Getting Started with Charity Record

Summary: Track charitable donations year-round and export them for your tax return. Record donations as they happen, check your totals, and export at tax time.

Your dashboard shows donation totals, recent activity, and quick actions

Choose your path

Starting fresh?

Follow these steps to record your first donation and start tracking your charitable giving:

1. Add a charity – Create your first organization or add inline while recording
2. Record a donation – Log your first donation (items, cash, mileage, stock, etc.)
3. Check your dashboard – See your year-to-date totals
4. Export at tax time – Download CSV for your tax preparer or tax software

5 minutes to record your first donation

Migrating from ItsDeductible?

If you exported your data before ItsDeductible shut down on October 21, 2025, you can import it:

1. Import to Charity Record – Click Import CSV from your dashboard or account menu
2. Upload your files – Select one or more CSV files from ItsDeductible
3. Preview & confirm – Review your imported data
4. Continue tracking – Record new donations going forward

See our Import Format Guide for details on supported CSV formats.

Key features to know

View past years – Use the year selector in your dashboard to switch between tax years and view historical data.

Recurring donations – For monthly or weekly giving, use "Various" dates when recording. We'll note it as recurring and calculate totals automatically.

Export your data – Download CSV files anytime from your dashboard. Files go to your browser's download folder and work with Excel, TurboTax, and other tax software.

Best practices

Set a monthly reminder to log donations throughout the year. It's much easier than trying to remember everything at tax time.

Take photos of receipts for donations $250 or more. The IRS requires written acknowledgment from charities for these amounts.

Check your totals periodically to track your giving and stay organized. Your dashboard shows year-to-date totals by donation type.

Learn more

As you use Charity Record, these concepts will be helpful:

• Understanding Fair Market Value (FMV) – How to determine the value of donated items
• Receipt Requirements – When you need written acknowledgment from charities
• Form 8283 Basics – Required IRS form if non-cash donations exceed $500/year
• How do I add a charity? – Detailed guide to adding organizations
• How do I add a donation? – Step-by-step instructions for all donation types

Need help?

Click the Help button on any page to see relevant articles, or contact us if you can't find what you need.

Charity Record is a donation tracking tool, not a tax advisor. You are responsible for ensuring your tax filings comply with IRS requirements. Consult a tax professional for advice specific to your situation.