In the News

News Alert: House Ways and Means Member Introduces Legislation to Expand Charitable Giving

Last week, Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) introduced a bill (H.R. 1260) that would create a universal charitable deduction to allow all taxpayers, regardless of whether they itemize their deductions, to deduct their charitable donations. As you may recall, the number of Americans giving to charity has been steadily declining since 2006, a trend that is […]

ACR News 2.11.19 – ACR Meets with Key Leaders, “Extenders” Update, A Troubling Trend Continues

>> Federal: Washington Roundup >> Federal: State of the Union >> Federal: Tax Talk >> Federal: New Estate Tax Proposals >> Federal: ACR Leadership Meets with Lawmakers >> Federal: Foundations on the Hill >> Caught Our Eye: LLCs v. Private Foundations >> Consider This: AFP 2018 Fundraising Trends >> Top Reads: Nonprofits Lost Donors, Half Squeezed Out Financial Gain […]

ACR Leadership Meets with Lawmakers

Last week, ACR was joined by former Congressman Ben Chandler, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, and member of the ACR leadership team, on Capitol Hill to meet with key members of leadership and the tax writing committees. Mr. Chandler served Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District from 2004 to 2013. In January, […]

AFP Survey Finds Fewer Donors are Giving to Charity

The NonProfit Times reported this week on a poll conducted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), which asked its members to respond to a number of questions about their 2018 fundraising. The survey asked respondents to compare this year’s fundraising to previous years, influential factors in their fundraising campaigns, the impact of the economy […]

Setting the Record Straight, DAF Setting Records

Phil Buchanan, president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, published an essay recently entitled “Putting Critiques in Perspective in Pursuit of More Effective Philanthropy,” in which he addressed “iffy critiques” of philanthropy. The effectiveness of philanthropy is too vital for us not to learn from successes or for us to be consumed by unproductive debates […]

Voter Privacy Breaches a Preview of Donor Privacy Breaches to Come?

The Lexington Herald-Leader/ProPublica investigation into the Kentucky Secretary of State’s use of confidential voter records demonstrates the danger of giving partisan politicians and their staff access to sensitive private data of citizens: “In an appearance on MSNBC in July 2017, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes expressed her vehement opposition to giving voter data […]

ACR News 1.22.19 – New Tax Writers, Grassley’s Priorities, Updated SALT Regulations

>> Federal: Washington Roundup >> Federal: New Tax Writing Committee Members >> Federal: Senate Finance in 2019 >> Federal: Charitable Giving Tax Deduction Act >> Federal: Foundations on the Hill >> Consider This: Implications of the SALT Cap >> Top Reads: IRS provides safe harbors related to the SALT deduction Washington Roundup On January 3, lawmakers returned to […]

Philanthropy can and should be both celebrated and scrutinized

Stanford Professor Robert Reich has a new book out on philanthropy, Just Giving: Why Philanthropy Is Failing Democracy And How It Can Do Better. I’m still reading through it and expect to have some comments when I’m done, but others with more time on their hands than I (or at least better time management skills) […]

ACR News 12.7.18 – Lame Duck, New Members, and New Leadership

>> Federal: Washington Roundup >> Federal: Lame Duck Tax Package >> Federal: New Leadership >> Federal: Foundations on the Hill/ACR Summit for Leaders >> Consider This: New Lawmakers, New Opportunities >> Top Reads: Charities Brace for Tax-Driven Dip in Year-End Giving Washington Roundup With only a few weeks left in the 115th Congress, the House and Senate are […]