Friday, September 30, 2011

Charitable Deduction Central | Alliance for Charitable Reform

Charitable Deduction Central | Alliance for Charitable Reform: Charitable Deduction Central

19 Major Nonprofits Lobby To Keep Charitable Deductions - TheNonProfitTimes

19 Major Nonprofits Lobby To Keep Charitable Deductions - TheNonProfitTimes: Leaders of 19 nonprofits sent a letter to Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the 12 members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (often referred to as the “Super Committee”), asking them to protect the charitable deduction.

In the letter released yesterday, The Alliance for Charitable Reform (ACR) explains the “potential damage to Americans seeking help from nonprofit services” that limiting the charitable contribution tax deduction.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

AG: No pay for charity directors - BostonHerald.com

AG: No pay for charity directors - BostonHerald.com: The state’s top cop for charities, Attorney General Martha Coakley, yesterday asked legislators to help her quash out-of-control executive compensation by prohibiting nonprofits from paying their directors.

“Unjustifiable compensation of charitable board directors creates inherent conflicts of interest,” Coakley told members of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, as she called on them to support House Bill 3516.

massnonprofit.org ::

massnonprofit.org ::: September 22, 2011 — While nonprofits would be able to reduce the payroll taxes they pay if President Obama’s American Jobs Act becomes law, certain benefits available to for-profits under the proposed bill would not be available to nonprofits, raising concerns among some in the sector.

According to Independent Sector, a national network for charities, foundations, and corporate giving programs, nonprofits would not be able to take advantage of:

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Can Nonprofits Engage in Political Activity?

Can Nonprofits Engage in Political Activity?: A 501(c)(3) and a 501(c)(4) are very similar but are ruled by different standards when it comes to political activity such as lobbying.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Calif. Town Pays Claim to Nonprofit Axed Over Critical Comments - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Calif. Town Pays Claim to Nonprofit Axed Over Critical Comments - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Calif. Town Pays Claim to Nonprofit Axed Over Critical Comments

September 23, 2011, 10:26 am

The Southern California city of Escondido has paid a $20,000 settlement to a nonprofit group whose social-service contract was canceled after the organization publicly criticized a municipal policy, according to the North County Times.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

AFP Opposes Capping Itemized Deductions, Including Charitable, to Pay for President’s Jobs Bill - Press - AFP

AFP Opposes Capping Itemized Deductions, Including Charitable, to Pay for President’s Jobs Bill - Press - AFP: AFP Opposes Capping Itemized Deductions, Including Charitable, to Pay for President’s Jobs Bill

(Sept. 20, 2011) AFP learned early last week that the President intended to pay for his jobs bill by capping itemized deductions, including charitable deductions for high income taxpayers. AFP is chairing a coalition of groups to oppose any caps that would negatively affect charities.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy summarized the situation in this article.

Arts groups worry about Obama’s plan to cut tax breaks for wealthy - The Washington Post

Arts groups worry about Obama’s plan to cut tax breaks for wealthy - The Washington Post: President Obama’s plan to fund his $447 billion jobs-stimulus bill by limiting tax breaks for wealthier people is getting a wary reception from arts organizations, which fear that the proposal could cut into already diminishing donations to museums, symphonies, ballets and other groups.

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | Dwindling Money for Nonprofits in FY2012 Budget Appropriations

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | Dwindling Money for Nonprofits in FY2012 Budget Appropriations: Nonprofit leaders cannot be faulted for wondering what exactly to do. In the spring, the President’s FY2012 budget proposal lasted only a few milliseconds on Capitol Hill before being voted down in the House, after which the House passed the budget introduced by Paul Ryan (R-WI). Of course, Ryan’s budget shows little signs of life because it voucherized Medicare, which polled terribly and led to a Democratic pickup in a special election in Jack Kemp’s old district near Buffalo, New York.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Disaster relief battle looms on Capitol Hill as Reid promises showdown vote on larger aid bill - The Washington Post

