Assets to Give:

Gifts of Personal Property
(Related Use Requirements)

To obtain a full market value deduction for a gift of personal property, the use by the American Red Cross must be related to its charitable purposes or functions. If not, the deduction is for cost basis only (or, if less, fair market value). To illustrate this, a gift of a painting to a museum should clearly be a related use gift. However, if the work of art is contributed, for example, to a charity that intends to sell the piece, the deduction may be for cost basis only.