Tax Legislation

February 13, 2004

The Honorable George W. Bush
President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I write on behalf of INDEPENDENT SECTOR, a coalition of 650 national organizations, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, to request your active and strong support for legislation providing critical tax incentives for charitable giving.

We welcome your FY2005 budget proposals that provide a reasonable charitable deduction for individuals not itemizing, a provision that allows individuals to make contributions from IRA accounts without penalty, and a reduction to the excise tax on assets of private foundations. These provisions and many other important tax incentives are included in the CARE Act (S. 476 and H. 7) passed overwhelmingly by both chambers of Congress. The CARE Act enjoys strong bipartisan support and will provide important incentives for increased charitable giving.

America’s network of charities, foundations, religious congregations and corporate philanthropy programs represents our collective best efforts to work in partnership with government to serve and improve the lives of millions of our citizens. The 1.8 million nonprofit groups that make up this sector rely on government, foundation and corporate funding, as well as the generous donations of millions of individuals. The charitable giving incentives of the CARE Act will play a major role in supporting and enhancing the work of nonprofit institutions.

The CARE Act represents a clear example of government and private interests working together to improve society. INDEPENDENT SECTOR respectfully requests your strong leadership in working with Congress to enact these important tax proposals. Without your direct support, we are unlikely to see this important legislation become law. We stand ready to assist the Administration to ensure this legislation is enacted before the end of the 108th Congress.

Sincerely,

Diana Aviv
President and CEO
INDEPENDENT SECTOR