Dear Charitable Organization,
PLEASE stop telling me that my contributions are tax deductible.
Yes, it is possible to deduct some charitable gifts IF one files Schedule A.
Yes, one may elect to itemize even if one's itemized deductions are less than one's standard deduction (although if one does so one must check a box to verify one knows one is doing it).
BUT if one's income is $50K per year or less, and one doesn't have a mortgage that is too big for one's income, and doesn't have catastrophic medical expenses, or catastrophic casualty and/or theft losses, it is unlikely in the extreme that one will benefit from filing schedule A. And no Schedule A, no deductions for charitable donations.
Every once in a while I hear or read an honest person say, "Your donation is fully tax deductible IF YOU ITEMIZE." Most of the time I do not.
Tax deductions for charitable donations are certainly not limited to the 1%. It's even possible they may be of less value to the 1% than to the 50% immediately below, since 1%-ers are so very good at amassing other tax breaks.
But charitable donations are not, practically speaking, tax deductible for those of us at the bottom. There are many other reasons those of us at the bottom might want to make charitable donations, but deductibility is not one of them. And I, for one, do not care to be lied to. Especially by someone who wants something from me.