Charity

Some would say you can't put a price on a chance to meet your favorite celebrity, but fundraising website CharityBuzz begs to differ. The site hosts several online auctions that give everyone a chance to meet their favorite celebrity . . . for a price. Although the cost can be steep, you can take comfort in the fact that the proceeds will go to charity. Here are some of the current celebrity auctions and how much they are going for:

• Apple CEO Tim Cook: This gets you and a friend coffee time from 30 minutes to an hour with Cook at Apple headquarters.
  Current highest bid: $90,000
• French Open champion Rafael Nadal: The winner of the auction gets to watch Nadal practice in Majorca, Spain, for one hour, then get a private 30-minute lesson from him.
  Current highest bid: $31,000
• Tony Bennett: The winner gets to join Bennett in the Tony Bennett Suite at San Francisco's AT&T Park to watch a Giants game.
  Current highest bid: $5,000
• Paula Deen: Winner of this auction gets a cooking lesson from Deen in her Savannah, GA, home.
  Current highest bid: $3,250
• Francis Ford Coppola: Grab lunch with acclaimed film director Francis Coppola and winemaker Philippe Bascaules in a Napa winery.
  Current highest bid: $4,000
• Russell Simmons: Have an hour-long session with entertainment mogul Simmons.
  Current highest bid: $4,750

Be careful where your money goes. Business Insider shares how you can avoid getting scammed when trying to make financial donations for Boston.

There has been a outpouring of goodwill and charitable actions toward the people of Boston and those affected by last week's heinous terrorist attack. 

Unfortunately, not all good gestures make their way into the right hands. The IRS is already warning consumers against a slew of possible charity scams stemming from the Boston tragedy and, more recently, the devastating explosion at a West, TX, fertilizer plant. 

Related: The Massive Tax Break Behind Estée Lauder Heir's $1 Billion Art Donation

Scammers are no longer solely targeting victims by email or door-to-door visits. Social media is increasingly becoming one of the simplest ways to proliferate scams, and in the rush to Retweet or "Like" a page in support of a joint cause, consumers could unwittingly be putting their social networks in danger of fraud.

Here are the guidelines the IRS has issued to keep fraudsters at bay:

• Donate to qualified charities. Use the Exempt Organizations Select Check tool at IRS.gov to find qualified charities. Only donations to qualified charitable organizations are tax-deductible. You can also find legitimate charities on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website at FEMA.gov.
• Be wary of charities with similar names.  Some phony charities use names that are similar to familiar or nationally known organizations. They may use names or websites that sound or look like those of legitimate organizations.
• Don't give out personal financial information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card and bank account numbers, or passwords to anyone who solicits a contribution from you. Scam artists use this information to steal your identity and money.
• Don't give or send cash. For security and tax record purposes, contribute by check or credit card or another way that provides documentation of the donation.
• Report suspected fraud. Taxpayers suspecting tax- or charity-related fraud should visit IRS.gov and perform a search using the keywords "Report Phishing."

Check out these other smart stories from Business Insider:

Couple Paid Off $82,000 of Credit Debt in Four Years
IRS Gives Boston Marathon Victims a Welcome Tax Extension — With a Catch
Online Dating Scams Cost Victims More Than $50 Million Per Year
5 Ways to Pay the IRS Less Next April

Every once in a while, we stumble upon a new kids company that's doing something really, truly original — something that we want to rush home and tell all of our friends about. Such was the case when we met the founder and previewed samples of Mightee Kids. Founded on the basis of teaching, inspiring, and spreading general goodwill and charity among the younger generation, the company takes a fresh approach to your expected nonprofit venture.

Each month, Mightee Kids partners with a different nonprofit organization (so far, these have included Autism Society, Kids on Bikes, Canines For Kids, and Smile Train) and designs a kids t-shirt for that cause. The shirts are all American-made, come in sizes 12 to 18 months through nine to 10, and feature hip, modern designs that are reflective of the organizations they support. Each shirt comes with a card that explains the cause that it benefits, inspiring education and conversation between parents and kids, and kids and their friends.

The shirts sell for $20 each, with $5 of the profits from each tee going back to its affiliated nonprofit. Alternately, purchase a Mightee Kids membership and score a new shirt each month at a discounted rate. We love a good deal, but we love the idea of having a fun way to empower our tots with knowledge of new and worthy causes every month even more.

If you were particularly giving in 2012, then you can look forward to a smaller bill come tax time. Read these tips from Kathy Pickering, executive director of The Tax Institute at H&R Block:

Itemizing Deductions: To deduct a charitable contribution, you must file Form 1040 and itemize deductions on Schedule A.

Note the Date of the Donation: To be able to deduct contributions on your 2012 return, you must have completed the donation by Dec. 31, 2012. A bank record or receipt is needed for all cash donations of less than $250; cash donations of $250 or more require written confirmation from the charitable organization. Additional substantiation requirements apply to cash donations of over $500 and to all noncash donations.

In general, the deduction for donations of stock or other noncash property is usually the fair-market value of the property. Clothing and household items must generally be in good condition to be deductible. Special rules apply to the donation of vehicles.

Qualified Nonprofit: To qualify for a tax deduction, you must be giving to a qualified tax-exempt charitable organization. You cannot deduct contributions made to specific individuals, political organizations, or candidates.

Deduct Benefits: If you receive a benefit in return such as tickets to a game or merchandise, then you can deduct only the amount of the donation that exceeds the fair-market value of the benefit received. Written acknowledgements should state the value of any goods or services received for your donation.

These days, a really good deed rarely goes unnoticed. That's because kind acts or charitable campaigns can easily make the rounds on the Internet and reach thousands of people in just a few hours. Here, we've rounded up some of the most high-profile good deeds that we won't be forgetting anytime soon.

• The mail opener: For one terminally ill man named Scott, opening mail is one of life's simple and best pleasures. So his nephew decided to post on Reddit and asked users to make Scott's day. Soon hundreds of letters poured in from around the world, including Japan, Australia, and Mexico.
• The giving cop: Talk about an officer serving the community. On a cold night near Times Square, an officer saw an older man sitting on the street barefoot. He left for a short time and came back with a new pair of boots that he helped the man put on. Someone caught it on camera and just like that, the snap spread around the country.
• The missing engagement ring: In the latest good deed gone viral, a woman named Sarah accidentally dropped her engagement ring in a homeless man's donation cup. She thought she might never see it again, but the man, Bill Ray Harris, kept it safe until she returned looking for it two days later. To show their appreciation, Sarah and her husband set up an online fund-raiser to pay him back. To this day, they've collected more than $175,000 in donations.

Read on for more.