee!
Hosting your own fundraiser to support the work of Anti-Cruelty is a great way to share our story and help Chicago’s animals most in need. You can always use your passions to organize your own fundraising event on behalf of animals at Anti-Cruelty. Learn more about hosting an event.
If you are interested in hosting an event with us, please complete the Special Event Request Form which should be submitted at least 30 days prior to your desired date. For more information regarding third party events and fundraisers please email, events-acs@anticruelty.org or call 312- 645-8060.
Make your impact long term. When you join the Open Door Monthly Giving Club, you provide ongoing support for housing, care, food, and medical assistance for thousands of homeless and neglected animals. Membership has its benefits, including access to exclusive presentations from our specialty team members, invitations to events, and more.
Including Anti-Cruelty in your final giving plans allows you to enjoy the benefits of a gift to charity while making a powerful statement about your love of animals while helping us care for and protect animals in need.
We have partnered with FreeWill to help people build a legacy and help provide future support for Anti-Cruelty's important work to care for and protect animals in need. FreeWill provides a completely free tool that lets you prepare your own will. Creating a planned gift is a powerful way to make a lasting impact that won’t cost you anything today. Writing a will is one of the most important steps to protect what matters most to you and have a plan in place. Get started today by using this FreeWill tool. Contact Development at Anti-Cruelty with any questions.
When planning your IRA withdrawal strategy, you may want to consider making charitable donations through a QCD.
A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity. QCDs can be counted toward satisfying your required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year, as long as certain rules are met. In addition to the benefits of giving to charity, a QCD excludes the amount donated from taxable income, which is unlike regular withdrawals from an IRA. Keeping your taxable income lower may reduce the impact to certain tax credits and deductions, including Social Security and Medicare. Also, QCDs don't require that you itemize, which due to the recent tax law changes, means you may decide to take advantage of the higher standard deduction, but still use a QCD for charitable giving.
CAN I MAKE A QCD?
While many IRAs are eligible for QCDs—Traditional, Rollover, Inherited, SEP (inactive plans only), and SIMPLE (inactive plans only)* —there are requirements:
- You must be 70½ or older to be eligible to make a QCD.
- QCDs are limited to the amount that would otherwise be taxed as ordinary income. This excludes non-deductible contributions.
- The maximum annual amount that can qualify for a QCD is $100,000. This applies to the sum of QCDs made to one or more charities in a calendar year. (If, however, you file taxes jointly, your spouse can also make a QCD from his or her own IRA within the same tax year for up to $100,000.)
- For a QCD to count towards your current year's RMD, the funds must come out of your IRA by your RMD deadline, generally December 31.
- Contributing to an IRA may result in a reduction of the QCD amount you can deduct. (The aggregate amount of deductible IRA contributions you make to your IRA after you turn 70 1/2 will reduce the amount of the QCD that is not includible in your gross income.)
Any amount donated above your RMD does not count toward satisfying a future year's RMD.
Funds distributed directly to you, the IRA owner, and which you then give to charity do not qualify as a QCD.
Under certain circumstances, a QCD may be made from a Roth IRA. Roth IRAs are not subject to RMDs during your lifetime, and distributions are generally tax-free. Consult a tax advisor to determine if making a QCD from a Roth is appropriate for your situation.
HOW DO I TRANSFER A QCD
- For a QCD to count toward your current year’s RMD, the funds must come out of your IRA before the deadline which is December 31 each year.
- Funds must be transferred directly from your IRA custodian to Anti-Cruelty, which is a qualified 501©3 nonprofit. This is done by requesting your IRA custodian issue a check from your IRA, payable to Anti-Cruelty. You can then request that a check be mailed to Anti-Cruelty at 157 W. Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60654 c/o Development, or you can forward the check to Anti-Cruelty yourself.
- NOTE: If the distribution check is made payable to you, the distribution would NOT qualify as a QCD and would be treated as taxable income.
TAX REPORTING
A QCD is reported as a normal distribution on IRS Form 1099-R for any non-Inherited IRAs. For Inherited IRAs or Inherited Roth IRAs, the QCD will be reported as a death distribution. Itemization is not required to make a QCD. While the QCD amount is not taxed, you may not then claim the distribution as a charitable tax deduction. A QCD is not subject to withholding. State tax rules may vary, so for guidance, consult a tax advisor.
When making a QCD, you must receive the same type of acknowledgement of the donation that you would need to claim a deduction for a charitable contribution.
A tax advisor can help you determine if both your IRA and charity qualify for QCDs.
ANTI-CRUELTY CONTACT INFORMATION
Legal Name: The Anti-Cruelty Society
Legal Address: 157 West Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60654
Federal Tax ID: 36-2179814
Type of Organization: Illinois Not-For-Profit Corporation, 501(c)(3) exempt entity
SAMPLE QCD SCENARIOS:
Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds
By donating appreciated stocks, bonds, and mutual fund shares that have been owned for more than one year, you can receive an income tax deduction for the fair market value of your gift. To make a stock gift to Anti-Cruelty, please contact the development team development@anticruelty.org or call 312-645-8200.
A member of our Development team will contact you directly. Please have available:
- Your name and address (or that of donor)
- Name of stock to be transferred
- # of shares or approximate value of stock
The Target Circle program has tons of perks, one of them being helping local charities. Joining Target Circle is easy. Simply sign up for a target.com account (if you already have one, you’re already in!).
You can also sign up for a Target RedCard or share your phone number at checkout. There are no membership fees involved and for every purchase you make, you’ll earn votes to help direct Target’s giving to about 800 nonprofits across the country.
Put your votes towards Anti-Cruelty and help move our mission forward just by shopping at Target! Target Circle starts in just a few days on October 6, so be sure to sign up for a target.com account today!
Tax-deductible vehicle donations help us raise much needed funds to support the work of Anti-Cruelty. Through our nationwide vehicle donation program, we accept a variety of vehicles including: cars, trucks, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, airplanes, and boats. Even if the vehicle isn’t in working condition, it is still able to generate funds to help the animals, and you will receive a tax deduction. The process is simple: Provide us with information about the vehicle (make, model, vehicle identification number, and mileage), the title, and keys and we will arrange for pickup at your convenience. The funds received from your vehicle donation (with the exception of a small processing fee) will help us continue our life-saving work. Start the process now!
For more information about vehicle donation, please contact the Development Office of Anti-Cruelty by calling at 312-645-8200 or emailing development@anticruelty.org.