Everyone knows we've got to reduce the nation's budget deficit. But some members of Congress and the Obama administration are seriously considering a wrongheaded proposal to cut the deficit in part by hurting nonprofit organizations. The proposal would reduce the tax incentive received by many individual Americans when they donate to charities. It's a dumb idea, considering how vital these contributions are to nonprofit organizations, which receive up to one half of all of their individual donations from the very same taxpayers who would be affected by this new law. (This is according to the Money for Good report from Hope Consulting)
Frankly Congress should be creating MORE -- not FEWER -- incentives to give to charity.
At a time when Big Oil, huge agri-businesses and other fat cat corporations receive billions of dollars worth of tax breaks every year, it's obscene for our leaders to even think about curbing our budget deficit by hurting nonprofit charities.
That's why Care2 CEO Randy Paynter, Network for Good CEO Bill Strathmann, and Nonprofit Technology Network Executive Director Holly Ross have co-authored a new petition, posted here on Frogloop, urging the U.S. Senate to do the right thing by opposing this proposal.
This petition is a grassroots complement to a more "grasstops" coalition letter already sent to the White House by Independent Sector, the Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation and other leading organizations that represent the nonprofit sector and are opposed to reducing the charitable tax deduction.
I urge Frogloop readers to sign this petition, to send a powerful message to our senators that they should look elsewhere to cut the deficit -- without harming the missions of the legions of nonprofits that work tirelessly every day to better the world. These organizations provide comfort to the sick, disabled, hungry and homeless. They eliminate injustices, save the environment, protect animals and advance countless other vital causes. They deserve our help and support, not a law that would deprive them of an estimated $7 billion per year in contributions.
After signing the petition and writing an individual message that Care2 will deliver to your senators, you can press the buttons to post the petition instantly to your Facebook newsfeed and/or to send a Tweet about it. Or you can click on the "grab this petition" link to cut and paste the code enabling you to post the widget to your own blog or website, and thereby spread the petition even further.
WIth many thousands of voters signing this petition, we can put Congress on notice that they should "think again" about doing anything to hurt U.S. charities!
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