Mark William Bracken: How unclaimed property can help your favorite nonprofit

National Nonprofit Day was celebrated just a few weeks ago on Aug. 17. Many people chose to acknowledge the day by volunteering at their favorite nonprofit or donating to an organization in their area. If you are looking for a unique way to contribute to your local nonprofit, why not help them find their unclaimed property, currently being held by the state?

Unclaimed property can include forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance benefits, and more. Massachusetts returned nearly $780 million over the last five years, and nonprofits are not exempt from potentially being owed property.

Oftentimes, organizations do not even know they have any. This is where you come in. The state treasurer’s office offers an easy-to-use online search platform at www.findmassmoney.gov where individuals, businesses, and nonprofits can see if they are owed any unclaimed property. Go on the site, search your favorite nonprofits’ names, and if they are owed money, let them know so they can claim it!

By helping the state return money and other property to nonprofits, you are making a difference for your local organizations and the communities they support through their work. And don’t forget to check your name (and your friends’ names) at the same time!

Mark William Bracken

Director of Unclaimed Property Office, treasurer and reciever general’s office, Boston