Wish Book 2022

Please check a box next to each wish and enter the amount you'd like to give toward that wish. Donations to the general fund help to grant ALL wishes. (Please note: the minimum online donation amount is $10.)

Then click "give securely" at the bottom to continue.

The San Jose Mercury News covers all the online transaction fees so 100% of your gift goes to the charities you designate.

Card image Help with all wishes by choosing the Wish Book general fund.
 

Total: $

Donation FAQ

Yes. Donations to the Wish Book Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, are tax deductible. The tax ID number is 77-0229665

NO! All donations are held in strict confidence. The Wish Book Fund will not provide donor information to anyone. Names are published on this website and in The Mercury News only with your permission. We take donor privacy very seriously and only publish names when we have your consent.

Yes. You can also send your donation by mail using this downloadable donation form. Fill out the coupon, attach your check or credit card information (please do not send cash) and mail it to:

The Mercury News Wish Book
c/o MediaNewsGroup
P.O. Box 909, San Jose, CA 95106 

Yes. Donations are accepted year round. Just go to the donation page. Please note that direct donations to certain Wishes may be fulfilled, but you can still contribute to the general fund, which will be distributed to local charities throughout the year.

Sorry, we are unable to manage donations of any type of goods, including toys, holiday food baskets, clothing, furniture, automobiles, etc. Please email wishbook@bayareanewsgroup.com, and we may be able to suggest organizations that accept such donations.

Wish Book maintains transparency on all costs that are essential to advance the mission to help as many as possible in the Bay Area. The Bay Area News Group covers all printing and costs for producing the stories, and staff time. There are some costs to offer secure online donation option, issue tax receipts to all donors, postage, and to select and fully vet all fund recipients in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz counties, and those costs remain around 5%, and for 2022, we received a grant to cover those costs as well. ALL of your donation goes to work helping here in the community.

During the annual fundraising effort, reporters and photographers from the The Mercury News and other Bay Area News Group news publications document the challenges  facing individuals, families and nonprofit organizations in our community and their successes in meeting those challenges. These stories are published in The Mercury News and on its website. The paper publishes lists of contributors and coupons advising readers how to contribute, as well as ads throughout the paper and online to further encourage readers to help their neighbors in need. Wish Book also manages the grant-making application process, distribution of donated funds to the grant qualified nonprofit organizations, processes readers’ donations, maintains the nonprofit accounting and reporting, and provides all donors with tax receipts in a timely manner.

More ways to give

Make a gift to Wish Book

Check with your financial institution regarding the deadline for recommending your 2022 gift to Wish Book. Many of these institutions have request dates due in early December for 2022 gifting. You can also simply go here to recommend your gift to Wish Book today.

‍Many companies offer a matching gift program to their employees that can boost the reach of a gift. Please contact your HR department for details on how to get a company match. We’re happy to help with paperwork, just email or call us.

A gift of assets can be a big help and have tax advantages for the giver. The total value of stock, securities, and mutual fund shares are tax deductible upon transfer, and require no obligation to pay any capital gains on appreciation. If you are interested in making such a donation, please email us at [email protected].

A legacy gift is a distribution from your estate to a charitable organization through your will, trust or financial accounts. You can designate a specific amount, a percentage or the residual of your estate to the Wish Book Fund.

Your legacy gift provides future support to the Wish Book Fund when you remember us through your will or trust or name us as the beneficiary on your savings, checking or pension account. All these gifts represent a meaningful way for you to create a philanthropic legacy to help throughout the Bay Area.

There is no minimum gift amount required and you can adjust it at any time. Your gift also may entitle your estate to an unlimited federal estate tax charitable deduction. Please contact us at wishbook@bayareanewsgroup.com.

When you shop at smile.amazon.com using this link, Amazon donates a portion of your purchase to the Wish Book Fund. To initiate the program, go to:  https://smile.amazon.com/ch/77-0229665