As nonprofit leader, you already know that our tax code does not treat all charitable giving fairly. Some Americans receive a clear message from the federal government that their donations matter, but the vast majority do not.
Every donation and every donor are critically important to nonprofit organizations’ ability to fulfill their missions. It is time for Congress to recognize this fact by creating a fairer system that helps all Americans, regardless of income, give back to their communities.
Currently, we are seeing clear warning signs about the alarming results of unfair giving incentives in our tax code. For every year we have data available since 2002, the number of donors has declined. In addition, individual giving dropped last year by 3.4% in real dollars with a strong economy, compared to 3% growth in 2017.
Without immediate action, these trends not only threaten critical services, but also may fundamentally damage nonprofits, our work, and our communities. For example, charitable giving is a fundamental part of who we are as a nation. A continued decline in the number of people giving to charity could indicate that this common cultural thread that ties our communities together is unraveling. Extending charitable giving incentives to every taxpayer sends a powerful message, especially to younger generations, that charitable giving remains a key American value.
Recent research shows that expanding charitable giving incentives could reverse the long-term decline in the number of Americans giving to charity and inject billions of dollars per year into our sector. In turn, nonprofit organizations can use these resources to serve more people and achieve long-term systems change.
We know that legislators won’t take our cause seriously unless they hear from the people and organizations they represent. Here’s how you can help.
- Tell Congress today to make the tax code fairer to help every American give to charity. Take action now.
- Help us spread this message. Whether directly in your own policy and advocacy work or through informing your communities and networks, we have developed resources to help you educate others on this issue. Visit our #EveryDonationCounts toolkit page.
We thank you for standing alongside us to ensure all people living in the U.S. thrive.
