Independent Sector, Council on Foundations, and several other infrastructure and charitable organizations brought leaders and community members together to discuss charitable giving and tax reform today on Capitol Hill.
The briefing primarily focused on the policy proposal of expanding the charitable deduction to all American taxpayers, including people who do not itemize, based on research commissioned by Independent Sector and conducted by Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
The research, Tax Policy and Charitable Giving, found that current tax reform proposals by Republican lawmakers and the Administration would decrease charitable giving by an estimated $13.1 billion a year. However, the study also found that when those proposals incorporated an expanded charitable deduction for all taxpayers, including people who do not currently itemize on their taxes, charitable giving would actually increase by an estimated $4.8 billion.
Today, a panel discussed these findings and why expanding the charitable deduction would improve their ability to provide more services to people in their communities. Panelists included Steve Taylor, senior vice president and counsel for public policy for United Way Worldwide, John Ashmen, president of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, Heather Noonan, vice president of advocacy for League of American Orchestras, and Josh Grandy, a 14-year-old cellist with OrchKids, a program of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Hadar Susskind of Council on Foundations and Allison Grayson or Independent Sector moderated the discussion.
Great testimonial from Josh Grandy on the impact & importance of @BSOOrchKids. #protectgiving #taxreform pic.twitter.com/1WWvnSblnq
— Todd Dupler (@ToddDupler) June 28, 2017
Speakers told a packed room that while people from all income levels are generous, they give more when they are given a tax incentive to do so. Independent Sector will be continuing to work with Congress and the Administration to ensure that our tax code incentivizes all Americans to give more to support their communities.
Learn more at IndependentSector.org/deduction and at giving100.org.
