Government Relations Update

Government Relations Update

Two bills have been introduced that would create a universal charitable deduction, which would allow donors to deduction charitable donations from their taxable income, regardless of whether or not they itemized their taxes.

Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, has introduced H.R. 1260. The full text of H.R. 1260 can be found here, with a list of co-sponsors here.

The universal charitable deduction is AFP’s key legislative priority, and AFP is focusing on H.R. 1260. Rep. Davis’ leadership on this issue is especially critical, as through his positions on the committee, he can manage the legislation through the process and ensure that the universal charitable deduction is included in any comprehensive tax bills that are developed.

Please consider reaching out to your local U.S. Representative and encouraging them to co-sponsor H.R. 1260. A sample email is available below.

------

Please consider asking your local U.S. Representative to support H.R. 1260 which would create a universal charitable deduction.

U.S. Representative Contact Information

District 3 – Rep. Jeff Duncan (https://jeffduncan.house.gov/contact-me/email-me)

District 4 – Rep. William Timmons (https://timmons.house.gov/contact/email-me)

District 5 – Rep. Ralph Norman (https://norman.house.gov/contact/)

Sample email

Dear Rep. NAME:

As a constituent who works in the charitable sector focusing on fixing community problems and challenges, I urge you to cosponsor H.R. 1260, which would allow every American to take a charitable deduction for their philanthropic gifts, even if they didn’t itemize their taxes.

Why is this bill important? The comprehensive 2017 tax law removed the incentive for 21 million Americans to give to charity. And that change DID have an impact! You may have seen headlines that giving increased in 2018. But the growth in giving, according to the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Fundraising Effectiveness Project, dropped by 80 percent!

Even worse, giving by small-level donors, gifts in the $25 - $500 range, or even higher up to $1,000 range—continues to decrease. Giving only increased in 2018 because of major and mega-level gifts. Big gifts are important—and they get all the headlines—but they don’t serve as the foundation of American philanthropy. In addition, the number of households donating to charity has declined continuously for the past 15 years.

America’s nonprofit sector—and the great tradition of philanthropy—needs H.R. 1260 and a charitable deduction for all donors. Allowing all taxpayers to deduct their charitable contributions will reverse the declining number of American households giving to charity. The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy estimates that H.R. 1260 could increase giving by $7 billion if the bill were passed into law.

As a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, I know first-hand how important charitable giving incentives are. People give because they want to give—for personal reasons—but how much they give and how often they give is affected by incentives like the charitable deduction.

OPTIONAL: INSERT A SENTENCE OR TWO ABOUT GIVING AT YOUR OWN ORGANIZATION AND HOW H.R. 1260 AND A UNIVERSAL CHARITABLE DEDUCTION WOULD BENEFIT YOUR MISSION AND THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE.

Please support the charitable sector and donors in your district. I urge you to cosponsor H.R. 1260, encourage your colleagues to do the same, and vote for the bill whenever it comes to the floor.

Thank you for your support.

NAME

ADDRESS