Qualifying Organization

• You can deduct only contributions made to a qualifying organization, but most schools are classified as qualifying organizations. The IRS states that "most nonprofit educational organizations" qualify, and Cornell University Law School includes public schools in their list of nonprofit organizations. You can also make tax-deductible contributions to most private schools, according to Private School Review. You should check the IRS online version of Publication 78 to be sure that your school is listed as a qualifying organization.
  
  

Records

• You must keep proper documentation of your donations. Documentation could include canceled checks or other bank records, pay stubs if your donations are deducted from your paychecks or a receipt or other documentation from the school. The receipt should show the date and amount of your donation, as well as the name of the school.
  
  

Written Acknowledgement

• If you make one or more donations of at least $250, you must obtain from the school a written acknowledgement detailing your donations. You must get a separate acknowledgement for each donation of at least $250, or the school must list on the acknowledgement each date and donation of at least that amount. The acknowledgement must also state whether you received any benefits in return for your donation and the value of those benefits. You may deduct only the amount of your donation that exceeds the value of the benefit you received.
  
  

Additional Rules

• You must include your donations on Schedule A, "Itemized Deductions," and attach it to Form 1040, "U.S. Individual Income Tax Return," and submit it to the IRS. You must use the fair market value for donations of anything other than cash. The IRS defines fair market value as "the price at which property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither having to buy or sell, and both having reasonable knowledge of all the relevant facts." If you donate non-cash items totaling more than $500 during a year, you must complete Form 8283, "Noncash Charitable Contributions."