New York State is fortunate to be the home of thousands of not‐for‐profit institutions (NFPs) that enrich our lives and provide vital services to our residents. These institutions provide the State with valuable and essential medical, religious, educational, social, cultural and recreational services that all New Yorkers benefit from. New York State is committed to working with the NFP community to identify its security needs and develop solutions to security vulnerabilities.

Read about the security needs of New York State not-for-profit institutions and what resources and strategies are available to assist with providing security here.

If you are donating to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti, you may be able to claim those donations on your 2009 tax return. Here are 10 important facts the Internal Revenue Service wants you to know about this special provision.

1. A new law allows you to claim donations for Haitian relief on your 2009 tax return, which you will be filing this year.
2. The contributions must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
3. To be eligible for a deduction on the 2009 tax return, donations must be made after Jan. 11, 2010 and before March 1, 2010.
4. In order to be deductible, contributions must be made to qualified charities and can not be designated for the benefit of specific individuals or families.
5. The new law applies only to cash contributions.
6. Cash contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card may be claimed on your federal tax return.
7. You must itemize your deductions in order to claim these donations on your tax return.
8. You have the option of deducting these contributions on either your 2009 or 2010 tax return, but not both.
9. Contributions made to foreign organizations generally are not deductible. You can find out more about organizations helping Haitian earthquake victims from agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development ( www.usaid.gov).
10. Federal law requires that you keep a record of any deductible donations you make. For donations by text message, a telephone bill will meet the record-keeping requirement if it shows the name of the organization receiving your donation, the date of the contribution, and the amount given. For cash contributions made by other means, be sure to keep a bank record, such as a cancelled check or a receipt from the charity. Receipts should show the name of the charity, the date and amount of the contribution.

For more information see IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions and Publication 3833 , Disaster Relief: Providing Assistance through Charitable Organizations. To determine if an organization is a qualified charity visit IRS.gov, keyword “Search for Charities”. Note that some organizations, such as churches or governments, may be qualified even though they are not listed on IRS.gov.

Zvi Lavi
01.26.10, 13:14

Chairman of inter-ministerial committee for earthquake preparation says in special Knesset debate that Israel isn’t prepared for earthquakes due to ongoing building failures. More . . .

Jan 26, 2010 10:08

Last night, two weeks after the IDF rushed to Haiti with hundreds of doctors to help treat those wounded in the devastating earthquake, the field hospital which it had opened – and which came to symbolize the exceptional Israeli rescue effort – finally closed its doors.

As of Monday, 1,102 Haitians had been treated at the facility. Among that number, 13 women gave birth naturally, three babies were delivered using Caesarian sections, and 314 operations were performed. More . . .

By Amos Harel
26/01/2010

The Israel Defense Forces team in Haiti is finishing up its mission and will return home on Thursday. The decision was based on the recommendation of the Home Front Command, whose senior officers feel hey have fulfilled their role in helping the earthquake victims. In view of the large number of personnel and resources the command is deploying in Haiti and the U.S., it is believed the time has come to wrap up the mission. More . . .

By Jonathan Lis
26/01/2010

An earthquake of the same magnitude as the one two weeks ago in Haiti or stronger is certain to strike Israel, Avi Shapira, chairman of the National Earthquake Preparedness Committee, said on Tuesday.

“I just returned from Haiti,” Shapira told a special Knesset committee that gathered in the wake of the Haiti disaster to discuss Israel’s readiness to deal with earthquakes. “What happened there will also happen here.” More . . .

By Asaf Shariv
January 24, 2010

NEW YORK (JTA) — The terrible disaster in Haiti has shown the world not only the power of Mother Nature but the power of the human heart. All over the world, aid has been pouring in to rescue trapped survivors and provide medial services to the hundreds of thousands of victims. Read more . . .

View Slideshow

U.N spokesperson in Haiti commends Israeli team on a “magnificant job”.Watch at MINUSTAH

(CBS/ AP) After being trapped in rubble for nearly 10 days, an Israeli Search and Rescue team saved a 22-year-old Haitian man from a collapsed three-story building. The man was transferred to an Israeli Defense Field Hospital and is in stable condition. More and video.