Leaders Fight For Clear, Fair Political Activity Rules | The NonProfit Times

Leaders Fight For Clear, Fair Political Activity Rules | The NonProfit Times: Imagine there is a law that mandates you cannot drive fast, but the speed limit is not posted: You have been given no definition of what it means to go fast. This is the situation charities face when it comes to political activity. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has failed to define what constitutes political activity, relying on the “facts and circumstances” of each case to decide whether an organization is participating in political activities.

The Second Annual “Protect Giving Day” Invites You to Be the Charitable Deduction - Press - AFP

The Second Annual “Protect Giving Day” Invites You to Be the Charitable Deduction - Press - AFP: On Nov. 20, more than 200 attendees representing over 140 organizations participated in the Charitable Giving Coalition’s Protect Giving – DC Day.

In its second year, the Charitable Giving Coalition set out to continue the fight to preserve the full value of the charitable deduction by convincing Congress that WE are the charitable deduction. Broken out into 36 teams, they attended hundreds of meetings across the Hill, all portraying their connection to the charitable deduction.

Pittsburgh’s New Mayor Clashes with Nonprofit Coalition over PILOTs - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Pittsburgh’s New Mayor Clashes with Nonprofit Coalition over PILOTs - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: At the end of this year, the City of Pittsburgh’s accord with a coalition known as the Pittsburgh Public Service Fund will end, and it’s already caused friction between local nonprofits and the city’s newly elected mayor, Bill Peduto.

The fund—about $2.6 million this year—is comprised by voluntary contributions called PILOTs (payments in lieu of taxes) from about 40 tax-exempt nonprofits whose identities are known, while the amounts they contribute are not. Pittsburgh, while not the only city in America with PILOTs, probably has the largest, most well known, and most contentious program.

Sector urged to write to ministers in support of changes to lobbying bill | Third Sector

Sector urged to write to ministers in support of changes to lobbying bill | Third Sector: The Directory of Social Change says voluntary sector bodies should ask ministers and MPs to support an amendment by Lord Phillips of Sudbury

The Directory of Social Change is calling on voluntary sector organisations to write to government ministers and urge them to support an amendment to the lobbying bill that would exclude charities from key parts of the legislation.

NH panel gets look at draft gambling regulations - News Local New Hampshire - Boston.com

NH panel gets look at draft gambling regulations - News Local New Hampshire - Boston.com: The New Hampshire Gaming Regulatory Oversight Authority meets Friday to go over draft legislation that looks at rules to regulate a casino and possibly recommend changes to the state’s existing rules on charitable gaming. The panel believes charitable gaming regulations need to be tightened separately from legislation governing a casino.

Charity Commission chair calls for debate on definition of charity | Third Sector

Charity Commission chair calls for debate on definition of charity | Third Sector:



Charity Commission chair calls for debate on definition of charity

By Andy Ricketts, Third Sector Online, 14 November 2013
William Shawcross



William Shawcross, chair of the Charity Commission, has called for a debate on whether new definitions of charity are needed to highlight the differences between various types of charitable organisation.

In a speech in London made last night as part of the Lord Mayor’s Charity Leadership programme, which addresses challenges to the effectiveness of charities, Shawcross said there had been a "blurring of boundaries between charities and other types of organisation", which he said could undermine public trust in the concept of charity.

AICPA Comments on Form 990 | Planned Giving Design Center

AICPA Comments on Form 990 | Planned Giving Design Center: Writing on behalf of AICPA, Tax Executive Committee Chair Jeffrey A. Porter, CPA has submitted the institute's comments and recommendations regarding IRS Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, and instructions.

Michigan charities fight to save poker rooms from new regulations | MLive.com

Michigan charities fight to save poker rooms from new regulations | MLive.com: LANSING — A lively crowd of nonprofit organization members and charity poker advocates gathered at the state Capitol to express their opposition to pro