A Generous People Making Generational Impact
As this year comes to a close, Sugar Creek is deeply grateful for your faithful generosity and partnership in the Gospel. Your giving is making an eternal impact as people hear the Good News of Jesus and take new steps of faith. Your giving is a part of seeing lives transformed here in our community and around the world. As we reach the halfway point of our UNFINISHED Initiative, we have so much to thank God for and celebrate together, and your continued faithfulness positions us to keep moving forward in all He has called us to do.
New USPS Rules That Affect Year-End Giving
As we plan to make our year-end gifts, we want you to know of a small change at the post office that could have a big impacts on how your year‑end gift to Sugar Creek is counted for tax purposes. If you are planning to mail a check this week, it is important to understand this new rule and how to be sure your gift is credited for 2025. Beginning December 24, 2025, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) started applying postmarks at regional processing centers instead of at your local post office. Because of this, an envelope you drop in the mail at the end of December may not actually be postmarked until several days later, even if you mailed it on time. For charitable contributions sent by check, the IRS uses the USPS postmark date to determine which tax year the gift applies to. That means a check you intend as a 2025 gift may be treated as a 2026 gift if the postmark ends up dated in January.
You can read a helpful overview of this change here: https://www.doeren.com/viewpoint/new-usps-rule-your-2025-mailed-charitable-donations
How to be sure your gift counts for 2025
The most reliable way to make sure your year‑end gift to Sugar Creek counts for 2025 is to give online. Online gifts are recorded on the date the transaction is completed, so there is no delay or question about the timing. You can give securely online at sugarcreek.net/give.
If you prefer to mail a check, here are important steps to follow so that your gift is more likely to receive a 2025 mailing date.
- Do not rely on your home mailbox, a blue USPS collection box, or a self‑service kiosk, because those items may not be postmarked until they reach the regional center days later.
- Go inside your local post office and ask a USPS employee to apply a manual hand‑stamped postmark with today’s date on your envelope.
- Buy your postage at the counter so the Postage Validation Imprint (PVI) label shows the date your envelope was mailed.
- Consider using certified or registered mail so you receive a dated receipt as additional proof of mailing.
If, for any reason, your envelope is not postmarked until January, the IRS may treat that donation as a 2026 gift, even if Sugar Creek receives and deposits your check in early January. In that situation, your contribution is still greatly appreciated and will be receipted accurately for the year in which it can be counted.
As you plan your year‑end giving, thank you again for your generosity and for the way you support all that God is doing through Sugar Creek.