We are thrilled to announce the release of new research on the impact of current tax proposals on charitable giving. What we found is important for our communities, our sector, and our country.
The study, commissioned by Independent Sector and conducted by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, found that tax proposals being discussed in Washington have the potential to decrease charitable giving by an estimated $13.1 billion. The study also found that expanding the charitable deduction to all taxpayers would actually lead to an estimated net increase of $4.8 billion.
Last year, Independent Sector anticipated that an overhaul of our tax code might mean significant decreases in charitable giving.
We commissioned polling research and learned that the vast majority of Americans favored expanding the charitable deduction to all taxpayers. We received positive signals about this position from our partners in Congressional offices. We knew that learning more about the implications of proposals, such as the 2014 Tax Reform Act introduced by then House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), would help us strengthen our argument.
With research showing that an expanded charitable deduction has the potential to more than offset any loss of charitable giving, we will be full-steam ahead in ensuring Members of Congress and the Administration take an aggressive stance toward protecting and empowering the charitable community to do even more good.
We hope you’ll join us and use this valuable data to help make the case for expanding opportunities for even more Americans to give back to their communities.
What You Can Do
Learn more about the study and use our resources to help you create calls to action around this important issue. With the Administration and Republican leaders aiming to move forward on tax reform this summer, our time to make a difference is right now.
Please also visit Giving100.org to learn more about how your organization can be a part of this broader effort.
Our policy staff, Jamie Tucker or Allison Grayson, are ready to help if you have any questions.
Thank you for being a partner in our mission to ensure a strong charitable community. Together, we are giving voice to the 1.6 million organizations across the country that improve lives, protect the natural world, and advance the common good.
