I have an arrangement with an American supporter of the Future of Humanity Institute. Each month I send money to FHI, he sends it to SIAI, and each institute gets tax benefits they wouldn’t get from donor’s outside their own country.
If it’s worth it to avoid the commission and for possible tax benefits, maybe you could find a trustworthy American supporter of a good Russian cause?
This is the main problem. Charities and other forms of centralized philanthropy are almost non-existent in modern Russia—perhaps because most potential donors are wary of scams posing as charities. Almost everyone here has been a victim of some sort of scam. Most of the everyday philanthropy here is decentralized, flash-mob style—someone posts a help request with a story and an address to send money, and others re-post it on their blogs if they feel that the request is genuine.
Even if I could find an American supporter (I think I can) and a charity (which will be harder), I still doubt that this will make me eligible for any tax benefits here.
I have an arrangement with an American supporter of the Future of Humanity Institute. Each month I send money to FHI, he sends it to SIAI, and each institute gets tax benefits they wouldn’t get from donor’s outside their own country.
If it’s worth it to avoid the commission and for possible tax benefits, maybe you could find a trustworthy American supporter of a good Russian cause?
This is the main problem. Charities and other forms of centralized philanthropy are almost non-existent in modern Russia—perhaps because most potential donors are wary of scams posing as charities. Almost everyone here has been a victim of some sort of scam. Most of the everyday philanthropy here is decentralized, flash-mob style—someone posts a help request with a story and an address to send money, and others re-post it on their blogs if they feel that the request is genuine.
Even if I could find an American supporter (I think I can) and a charity (which will be harder), I still doubt that this will make me eligible for any tax benefits here.