Salvation Army pushes toward $1M fundraising goal

Short of its $1 million goal for its annual Tree of Lights Campaign by $207,000, the local Salvation Army is making a final push.

“This is such a generous community, and we hope that the community will once again extend their generosity to our efforts and help us reach our goal, which is to ultimately serve others,” said Norman Grainger, Ozark area coordinator, in a Dec. 29 news release.

The campaign, which began six weeks ago, has to date raised $792,706, or 79.3 percent of the goal.

The release pointed to the Internal Revenue Service-qualified charitable distribution program as a way for some Springfield area residents to minimize their 2011 taxable income by making donations to the Salvation Army. Eligible donations must be made by Dec. 31. The IRS allows individuals age 70 and half or older to exclude from their gross income up to $100,000 that is paid directly from their individual retirement accounts to a qualified charity, according to the IRS Web site.

“Donations help us help families put food on their tables, provide shelter for those who have nowhere else to go and operate safe and affordable programs for children and senior citizens,” Grainger said in the release. Donations can be made online here.

The Salvation Army Ozark Area Coordination serves Greene, Christian, Taney and Stone counties.[[In-content Ad]]