Adopted by Design

CFO Notes - Adoption Tax Deduction and Receipts

Tax season is here, and as you begin filing, please keep this in mind.

The primary source documents (i.e. receipts) to substantiate your adoption tax deduction are copies of your cancelled checks, bank statements and credit card statements. These documents should not be sent to the IRS when filing your tax return.  You only need to provide the IRS with a copy of the adoption decree along with Form 8839 at the time of filing.  However, if you are audited by the IRS, then you will need to send these documents to them.

At the time of an IRS audit, in the case where a family did not retain or is unable to obtain primary source documents, America World will provide a list of the payments the family made to AW in an attempt to satisfy the documentation requirements of the IRS.

You can also refer to your Welcome Home packet, the tax information section.

Please email me, Les Gallagher, if you have any further questions, or consult a tax professional.

Waiting - Trust in His Promises

As adoptive parents, my wife and I, like you, know the prayers of adoptive families during the long wait.  My wife, Connie, wrote this prayer today with the hope that a reflection on His promises will strengthen your family.

Please be encouraged by AW’s prayers for you.
-- Les Gallagher, CFO

Waiting

As You suspend the stars in the heavens,
The planets in their corridors,
Hold this child in check
In the distant orphanage.

As you deliver one season into the waiting arms of another,
Winter melting into spring through the ages,
Move this child along in Your perfect timing
To the longing embrace of adoptive parents.

And as You keep the generations of Your little creatures
Dry and fed, concealed in nature,
Calling to each other with neither thought nor concern,
Keep this child safe, answer his wonderings with trust.

And as You replenish the dry earth with rain,
Refilling the parched waterways with Your graciousness,
Soften the hardness of his hurts.
Prepare him for new life!

As You build families like galaxies,
Provide widows, the childless with prophets,
Speak through donkeys and angels and tongues of fire
“Do not be afraid!”
Speak peace and promise to the hearts of the waiting.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!
Cross the sea on dry land.
Crumble the ancient walls.
Slay the enemies’ giants with Your Spirit.
Conquer the darkness with your mercy and grace.
Bring our child home!

-- Connie Gallagher   July 8th, 2011

Online Payment Maintenance

During the upcoming weekend (June 25 – 26) our on-line service provider will be completing system maintenance.   Therefore, you may experience a disruption when you try to make an online payment.  However, the actual maintenance will take less than two hours, so please just make your payment a bit later on. 

I’m sorry for the inconvenience.  If you have any questions, then please send me an email at les.gallagher@awaa.org or call me at 610-246-5650.

I hope you have an enjoyable weekend.

Les Gallagher, CFO

Reconstituted Eternal Family Program

You may remember that at the beginning of 2010, America World put its Eternal Family Program on hiatus in order to properly review it from a tax perspective.

As of January 1st, 2011, we have reconstituted the Eternal Family Program, whereby all adoptive families are now eligible to participate in this program, without the need to fill out an application.  Even better news is that there is no longer a cap on the amount of contributions your family can receive for your adoption based on household income.  That's right: the sky is the limit! 

100% of all contributions will go to the intended family's adoption costs.  (America World will accept contributions on your behalf but suggests the amount claimed as a tax deduction by donors, if any, should be discussed with a tax professional.)  We simply want to act as a conduit for other's contributions to your adoption. 

Our desire with this program is a marriage of two important ideas: 1) to help families be able to finance their adoption and 2) to give practical opportunities for others to fulfill our Lord's mandate to care for and support orphans.

Many of you probably received Les Gallagher's (America World's CFO) email last night.  I think he said it best that: "We are excited to offer this program as a mechanism for family, friends, and the surrounding commmunity to support and partner with adoptive families."

You can view and download the Eternal Family Program packet (which includes a more detailed explanation of the program, a sample letter and a contributor form) by clicking on this link: http://www.awaa.org/downloads/development/eternal_family_program.docx or by requesting this information from one of our staff.

Please don't hesitate to contact me (at jason.west@awaa.org) or Les Gallagher (at les.gallagher@awaa.org) if you have any questions regarding this valuable program.

I pray that many families find the Eternal Family Program to be a blessing as they work to bring their sons and daughters home!

In Him,

Jason West, Director of Development