Disaster relief battle looms on Capitol Hill as Reid promises showdown vote on larger aid bill - The Washington Post: The two sides are divided over how much disaster aid to provide immediately and whether a portion of it should “paid for” with cuts to an Energy Department program that subsidizes low interest loans to car companies to build more fuel efficient vehicles.

massnonprofit.org ::

massnonprofit.org ::: September 15, 2011 — An attempt to make one of three proposed casinos in Massachusetts a nonprofit entity, with earnings to be distributed to nonprofits statewide, failed to gain traction as the House yesterday voted 123-32 to create three casino and one slot machine resorts.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

White House Explains Smaller Nonprofit Tax Credits in Jobs Bill - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

White House Explains Smaller Nonprofit Tax Credits in Jobs Bill - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: The White House says that President Obama’s jobs bill would allow nonprofits to get several tax credits designed to encourage employers to hire veterans and the long-term unemployed.

However, when nonprofit experts examined the legislation’s fine print, they discovered that the dollar amounts available to tax-exempt organizations are about two-thirds of those available to other employers.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Labour government lacked clear aims for the sector, says party's policy review group - Third Sector

Labour government lacked clear aims for the sector, says party's policy review group - Third Sector: Labour government lacked clear aims for the sector, says party's policy review group

Panel of MPs, peers, academics, charity chiefs and umbrella bodies says party must make up its mind on public services

The Labour government did not have clear aims for voluntary sector policy beyond a general goal of increasing investment, according to a group set up to review the party’s policies.

The party’s civil society policy review group, a panel of Labour MPs, peers, academics, charity chief executives and umbrella bodies, has been set up to scrutinise the party’s record on the voluntary sector when it was in power and to propose policy suggestions that could form the basis for its next manifesto.

Wisconsin Ag Connection - National/World News - Bill Would Establish Charitable Ag Research Groups

Wisconsin Ag Connection - National/World News - Bill Would Establish Charitable Ag Research Groups: Bill Would Establish Charitable Ag Research Groups
USAgNet - 09/16/2011

Bipartisan bills introduced in the House and Senate on Thursday would establish the legal structure for tax-exempt organizations focusing on agricultural research. The Senate version was introduced by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Committee Member John Thune (R-S.D.).

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Nonprofits Fight Proposal to Curb Charity Tax Breaks - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Nonprofits Fight Proposal to Curb Charity Tax Breaks - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Nonprofits Fight Proposal to Curb Charity Tax Breaks

September 15, 2011, 9:32 am

By Lisa Chiu

Nonprofits are gearing up to fight President Obama’s plan to pay for his jobs bill in part by limiting charitable deductions. Mr. Obama wants to limit the amount all wealthy people can write off for charitable gifts as well as housing, medical expenses, and other items.

Americans for Community Development, the professional organization for L3Cs

Americans for Community Development, the professional organization for L3Cs: Legislation authorizing L3Cs is enacted as an amendment to the general limited liability company (LLC) act, rather than as a separate act. This allows L3Cs to take advantage of the flexibility of the LLC format and the existing body of law regarding their governance. Below are links to the LLC laws for the jurisdictions in which the L3C legislation has been enacted:

White House Names New Head of Social-Innovation Unit - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

White House Names New Head of Social-Innovation Unit - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: White House Names New Head of Social-Innovation Unit

September 15, 2011, 6:50 am

By Suzanne Perry

Jonathan Greenblatt, who served as chief executive of the company that oversees Good magazine and helped create All for Good, an online volunteer database, has been named the new director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation.

Mr. Greenblatt replaces Sonal Shah, who stepped down in August after heading the office since it was created in 2009.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

cayCompass.com :: AG: New Charities Bill will go forward

cayCompass.com :: AG: New Charities Bill will go forward:


AG: New Charities Bill will go forward
By: Brent Fuller | brent@cfp.ky
13 September, 2011
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A proposal to better regulate charities operating in the Cayman Islands that was panned by nearly every charitable organisation in the country last year will still go forward at some stage, Attorney General Sam Bulgin has indicated.

