Volunteer Spotlight: Avipsa

In continued celebration of #NationalVolunteerWeek, NYF is excited to share another spotlight to honor one more wonderful volunteer! Today, we’re sharing our Q&A session with Avipsa, a Nepali-American high school student who has been volunteering remotely with the U.S. Office since the beginning of this year.

Let’s start with why you wanted to start volunteering for NYF. What was your calling?

I wanted to start volunteering with NYF because its purpose and values really resonated with me. Even as a Nepali person myself, I never really knew much about specific issues facing Nepali youth. Seeing that NYF dealt with many of these issues and how much it had accomplished, I knew that this was a place where I could truly make a difference and help Nepali youth receive the opportunities they deserved. It was also a way for me to connect to my own heritage and experience volunteering in the nonprofit sector. 

Can you share what you are currently doing for NYF?

Currently, I am volunteering to help with social media and website design. I have been helping with the Editorial Calendar, which focuses on social media posts every month. I am also helping to create and build tests for UserTesting to ensure that our website is appealing and accessible. I have done a little bit of outreach as well. 

What are you enjoying the most as a volunteer?

As a volunteer, I enjoy the creative freedom I have, as well as, access to multiple opportunities the most. I’ve been given a lot of freedom with themes for social media posts such as #FunFactFriday, which I came up with to educate the online audience more about Nepali culture. Before volunteering with NYF, I never heard about UserTesting and I didn’t know if I would be interested in doing it. NYF allowed me to try something new and it was actually a very informative experience. 

What’s something you learned through volunteering for NYF?

By volunteering for NYF, I have learned about the importance of social media in raising awareness and social issues that Nepali youth face. As NYF focuses on social issues such as child servitude, lack of education, nutrition rehabilitation, and more, I learned that just one post can educate so many. Social media is a great way to raise awareness and bring attention to serious topics. It provides an environment to advocate and make a difference in peoples’ lives. 

What are some of your goals for the future?

For my future in NYF, I hope to connect with more staff and hopefully, the youth! I also hope to recruit more volunteers as well. Personally, I would like to venture out into researching social issues facing Nepali youth and raising awareness about them. As someone who is very interested in psychology and mental health, my goal is to advocate for destigmatizing mental health and connecting with the Ankur Counseling Center for future research. As I grow further into my career, I hope to work in the field of psychology, psychiatry, or public health. 

Any advice for other high school students who want to help make a difference?

My advice for other high school students that want to help make a difference is simple: start somewhere. Whether it is your passion, your niche, or something you recently discovered, the only way to make a difference is through action. The day that I found NYF was the same day I reached out to volunteer. Even though I didn’t know everything about the nonprofit, I knew it was advocating for a cause that I was also passionate about. Starting somewhere can push you to find new opportunities and eventually, reach your goals. 

And lastly, can you share something fun about yourself?

When I visited Nepal in 2016, I went to multiple cities and locations. One of my favorite tourist attractions was Devi’s Falls in Pokhara. The waterfall was really extraordinary and mysterious as well. I found it really interesting that also goes through an underground tunnel. When I go back, I definitely want to visit there again!

We’re so deeply grateful to Avipsa for all the hard work she is doing to support our work! Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!

#GivingFeelsGood: Tips for Holiday Giving

Holiday giving feels good! With so many ways to give this holiday season, we at the Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF) are excited to share some of our best tips and tricks to make the most out of your giving. We’ve included shareable graphics and links to more information with each holiday giving tip — so that when you’re ready to donate, giving feels good for you too.

1. The CARES Act

The CARES Act, passed earlier this year in response to COVID-19, allows individual taxpayers to deduct $300 of charitable giving from their taxes without itemizing. This includes donations made by cash, check, credit card or debit card, but does not include securities, household items, or other property.  Read more from the IRS here.

2. Gifts of Stock

Donating long-term and appreciated assets — like gifts of stock, bonds, or mutual funds — is perhaps the most effective way to increase your gift and tax deduction. This is because when you donate these appreciated assets, you’ll receive a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the gift, while avoiding any capital gains taxes. We’ve seen donors increase their tax deduction up to 20%!

3. Workplace Matching Gifts

Many workplaces have corporate giving programs through which they will “match” the charitable contributions made by their employees. Through these programs, you can easily double or triple the impact of your support.

78% of match-eligible donors are unaware that their company offers a matching gift program. If this sounds like you, we recommend asking your employer — most times, all you have to do is submit a request after you’ve made your gift. Check out this list of the Top 20 Matching Gift Companies!

4. IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions

If you are over the age of 70.5, you can make a tax-free charitable gift of up to $100,000 per year from your individual retirement account (IRA) —without paying income tax on the transaction!

The CARES Act also relaxed the income-based deduction limit on charitable gifts. Previously, the deduction was limited to 60% of AGI (adjustable gross income). This year, however, the deduction limit is 100% of AGI, which may be particularly beneficial if use your IRA to make larger charitable donations.

5. Year-End Gift

And lastly, one of the most important tips of this holiday season: To qualify for 2020 tax deductions, gifts have to be made on or before December 31, 2020. Check gifts can arrive after the 31st and still be counted for 2020 deductions as long as they are dated on or before Dec. 31st.

All of us at NYF wish you a happy holidays and joyful giving!

If you have any questions about any of these, we’ll be happy to help you. Please e-mail info@nepalyouthfoundation.org or call us at 415-331-8585.