Arizona Gives Day is April 7. It’s one of the last opportunities to make a donation for a tax credit before filing 2019 Arizona taxes.

With so much of the economy on pause during the coronavirus pandemic, the date to file state and federal taxes has been pushed back to July 15. One listener asked through our Q&AZ reporting project how that impacted the April 15 deadline for Arizona's tax credit for charitable donations.

“The April 15 donation deadline is built into Arizona statutes, so the Department of Revenue does not have the discretion to adjust the contribution date deadline,” said Ed Greenberg with the Arizona Department of Revenue. 

That means if you want a state tax credit for a charitable donation, the deadline to donate is still April 15, the same as it is every year.

Many Arizona charitable organizations are hoping to see donations pick up this week ahead of that deadline. 

The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits projects its member organizations will lose at least $36 million this year due to the economic impacts of COVID-19 with events canceled and many would-be donors out of work. 

“Nonprofits are a little different than for-profits in the time of a recession," said Kristen Merrifield, Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits CEO. "Their revenue goes down, but their demand actually goes up." 

Arizona Gives Day donors can support any of the nearly 1,000 nonprofits involved, or they can donate to a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund that will be distributed among all participating organizations. 

Individuals can receive up to $400 in tax credits through a donation to a qualifying Arizona charitable organization; couples can receive $800. Foster care charitable organization donations allow for up to $1,000 in tax credits. Qualifying organizations are listed on the Arizona Department of Revenue’s website.

Merrifield said she's cautiously optimistic this year's Arizona Gives Day will bring in high levels of donations. 

"Nonprofits really need it right now,” she said.