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November 24, 2000/Heshvan 26, 5761, Vol. 53, No.9
Do tzedakah; get paid back in full measure
BARRY COHEN
Community Editor
Arizona residents have an opportunity to make charitable contributions and receive every penny back, dollar for dollar.
"You make a gift to a qualified organization, and then at the end of the day, you do not pay for it," said Art Paikowsky, executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix.
On Jan. 1, 1998, the Arizona State Department of Revenue began allowing taxpayers to make refundable contributions to groups fitting in two categories: educational associations and charitable institutions.
Individual public schools qualify to receive contributions; for a private school to qualify, Paikowsky said, it must meet specific criteria: It must belong to an association with at least one other school, have a separate 501(c)3 tax exempt status, have an independent board, give at least 90 percent of the contributions away as scholarships to students and use up to 10 percent on administrative costs.
For a charitable institution to qualify, according to the Arizona State Department of Revenue Web site, www.revenue.state.az.us, it must have 501(c)3 status and "spend at least 50 percent of its budget on services to Arizona residents who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits or are considered low-income households."
Three qualifying educational associations exist in the Valley Jewish community. Residents can give a maximum of $500 to one of the schools within an association or can choose to split the money between schools, either in the same association or in more than one.
The Jewish Community Day School Scholarship Tuition Organization comprises six schools: The Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School, The King David School, the Pardes School at Temple Solel, the Temple Beth El kindergarten, the Tri-City Jewish Community Center kindergarten and the Valley of the Sun JCC kindergarten.
The Cheder raises funds for the Phoenix Hebrew Academy and Tucson Hebrew Academy.
Finally, the Chabad Tuition Organization comprises the boys' high school and the girls' high school at Congregation Bais Menachem/Chabad-Lubavitch.
Also, individuals can give a maximum of $200 to certain charitable organizations. Jewish Family and Children's Service's fund for the working poor is among those that qualify.
In addition to a gift to a private school or charitable organization, tayxpayers can contribute a maximum of $200 to any public school.
"There are many ways to do good things and not have to pay for it," said Fred Zeidman, assistant executive director of the federation.
Students and families across the valley benefit greatly from these donations, Paikowsky said. In 1999, he hoped the community day school tuition organization would receive $250,000. Instead, more than 800 contributors gave $500,000.
"It's been unbelievable," Paikowsky said.
This translated into 167 non need-based "attendance scholarships" of $200 per student and 92 need-based scholarships ranging from $750-$5,000, said Zeidman.
This year, approximately 170 have contributed $77,000 to date. Most contributions in both years have been the full $500, he added.
Increased numbers of scholarships and dollar amounts means an increase in the number of children for which day school education is an option, Paikowsky said.
"It is making Jewish day school education far more affordable."
Rabbi Zalman Levertov of Congregation Bais Menachem/Chabad-Lubavitch said the Chabad tuition organization received $65,000. As a result, some high school students received a full scholarship, some a half scholarship and some less than half.
The Tucson Hebrew Academy received $186,000 in contributions, said Bathea James, executive director. More scholarships have increased the number of students; 40 percent of the student body currently receives financial aid.
At press time, no one at the Phoenix Hebrew Academy could be reached to provide information concerning scholarship contributions.
In 1999, Jewish Family and Children's Service received $46,500, which provided utility and rent payments and behavioral health counseling for 150-175 families, said Mary Ellen Brown, chief financial officer. This year, the agency has received $10,000 to date.
Brown added that contributions can be made through the agency's Web site, www.jfcsarizona.org. In order to qualify for a 1999 tax credit, contributions to public or private schools or to charitable organizations must be postmarked or made by Dec. 31.
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