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• Your charitable giving will qualify for a tax deduction only if it goes to a tax-exempt organization, as defined by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  Examples of qualified institutions include religious organizations, the Red Cross, nonprofit educational agencies, museums, volunteer fire companies and organizations that maintain public parks.
• An organization can be nonprofit without the 501(c)(3) status, which can make it tricky to ensure your charity of choice counts. 
• Gifts to family or friends are not tax deductible and may be subject to the gift tax.
• You can verify an organization's status with the IRS Exempt Organizations Select Check tool.
• Before you donate, ask the charity how much of your contribution will be tax deductible.

Keep track of your tax deductible donations, no matter the amount.  IF you made a monetary contribution, qualifying documentation includes a bank statement, a credit card statement and a receipt from the charity (including date, amount and anme of the organization) or a canceled check.  If you made a contribution as an automatic deduction from your paycheck through your employer, keep compies of your W-2 or pay stubs showing the amount and date of your donation.  

You'll need additional documentation in these circumstances:

• Cash or property donations worth more than $250: The IRS requires you to get a written letter of acknowledgment from the charity.  It must include the amount of cash you donated, whether you received anything from the charity in exchange for your donation, and an estimate of the value of those goods and services.  You must receive the letter of acknowledgment by the date you file your taxes for the year you made the contribution.
• If you deduct at least $500 worth of noncash donations:  Fill out Form 8283 if you'll deduct at least $500 in donated items.  Additionally, you must attach an appraisal of your items to the form if they're worth more than $5000 total.

IRS rules don't let you deduct the value of your time or service, but expenses related to volunteering for a qualified organization can be counted as tax-deductible donations.

• Expenses must be directly and solely connected to the volunteer work you did; not previously reimbursed' and not personal, living, or family expenses.
• Your tax-deductible donations can include mileage your drive to charitable events and volunteer opportunities, or mileage you used to bring items to a donation site. 
• You can either deduct your actual expenses using receipts for gas and similar costs, or you can take the standard mileage deduction.
• Keep your receipts if you plan to deduct your actual expenses; you may need them if you're audited.