Tax Legislation

October 27, 2003

The Honorable William H. Frist                                  The Honorable Thomas A. Daschle
United States Senate                                                United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510                                              Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Frist and Senator Daschle:

On behalf of the nation’s charitable organizations that are struggling to meet growing service demands in the face of enormous economic challenges, we urge you to move the CARE Act (S. 476) forward to a conference with the House of Representatives so that this critical legislation can be enacted into law.

This legislation has been passed with overwhelming support from both parties in both the House and the Senate. It would provide a number of critical tax incentives that will help to stimulate the increased charitable giving so desperately needed by charitable organizations. It would be a tragedy if this effort to help America’s charities, and the millions of people these organizations serve,
were lost due to partisan differences over other issues.

Time is clearly running short. It is essential that both parties work together to help America’s charities help others and move this legislation forward. Please exert your leadership to ensure that the CARE Act becomes law this year.

Sincerely,

Alliance for Children and Families
American Association of Museums
American Heart Association
American Red Cross
American Society of Association Executives
American Symphony Orchestra League
Americans for the Arts
The Arc of the United States
Association of Art Museum Directors
INDEPENDENT SECTOR
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
March of Dimes
Michigan Nonprofit Association
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
UJA-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, Inc.
United Cerebral Palsy
United Jewish Communities
United Way of America
United Way of Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
Volunteers of America
YMCA of the USA



cc: The Honorable Max S. Baucus
The Honorable Charles E. Grassley
The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman
The Honorable Mitch McConnell, Jr.
The Honorable Harry Reid
The Honorable Rick Santorum