Thursday, March 27, 2014

Obama OKs tax-deductible Haiyan aid

Obama OKs tax-deductible Haiyan aid: e Philippines thanked the United States on Wednesday, March 26, after US President Barack Obama legalized tax-deductible donations for Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors.

Through the Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act, American taxpayers can “continue making tax-deductible donations to typhoon victims in the Philippines until April 15,” the Philippine Embassy in the United States said in a statement.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Hawaii First State to Propose Civic Crowdfunding Legislation | Idea Lab | PBS

Hawaii First State to Propose Civic Crowdfunding Legislation | Idea Lab | PBS: Hawaii has become the first state to propose a bill supporting civic crowdfunding, as it seeks to raise funds for the maintenance and repair of local schools.

HB2631 outlines a pilot program in which two maintenance projects at Hawaii schools are selected for public crowdfunding campaigns.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Archbishop of NY Lobbies for Tax Credits for School Donations and Scholarships - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Archbishop of NY Lobbies for Tax Credits for School Donations and Scholarships - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: A leader of the original nonprofit—the Catholic Church—is advocating for change in New York.

The New York Times reports that a proposed state tax credit for donations to schools and scholarship programs is gaining traction in the state capital, and “turning the archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, into something of a lobbyist.”

The proposed “education investment tax credit” would create a new state tax credit for those who donate money to public schools or to scholarships for poor and middle-class students attending private schools, including religious ones. It is a much larger credit than the deduction that now exists for such contributions.

Study: Peer-To-Peer Fundraising Events Are Growing | The NonProfit Times

Study: Peer-To-Peer Fundraising Events Are Growing | The NonProfit Times: News & Articles > Study: Peer-To-Peer Fundraising Events Are Growing
Study: Peer-To-Peer Fundraising Events Are Growing
By The NonProfit Times - March 18, 2014

Peer-to-peer fundraising has for all intents and purposes turned supporters into organizations’ development departments. A subset of P2P, independent fundraising events (IFEs) are almost wholly supporter-run with little or no staff involvement.

A new study from Austin, Texas-based Charity Dynamics showed that 42 percent of respondents have an IFE program, with another 25 percent looking to add one. Of those with a current program, 63 percent predict their programs will grow by at least 10 percent in 2014.

Australian Charity Regulator Consigned to Bonfire; Charities Protest - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Australian Charity Regulator Consigned to Bonfire; Charities Protest - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Draft Tax Reform Act of 2014 Proposes Profound Impact on Tax-Exempt Organizations - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Draft Tax Reform Act of 2014 Proposes Profound Impact on Tax-Exempt Organizations - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: On February 26, 2014, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) released draft legislation for the Tax Reform Act of 2014. Over the past three years, Congress has held more than 30 hearings in the process of developing this proposal. Also, Chairman Camp and Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) formed 11 separate bipartisan Tax Reform Working Groups to focus on specific issues that included tax-exempt organizations and charitable giving.

While the Draft’s many provisions will be debated throughout the year ahead, and it’s doubtful that it will even be voted on in 2014, it’s crucial that tax-exempt organizations and charities stay on top of the process and understand the possible ramifications of the bill’s many provisions.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Caring Company Program | Imagine Canada

Caring Company Program | Imagine Canada: The First-time Donor's Super Credit

The First-time Donor's Super Credit (FDSC) was announced by the federal government in Budget 2013. It adds 25 percentage points to the federal charitable tax credit for eligible donors.

It provides a new, time-limited and very powerful tax incentive for employees to donate to their favourite charity, through corporate engagement programs.

Public sector could save �16bn by working with local charities, says new research

Public sector could save �16bn by working with local charities, says new research: Locality, an umbrella body for community organisations, claims that English local authorities could save �16bn per year, and improve services, by commissioning services on a “local-by-default basis”.

The report, Saving money by doing the right thing: why ‘local by default' must replace ‘diseconomies of scale’, which was carried out in partnership with Professor John Seddon of Vanguard, argues that the current model of public service contracting is inefficient and that local authorities need to “abandon unhelpful beliefs about ‘economies of scale’ and standardisation”.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

New Canadian Budget Supports Online Charity Registration, Modernization of Lotteries - Press - AFP

New Canadian Budget Supports Online Charity Registration, Modernization of Lotteries - Press - AFP: Budget 2014, introduced yesterday, includes a number of measures impacting Canada’s charities. It is worth noting that despite rhetoric to the contrary prior to the budget’s release, there were no specific measures targeting the political activities of Canadian charities. There is, however, a provision creating a new revocation offence for accepting donations from state supporters of terrorism.

AFP was pleased to see budget provisions that encourage electronic filing and provide funds to bolster the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) Charities Directorate website. As a member of the CRA Technical Issues Working Group, AFP recently discussed potential areas of improvement on the directorate’s website with the CRA and sector colleagues during a recent working group meeting.

The AFP Blog: Significant Legislation, Even in an Election Year

The AFP Blog: Significant Legislation, Even in an Election Year: Significant Legislation, Even in an Election Year
There’s been a lot of activity on the Hill over the past two weeks, here in DC. We’ve seen the introduction of two major public policy initiatives: a tax reform plan released by Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), the chair of the Ways and Means Committee; and the Obama Administration’s 2015 budget.

Both proposals have significant implications for the fundraising profession.

Friday, March 07, 2014

Commission bids for extra funds to register 30,000 church charities

Commission bids for extra funds to register 30,000 church charities: the Charity Commission is expected to bid for several million pounds from government to register an extra 30,000 church charities over the next few years.

Church charities from several denominations, including the Church of England, are excepted from the normal requirement to register with the Commission if their income is over �5,000.

Thursday, March 06, 2014

Charities, Fundraisers Call New Tax Plan a “Mixed Bag”—Appreciate Simplification, Concerned About Impact on Giving - Press - AFP

Charities, Fundraisers Call New Tax Plan a “Mixed Bag”—Appreciate Simplification, Concerned About Impact on Giving - Press - AFP: Charities, Fundraisers Call New Tax Plan a “Mixed Bag”—Appreciate Simplification, Concerned About Impact on Giving

(Feb. 28, 2014) The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) today expressed its appreciation to Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) for recognizing the unique value of the charitable deduction in his new plan that seeks to simplify the tax code. However, AFP remains deeply concerned about provisions in his proposal that would decrease giving.