"I suspect we were put into this world to make it better, and we must be about our business."
Society of United Helpers President Bessie B. Hoard in the 1928 annual report
Since the very beginning of the United Helpers organization, we have relied on donations and the support of the community to bring the highest level of care we can to the people of the North Country.
In the early days of the organization, those donations often came in the form of food, personal hygiene products, or other items useful to the home.
Those gifts were detailed in the organization's annual report. The earliest annual report we have on copy comes from 1923 and details those donations. Highlights included a total of 130 loaves of bread, 18 packages of crackers, 35 packages of graham crackers, 40 pounds of sugar, 90 pounds of rice, 19 pounds of prunes, one can of kippered herring, one bottle of pickles, seven books, two brooms, 257 cakes of laundry soap, 59 cakes of Ivory soap, and 24 cakes of homemade soap.
That year's annual report also details 16 "individual gifts" totaling $924.11. The largest noted gift was $250.
Back in 1928 when United Helpers was celebrating its 30th anniversary, it was noted that a total of $1,350 was collected through "individual gifts," with an additional $257.20 contributed to the Christmas Committee.
While the organization's annual reports by that time had stopped listing donations of food, they did report on the harvest from their facilities garden. Twenty bushels of onions, two bushels of beet greens, 12 bushels of lettuce. three bushels of carrots, 124 quarts of string beans, 631 cucumbers, and 76 dozen ears of corn highlight the report.
United Helpers which had been operating as a nonprofit since it was founded in 1898 was certainly among those who benefitted from the Revenue Act of 1917, which declared that donations made to recognized nonprofits could be tax deductible.
When originally passed organizations could simply declare themselves a nonprofit. According to a history of nonprofits and how charitable gifts can affect your taxes on the IRS website, it wasn't until 1969 when President Richard Nixon signed The Tax Reform Act of 1969 into law, that nonprofits were required to be certified by the IRS.
One could likely assume that certification aided in fundraising efforts though, and in 1946 The Society of United Helpers was officially recognized by the IRS as a charitable organization well before the time it became required.
In a letter to United Helpers from the IRS signed by Exempt Organization Branch Chief J. F. Worly this was made official on June 20, 1946.
"Based upon the evidence submitted, it is held that you are exempt from Federal income tax as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code," he wrote.
Mr. Worly continues, "Contributions made to you are deductible by donors as provided in section 170 of the code."
Today donations to United Helpers continue to be tax deductible, and community support is more important than ever. Learn more about how you can help United Helpers by visiting wwwunitedhelpers.org/giving.
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