In the News

ACR News 6.15.18 – Action at Treasury, Giving USA Annual Report, Foundation Transparency

>> Federal: Washington Roundup >> Federal: Action at Treasury >> Federal: Expanding the Charitable Deduction >> Federal: Giving USA’s Annual Report >> Federal: Caught Our Eye >> Consider This: Charitable Giving Grows, Number of Givers Shrinks >> Top Reads: The Disappearing Donor Washington Roundup Both Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and a White House official recently said […]

Annual Giving USA Report Released, Giving Reaches Record High

Giving USA released its annual report June 12, showing that nationwide charitable giving continues a steady increase since 1977. Charitable giving reached a record high in 2017, crossing the $400 billion mark for the first time. The $410.02 billion that Americans gave to charity in represents an increase of 5.2 percent over giving from 2016. […]

ACR News 5.24.18 – The IRS Issues Notice, Universal Charitable Deduction Bill Introduced

>> Federal: Washington Roundup >> Federal: State-Level SALT Workarounds >> Federal: IRS Tool for Donors >> Federal: Universal Charitable Giving Act >> Federal: Reps. Smith and Cuellar’s Charitable Giving Tax Deduction Act >> Federal: In-district Meetings >> Consider This: Answering Donor-Advised Funds’ Critics >> Top Reads: I.R.S. Warns States Not to Circumvent State and Local Tax Cap Washington Roundup Last […]

Roundtable Petitions NY Attorney General to Uphold Philanthropic Freedom

WASHINGTON, D.C — The Philanthropy Roundtable has submitted public comments to New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood challenging public comments by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. NCRP urged Attorney General Underwood to interfere with the board selection process for the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, a private foundation that will be created as a result […]

Answering Donor-Advised Funds’ Critics

Two major articles were published last week on the subject of donor-advised funds (DAFs), one in The Atlantic (“The Black Hole That Sucks Up Silicon Valley’s Money”) and another in the Chronicle of Philanthropy (“Foundations Move $737 Million to Donor-Advised Funds, Chronicle Study Shows”). Both raise a number of questions about the appropriateness of DAFs […]

Bipartisan Legislation Creating Universal Charitable Deduction Introduced

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives that will implement a universal charitable deduction. The Charitable Giving Tax Deduction Act, cosponsored by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), was introduced May 11 and will allow all Americans to claim a charitable deduction regardless of itemizer status. “Charitable organizations, including churches, […]

ACR News 5.4.18 – JCT’s Bluebook, UBIT Expanded, In-District Meetings

>> Federal: Washington Roundup >> Federal: JCT’s Forthcoming “Bluebook” >> Federal: UBIT Expanded to Include Certain Employee Expenses >> Federal: Universal Charitable Giving Act >> Federal: Meetings with Members of Congress >> Consider This: America’s Disappearing Givers >> Top Reads: Working With Donor-Advised Funds: The Basics Washington Roundup Last week, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the […]

America’s Givers Are Disappearing

Charitable giving in America has never been just for rich people. Throughout our history, Americans of all walks of life have voluntarily given their time and money to help others, support cherished private institutions, and solve problems in their community. Some of the most generous people, proportionate to their income, have been the working poor. […]

Congress Respects Philanthropy

Last year Congress passed a comprehensive tax reform for the first time in more than 30 years. The law includes significant provisions that should buoy income growth and thus charitable giving. And the tax deduction for charitable contributions—unlike many others—was preserved. The bill also repealed the “Pease limitation,” which since 1991 had reduced the value […]