Donor FAQ

65 percent of Tax Foundation’s operating expenses directly support our important work in researching, analyzing, and educating others on sound tax policy. A large percentage of the rest goes towards printing costs, rent, and other general support needs.

Educating lawmakers, taxpayers, the courts, and legal community – as well as the media – remains at the crux of our mission, and, though our original motto “Towards better government through citizen understanding” no longer graces our publications, it continues to influence every decision at the Tax Foundation.

Several mechanisms ensure the Tax Foundation remains faithful to its supporters:

Independent Audits

The Tax Foundation is audited each year by independent auditors. The auditor’s report is distributed to the Tax Foundation Board of Directors for review. Our audited financial statements and IRS form 990 are available in pdf form on our website or upon request. Donors who have made designated or endowment gifts also receive regular reports on how these funds have been used.

Honoring Donor Intent

We believe that we have an obligation to respect your philanthropic intent as a donor and that we are strictly accountable to you. To that end, we pledge always to respect your philanthropic intent. To ensure our supporters can remain confident in our commitment to promoting sound tax policy as an independent organization, our Board of Directors has amended our bylaws to ensure the Tax Foundation remains true to its purpose.

Keeping Our Donors Informed

All Tax Foundation donors may sign up for weekly email updates to stay informed about the major issues of the day and the Tax Foundation’s impact on the debate. To sign up, please click here. In addition, all donors contributing $100 or more annually automatically receive regular reports about our work.

Yes. The Tax Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and contributions are tax-deductible for income, gift, and estate taxes.

The Tax Foundation’s federal tax identification number is 52-1703065.

The Tax Foundation accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Credit card contributions can be made by using our secure online form or by calling or emailing our Development staff at (202) 464-5109 or Development@taxfoundation.org.

To donate by mail, please download and complete the donation form below. Your form, and check payable to “Tax Foundation”, can be mailed to:

Print Donation Form

You may choose to contribute to the Tax Foundation automatically each month or on a quarterly schedule through our online giving page. You may select your gift frequency while filling out the form.

Transferring securities to the Tax Foundation allows you to make a gift and receive a charitable deduction equal to the full, fair market value of the securities. You pay no capital gains on your gift and neither does the Tax Foundation.

The best method of transferring these assets to the Tax Foundation is to contact your broker and electronically transfer them from your account to the Tax Foundation’s account. Avoid selling the assets and then making a gift of the proceeds, because this will trigger a capital gains liability for you.

In order for the Tax Foundation to acknowledge your gift and provide you with an IRS receipt, please take the following steps:

1. Call or email our Development staff at (202) 464-5109 or Development@taxfoundation.org and let us know that you would like to make a gift of stock.
2. Please be prepared to provide your name, your phone number, the name of the stock you are giving, and the number of shares (e.g., 20 shares of Microsoft).
3. Call your broker with the information listed below.

The following information, to be provided to your broker, will expedite the transference process:

Tax Foundation Broker:

Cetera Advisor Networks
200 N Sepulveda Blvd Ste 1300
El Segundo, CA 90245
Phone: (800) 879-8100

Clearing Information: Vanguard
DTC: 0062
Tax Foundation Account Number: 33234409
Tax Foundation EIN: 52-1703065

Many corporations agree to match the personal charitable donations of their employees with an equal or greater corporate contribution. Businesses also often match the charitable donations made by spouses or those who retired from the company. At no additional cost to you, your contribution can work twice as hard to help the Tax Foundation continue to support sound tax policy.

How it Works

Please locate your employer using the search form below to see if they provide matching gifts, and to receive instructions on how to double your donation to the Tax Foundation.

Matching Gift and Volunteer Grant information provided by

Yes. By establishing a charitable gift annuity with the Tax Foundation, you’ll receive annual income for life at higher rates than available through most CDs and savings accounts.

The income you receive is based on the gift amount and your date of birth (designed for persons of retirement age). You receive dependable income for life and a tax deduction reducing your annual taxable income. On top of these benefits, your gift will help make the Tax Foundation even stronger in our fight to support sound tax policy.

For more information and to see a personal summary of benefits, or to receive an illustration of a charitable annuity at the Tax Foundation, please call or email our Development staff at (202) 464-5109 or Development@taxfoundation.org.

Yes. We would be honored!

Planned gifts are a great opportunity to leave your legacy of ensuring the advancement of pro-growth tax policy for future generations. We launched the 1937 Society for our investors who have planned a bequest or other future gift for the Tax Foundation, to help them appreciate the impact of their generosity in the present. Named in recognition of our founding year, the society provides unique ways for Tax Foundation supporters to engage with our mission of improving lives through tax policies that lead to greater economic growth and opportunity.

If you have any questions or would like help arranging a bequest, please call or email our Development staff at (202) 464-5109 or Development@taxfoundation.org.

Yes. While most individuals support our work through general support, you may also designate your gift to be used to support the work of a specific program or scholar at the Tax Foundation.

There are a number of options and the Tax Foundation’s Development professionals are available to work with you and your advisors to find a particular program or center that interests you. For example, an educator may wish to support our Internship Program, or a grandparent may wish to support financial literacy through TaxEDU.  Please call or email our Development staff at (202) 464-5109 or Development@taxfoundation.org to start a conversation about your interests; as always your inquiries will remain confidential.

You may endow a specific issue, program or fellow in any issue area covered by the Tax Foundation. For more information on establishing an endowment, please call or email our Development staff at (202) 464-5109 or Development@taxfoundation.org.

The Tax Foundation values your privacy. Please see our Privacy Policy for full details.