Independent Sector Urged Congress to Enact Charitable Giving Incentives and Charitable Reforms

Contact IS Media Relations Matthew Briggs Associate, Media and Communications 202-467-6134 matthewb@IndependentSector.org Bill Wright Interim Vice President, Communications and Marketing 202-467-6131 bill@IndependentSector.org Need Independent Sector Media Relations after hours? Call 202-641-1202 or 202-744-4781.

Independent Sector and more than 20 other charitable organizations urged House-Senate conferees on the tax reconciliation bill to ensure that both incentives for charitable giving and charitable reforms are enacted into law. This group sent the following letter to the conferees on May 3.

Also, learn more about the tax reconciliation legislation, dowload a pdf of this letter, and see the letter Independent Sector sent to Congressional leaders.

May 3, 2006

The Honorable Charles E. Grassley
The Honorable William M. Thomas
The Honorable Max Baucus
The Honorable Charles B. Rangel
The Honorable Jon L. Kyl
The Honorable Jim McCrery
The Honorable Fortney H. Stark
The Honorable Dave Camp

Dear Chairmen Grassley and Thomas and Ranking Members Baucus and Rangel, Senator Kyl and Representatives McCrery, Stark, and Camp:

We, the undersigned organizations, representing a broad cross-section of charitable organizations and millions of volunteers and donors, are writing to express our strong support for enactment of a significant package of charitable giving tax incentives and charitable reforms like those included in the Senate’s version of Tax Relief Act of 2005 (H.R. 4297).

A package of charitable giving tax incentives similar to those in the Senate bill will help to spur increased charitable giving by all Americans at a time when the resources of charitable organizations are stretched thin by compelling community needs. The reforms as they have now been amended by the staff of the Senate Finance Committee and Joint Committee on Taxation will strengthen the work of our sector by deterring and punishing abuses by individuals who exploit charitable organizations for their personal gain. These reforms now closely mirror the recommendations of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, a broad effort undertaken by the charitable community this past year to improve the transparency and accountability of charitable organizations.

While we support increased enforcement of current law, we firmly believe that these reforms are necessary to improve government oversight and prevent abuses by individuals, without imposing unnecessary costs or hardships on reputable charities. Moreover, the proposed reforms strike the right balance between legitimate government oversight and protecting the independence that charitable organizations need to remain innovative and effective.

We urge Congress to pass a significant package of charitable incentives and reforms that will provide important benefits to charitable organizations and support strong ethical conduct within the charitable community.

Sincerely,

Alliance for Children and Families
American Health Quality Association
The American Health Quality Foundation
American Heart Association
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Colorado Nonprofit Association
The Columbus Foundation
Donors Forum of Chicago
Independent Sector
Land Trust Alliance
Lutheran Services in America
March of Dimes
Michigan Nonprofit Association
Montana Nonprofit Association
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
National Association of Independent Schools
National Council of Nonprofit Associations
Points of Light Foundation
South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations
UJA-Federation of New York
United Way of America
YMCA of the USA

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Independent Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of approximately 600 charities, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the nation. Its mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the charitable community.