SOI Tax Stats - County Income Data

SOI Tax Stats - County Income Data: SOI Tax Stats - County Income Data




The County Income Data are based on the addresses reported on individual income tax returns filed with the IRS. The data are presented by county (including state totals) and are available for Tax Years 1989 through 2008 and include:

IRS Updates Rules for Donors and Grantmakers | Planned Giving Design Center

IRS Updates Rules for Donors and Grantmakers | Planned Giving Design Center: Recently updated Revenue Procedures address the ability of donors to rely on the listing of an organization in Publication 78, Cumulative List of Organizations for purposes of deducting contributions and for making grants from private foundations and donor advised funds. In this article, attorney David Wheeler Newman of Mitchell, Silverberg & Knupp LLP reviews these new rules and summarizes the steps donors and grantmakers should take, along with suggestions for memorializing this important due diligence.

Obama Targeting Charitable Deduction to Fund Jobs Bill | Planned Giving Design Center

Obama Targeting Charitable Deduction to Fund Jobs Bill | Planned Giving Design Center: The White House has released details of President Obama's $447 billion jobs bill. The plan proposes to finance the measure by reducing the tax benefit wealthier taxpayers receive from their itemized deductions, including the charitable deduction, to 28 percent. Thus, a taxpayer in the 35 percent top marginal bracket who gives $100,000 to charity will receive $7,000 less in tax benefit than they receive today. Similar proposals have failed in the past and charity officials are now arguing the plan would be counterproductive because reducing the tax benefit of the charitable deduction will reduce contributions to and jobs within the nonprofit sector at the same time the government is seeking to increase employment.

Boston Mayor Suggests PILOT Credit to Spur Nonprofit Hiring::

massnonprofit.org ::: September 12, 2011 — Boston-based nonprofits, such as hospitals, universities, and other nonprofits, that hire jobless city residents would get a credit of up to $1,500 off the amount they are asked to pay to the city in lieu of property taxes under a plan proposed by Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Senator seeks new tax from nonprofits

Senator seeks new tax from nonprofits: local lawmaker intends to introduce legislation that would require the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and insurance provider Highmark, as well as major universities and other large nonprofit entities, to pay real estate taxes on all of their property holdings.

Panel calls for stricter oversight of grants | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Panel calls for stricter oversight of grants | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram: AUGUSTA - State agencies should confirm that recipients of public grant money have adequate financial capacity and controls, the Legislature's Government Oversight Committee has concluded.

New legal requirements could help prevent a repeat of problems attributed to the Maine Green Energy Alliance, which won a $3 million federal grant but was terminated for questionable performance last winter after six months and $500,000 in spending.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Campaign Urges Obama to Include Nonprofits in Jobs Plan - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Campaign Urges Obama to Include Nonprofits in Jobs Plan - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Independent Sector, a coalition of nonprofits and foundations, has started a petition campaign to persuade the president to include measures that would increase nonprofit employment as part of his proposal to boost the economy.

The campaign encourages supporters to post messages on Twitter using the hashtag “#nonprofits.” The goal is to persuade the White House to make sure that nonprofit groups receive the same federal incentives as businesses for creating new jobs.

Commission produces more detailed Equality Act guidance - Civil Society - Governance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Commission produces more detailed Equality Act guidance - Civil Society - Governance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: The Charity Commission has published new guidance to help charities stay within the law of the Equality Act after charity lawyers complained that its original version was not comprehensive enough.

The guidance aims to assist charities to apply the exemptions in the new Act that allow them to provide benefits to certain members of the public and not others.

NCVO-led group to review the effects and burdens of Charities Act 2006 - Civil Society - Governance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

NCVO-led group to review the effects and burdens of Charities Act 2006 - Civil Society - Governance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: NCVO has set up a new group to lead an independent review of charity law, which will shadow the work of the government’s own review of the Charities Act 2006 due to start in November.