Category: Resources

Retiring Bluegrass Broadcaster Ray Edlund To Be Interviewed On KKUP Monday Night Bluegrass On December 13

Note: This program will be Online Only <www.kkup.org>. Due to a power outage caused by bad weather at the transmitter site, the broadcast station is temporarily off the air.  

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Ray Edlund, the retiring dean of the Bay Area’s bluegrass broadcasters, will be interviewed by NCBS president Michael Hall and program host Mike Russell on Monday Night Bluegrass, 6:00-9:00pm on December 13, 2021. The program will be on KKUP Radio, 91.5FM in the South Bay and the Monterey Bay Areas, and everywhere at <www.kkup.org>.

Edlund is ending his long-running “Pig In A Pen” program on KPFA Radio (Berkeley) on December 19. He is a regular attendee and emcee at the NCBS Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival and has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northern California Bluegrass Society. He ran the CBA Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival in its early days.

Ray Edlund at the KPFA control room board, with the Pigs Foot String Band.

Three Week Reminder: 2021 NCBS Donation Deadline Is December 31

Three Week Reminder: December 31, 2021 is the deadline for some 2021-only favorable tax treatments of contributions to the Northern California Bluegrass Society, as certain opportunities will expire after this tax year.

The Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society is an official Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) organization that accepts tax-deductible contributions which are used to support local bluegrass music.

Here is some useful tax planning information for 2021 if you are interested in supporting local bluegrass music with tax-advantaged contributions:

For the tax year ending on December 31, 2021 it is possible to deduct cash gifts up to $300 for an individual or $600 for a married couple filing jointly, even if the taxpayer(s) do not itemize deductions — that is, the 90% of taxpayers who take the standard deduction. Gifts must be made by check, credit card or debit card to a qualified 501(c)(3) charity. Volunteers who have unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses will also qualify for this deduction. This provision will expire at the end of 2021.

Gifts to charities like the NCBS/SCBS usually have deduction limits of 60% of a donor’s adjusted gross income, but in 2021, the limit has been temporarily raised to 100% of AGI. In addition, donors who contribute more than the limit may carry the balance of the deduction forward for up to five years after the year of the gift.

Special 2021 Tax Rules Can Be Used To Benefit Local Bluegrass Music Until December 31 Only

December 31, 2021 is the deadline for some 2021-only favorable tax treatments of contributions to the Northern California Bluegrass Society, as certain opportunities will expire after this tax year. To help you take advantage of these rules, here is some useful tax planning information for 2021 if you are interested in supporting local bluegrass music with tax-advantaged contributions.

The Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society is an official Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) organization that accepts tax-deductible contributions which are used to support local bluegrass music.

Charitable Deduction Without Itemizing

For the tax year ending on December 31, 2021 (only), it is possible to deduct cash gifts up to $300 for an individual or $600 for a married couple filing jointly, even if the taxpayer(s) do not itemize deductions — that is, the 90% of taxpayers who take the standard deduction. Gifts must be made by check, credit card or debit card to a qualified 501(c)(3) charity. Volunteers who have unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses will also qualify for this deduction.

Higher Limit For Contributions

Gifts to charities like the NCBS/SCBS usually have deduction limits of 60% of a donor’s adjusted gross income, but in 2021 (only) the limit has been temporarily raised to 100% of AGI. In addition, donors who contribute more than the limit may carry the balance of the deduction forward for up to five years after the year of the gift.

Deadline

To take advantage of these tax provisions, your contribution must be made before December 31, 2021.

Please Use The Link To Support NCBS/SCBS If You Shop Amazon During The Holiday Season

If you shop on Amazon during the Holiday Season and use the Link below, the AmazonSmile program will  donate to the Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society and support local bluegrass music without cost to you. Here is the link: smile.amazon.com/ch/94-2907716  (“Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society”).

NCBS AmazonSmile Information

December 31 Is Deadline For 2021 Contributions To NCBS & Local Bluegrass Music

December 31, 2021 is the deadline for some favorable tax treatments of contributions to the Northern California Bluegrass Society, as certain opportunities will expire after this tax year. To help you take advantage of these rules, here is some useful tax planning information for 2021 only if you are interested in supporting local bluegrass music with tax-advantaged contributions.

The Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society is an official Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) organization that accepts tax-deductible contributions.

Charitable Deduction Without Itemizing

For the tax year ending on December 31, 2021, it is possible to deduct cash gifts up to $300 for an individual or $600 for a married couple filing jointly, even if the taxpayer(s) do not itemize deductions — that is, the 90% of taxpayers who take the standard deduction. Gifts must be made by check, credit card or debit card to a qualified 501(c)(3) charity. Volunteers who have unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses will also qualify for this deduction.

Higher Limit For Contributions

Gifts to charities like the NCBS/SCBS usually have deduction limits of 60% of a donor’s adjusted gross income, but in 2021 (only) the limit has been temporarily raised to 100% of AGI. In addition, donors who contribute more than the limit may carry the balance of the deduction forward for up to five years after the year of the gift.

Deadline

To take advantage of these tax provisions, your contribution must be made before December 31, 2021.

Now Is The Time To Get Ready For The Next Bluegrass Festival Season With Your Covid Vaccine

As announcements are made about next season’s bluegrass festivals, it is clear that Vaccine Requirements will be universal in Northern California. That means that Now Is The Time for bluegrass fans to get their Covid Vaccine Status In Order to be ready for upcoming festivals and other 2022 events.

Due to the spread of the highly-contagious Delta Variant of the Covid 19 Virus, bluegrass fans are increasingly unwilling to attend bluegrass events where unvaccinated persons are also permitted to attend.

On a forward-going basis, proof of vaccine status will likely be required. All of the Covid 19 Vaccines (Shots 1 & 2) are now FREE and WIDELY AVAILABLE for everyone over age 5. These shots have already saved the lives of many people across the US and around the world. Now, free booster shots are here to extend the usefulness of the initial shots. The  vaccine process requires one to two months to complete, with additional time required to complete a booster shot when needed, so advance planning is advised if you wish to attend any live, in-person bluegrass music events next year.

 

Use Link For This Weekend’s Amazon Shopping To Benefit NCBS & Local Bluegrass Music

The biggest holiday shopping weekend of the year is coming up. If you shop on Amazon using the link below, the AmazonSmile program will  donate to the Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society and support local bluegrass music without cost to you.

Here is the link: smile.amazon.com/ch/94-2907716  (“Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society”).

Here is more information: NCBS AmazonSmile Information.

Tax Planning Information For 2021 Charitable Contributions If You Take The Standard Deduction

Here is some useful tax planning information for 2021 only if you are interested in supporting local bluegrass music with tax-advantaged contributions. The Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society is an official Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) organization that accepts tax-deductible contributions.

For the tax year ending on December 31, 2021, it is possible to deduct cash gifts up to $300 for an individual or $600 for a married couple filing jointly, even if the taxpayers do not itemize deductions — that is, the 90% of taxpayers who take the standard deduction. Gifts must be made by check, credit card or debit card to a qualified 501(c)(3) charity. Volunteers who have unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses will also qualify for this deduction.

Also, cash gifts to public charities usually have deduction limits of 60% of a donor’s adjusted gross income, but in 2021 (only) the limit has been temporarily raised to 100% of AGI. In addition, donors who contribute more than the limit may carry the balance of the deduction forward for up to five years after the year of the gift.

To take advantage of these tax provisions, your contribution must be made before December 31, 2021.

Bluegrass Events In 2022 Will Have Covid Vaccine Requirements

Vaccine Requirements will be universal by the next live bluegrass season. Now is the time for bluegrass fans to get their Covid Vaccine Status in order to be ready for upcoming festivals and other events as live bluegrass music returns in full force during 2022. Due to the spread of the highly-contagious Delta Variant of the Covid 19 Virus, bluegrass fans are increasingly unwilling to attend bluegrass events where unvaccinated persons are also permitted to attend.

On a forward-going basis, proof of vaccine status will likely be required. All of the Covid 19 Vaccines (Shots 1 & 2) are now FREE and WIDELY AVAILABLE for everyone over age 5. These shots have already saved the lives of many people across the US and around the world.

Free booster shots are here to extend the usefulness of the initial shots. The  vaccine process requires one to two months to complete, with additional time required to complete a booster shot when needed, so advance planning is advised if you wish to attend any live, in-person bluegrass music events next year.