Nonprofit Issues

Beyond the Numbers: Tax Foundation Report on Charitable Deduction

Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan, Washington based think-tank focusing on fiscal policy, recently completed an eleven-part series of analysis entitled The Economics of the Blank Slate. In its final installment of the series, which was released August 12, Tax Foundation examined the effects of repealing the charitable deduction. While the report used economic modeling in an […]

Private Giving Essential to Meals on Wheels, Programs Helping Seniors

In his June 18 editorial in POLITICO, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) cited the many positive outcomes of our nation’s Meals on Wheels programs, particularly at a time when poverty is increasing among senior citizens (most notably among women, minorities, and the rural elderly). By delivering nutritious meals to homes and senior centers reaching 2.5 million […]

Hudson study finds US is among the top in philanthropic freedom, giving incentives

The Hudson Institute recently released a study on variations in philanthropy around the world, entitled “Philanthropic Freedom, A Pilot Study.” Thirteen countries were analyzed over the past two years to measure philanthropic freedom or ease of giving. The findings speak volumes for public policies that fuel giving, like those in the United States. The study […]

A clean slate for tax reform?

Yesterday’s NPR interview with House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) and Senate Finance Committee Chair Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) painted a stark picture of their vision of comprehensive tax reform. Scratch that – there was no paint. What we were shown was an empty canvas. In Chairman Camp’s words, “We take a […]

Chances of Tax Reform Just Went Up

In news that surprised much of official Washington last week, Max Baucus, the senior Senator from Montana, announced that after 35 years in Congress, he would not be seeking reelection in 2014. In tax world, that news wasn’t just surprising, it hit like a thunderbolt, given that the Democratic Senator is also Chairman of the […]

What happens next in tax reform?

What happens next in tax reform? Well, for starters, the portal is officially closed. What portal you might ask? That would be the online device the House Ways and Means Committee set up to take comments on tax reform. You can take a look here. As you can see, the comments range from lofty “big” […]

Charitable deductions vital to state, nation

Rob Collier, president and CEO of the Council of Michigan Foundations, recently published an op-ed in the Lansing-State Journal on the important role the charitable deduction plays on both a state and national scale. “So here is my ask,” wrote Collier. “The next time you see your state representative, state senator or a member of […]

New Buffett Rule Would Result in Fewer Donations

The President’s FY14 Budget included the so-called Buffett Rule for the first time, although they formulated the idea and have supported it before in other measures. The provision is complicated so we wanted to give you a quick primer on understanding how it will work and what this might mean for charity. The proposal calls […]

File these comments in the “outrageous” basket

The Obama Administration today released its budget for the 2014 Fiscal Year. As expected, the budget included a 28% cap on itemized deductions, including the charitable giving deduction. In a televised statement in the Rose Garden announcing the budget’s release, President Obama offered stark words on why he thinks it’s time to close these itemized […]