WASHINGTON, D.C.— Charitable Giving Coalition Chair Brian Flahaven issued the following statement regarding the omission of a restored universal charitable deduction for non-itemizers in the initial bipartisan tax framework being released yesterday:
The Charitable Giving Coalition (CGC) is disappointed to learn that the bipartisan tax framework agreed upon by lead tax writers yesterday did not include a restoration of the charitable deduction for generous lower- and middle-income Americans who do not itemize on their taxes.
Amid a climate of declining charitable giving – which reverberates in food banks, houses of worship, and innumerable other charitable organizations across the nation – it is more important than ever that we advance policies that encourage Americans to give more.
The CGC has worked for years to protect and strengthen the charitable deduction and to expand access to the deduction to all taxpayers. Most recently, more than 1,000 charitable and nonprofit organizations from every state in the Union joined the CGC letter to Congress calling for the restoration and expansion of the deduction.
Although a universal charitable deduction was not included in the initial draft of this tax bill, we remain fully engaged and hopeful lawmakers will acknowledge the importance of this provision to nonprofits and the communities they serve – that is, by ensuring a generous charitable deduction for non-itemizers is included in the final package.
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The Charitable Giving Coalition
Representing private and community foundations, their grantees and independent charities, the Charitable Giving Coalition’s members include United Way Worldwide, the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities USA, the American Council on Education, Jewish Federations of North America, the American Institute for Cancer Research, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Independent Sector, the Council on Foundations, and United Philanthropy Forum, among others. Formed in 2009, the coalition is dedicated to preserving the charitable giving incentive that ensures that our nation’s charities receive the funds necessary to fulfill their essential philanthropic missions. The coalition provides a unique and unified voice on Capitol Hill on issues affecting the charitable deduction, a voice composed of both direct lobbying and robust grassroots advocacy. www.charitablegivingcoalition.org, @CGC_DC