Posted on 03/05/2010 5:56:40 AM PST by Kaslin
“It’s hard to overstate the crisis facing charitable giving today. So let me just say it as plainly as I can: Much of current philanthropic giving, by foundations and individuals, neither meets the needs of our charitable organizations nor addresses some of our most urgent public needs.”
-Pablo Eisenberg, Wall Street Journal, November 9, 2009
“Eighty percent of the charities surveyed last month said they had lost financial support, compared with 52 percent in 2008.”
-Chronicle of Philanthropy, December 10, 2009
Charitable giving in America has fallen on hard times. And the prospect for 2010 does not look any better. Based on the Dunham+Company annual New Year’s Philanthropy survey conducted in January of this year, Americans say they are loosening their purse strings on entertainment and other household expenses but not on charitable giving.
When it comes to charitable giving, 37% of respondents indicate they continue to reduce their charitable donations and 23% say they have eliminated donations altogether – statistically the same rates as last year.
Yet in spite of the crisis facing charitable giving, the Obama Administration steams ahead at full speed endangering even more charitable institutions through the proposed tax increases unveiled in its 2010 budget along with deduction decreases on charitable giving.
The Obama budget resurrects the proposals from last year to raise taxes on single households making $200,000 or more and couples making $250,000 or more. This is compounded by the Obama administration proposing to decrease the charitable deduction for these same households, limiting the deduction to 28 percent. That would be a perfect storm for undermining the charitable sector … and the certain demise of some charities.
It is argued that these households only make up 2.8% of all households but, according to the Center on Philanthropy, they contribute 43.5% of all charitable gifts. The Center on Philanthropy goes on to estimate that these moves would decrease charitable giving by about 2.1 percent, which would have meant a decrease of income to charities in 2006 (the last year for which we have data) of almost $3.9 billion. In other words, they would hinder the most generous Americans from doing what they should do – share generously with those in need through a charity that specializes in the service it provides.
What is also not acknowledged is the fact that nearly 50 percent of these households are either sub-chapter S corporations or partnerships. Thus these policies will directly impact millions of small businesses.
So another way to look at the impact of these proposals is this: If the Obama plan stays as is, the tax burden of an individual owning a small S corporation with taxable income of $250,000 (including personal income and corporate profit) would jump from 33 percent to 39.6 percent, or $16,500, which is 6.6 percent of the household income and close to the average of what these households now give to charity – $20,500.
It’s clear the Obama administration doesn’t respect the enormous impact these households have on charitable institutions. To the plan’s supporters, this increased level of taxation and reduction in the charitable deduction is only fair since they are in favor of redistribution of wealth … in this case, from successful and generous households and away from charity… to the government.
In a report released late last year by Barclays Wealth (in partnership with Ledbury Research), charitable giving may be in for an even more difficult time than we think. It states,
“Throughout history, private charitable giving has undergone cycles of boom and bust. In each, the stimulus was wealth creation and business innovation by private individuals, both of which were turned towards solving the social problems of the day. …governments regularly intervened to provide much needed support, bringing the donor-led philanthropic age to an end.”
The report highlights that the last government intervention was “when Roosevelt expanded the role of government to fulfill charitable commitments.”
Today, the Obama administration is heading in the same direction. The proposed tax increases undermine wealth creation and business innovation that is desperately needed to spur philanthropy and provide the critical support of charitable institutions. Instead Obama and his administration are intervening through their increased taxation on the households so important to philanthropy and at the same time reducing the incentive to give by capping the charitable deduction at 28 percent.
This should sound an alarm to charities that their future is at risk. Just as when President Roosevelt expanded the role of government which led to a profound negative impact on charitable giving and therefore, charitable institutions, so we are now headed in that same direction should these tax increases and charitable deduction decreases be passed.
At a time when charities are struggling as people continue to pull back in their charitable support these proposals could accelerate the erosion of charitable institutions and their effectiveness just when these institutions are needed more than ever.
Many charities are in the fight for their lives. With Obama’s help some will face an early death.
The Marxists want to destroy private charitable giving. Don’t you understand? If it’s not the government, it’s not good.
Obama's Charity Care death panels?
“Today, the Obama administration is heading in the same direction. The proposed tax increases undermine wealth creation and business innovation that is desperately needed to spur philanthropy and provide the critical support of charitable institutions.”
Well, that’s pretty much by design! Big Government people don’t want ANYONE helping the needy aside from Big Government. They don’t like the competition for tax dollars and dependency. (And votes!)
Why do you think the Left denegrates religion to the extent that it does? Again, they don’t want churches (tax-exempt *GASP*) helping those in need, so they kick at the underpinnings of society when they can. They don’t care who gets hurt; they just want to be there with OUR tax dollars to clean up the messes they create!
Grrrrr! (OK. I’m done.)
Not Christian. No how. No way.
From the same kind of people who can’t stand to leave a tip in a restaurant.
You've hit upon the reason for all of this. Zero and his minions will eventually get to the churches and people who give to them. He is satan controlled and will do his bidding.
I also await the day when churches are told not to preach that homosexuality is a sin and if they do, they will lose their tax exempt status.
They already are forbidden to preach against evil politicians from the pulpit, at the risk of losing that status.
I'm for churches, including my own, voluntarily giving it up and telling the truth that abortion is evil, homosexuality is an abomination too. I'm a lone voice crying in the wilderness on that point though.
States are moving to do away with charity deductions too. St. Jude’s Childrens Cancer Hospital operates on a lot of donations.
How Democrats could pass health bill with 51 votes
PLEASE CALL! DC OFFICE LOCAL OFFICE State District
Harry Mitchell (202) 225-2190 (480) 946-2411 AZ 5th District
Gabrielle Giffords (202) 225-2542 (520) 881-3588 AZ 8th District
Ann Kirkpatrick (202) 225-2315 (928) 226-6914 AZ 1st District
Jerry McNerney (202) 225-1947 925-833-0643 CA 11th District
John Salazar 202-225-4761 970-245-7107 CO 3rd District
Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 (866) 453-0028 CT 4th District
Alan Grayson (202) 225-2176 (407) 841-1757 FL 8th District
Bill Foster (202) 225-2976 630-406-1114 IL 14th District
Baron Hill 202 225 5315 812 288 3999 IN 9th District
Mark Schauer (202) 225-6276 (517) 780-9075 MI 7th District
Gary Peters (202) 225-5802 (248) 273-4227 MI 9th District
Dina Titus (202) 225-3252 702-256-DINA (3462) NV 3rd District
Carol Shea-Porter (202) 225-5456 (603) 743-4813 NH 1st District
Tim Bishop (202) 225-3826 (631) 696-6500 NY 1st District
John Hall (202) 225-5441 (845) 225-3641 x49371 NY 19th District
Bill Owens (202) 225-4611 (315) 782-3150 NY 23rd District
Mike Arcuri (202)225-3665 (315)793-8146 NY 24th District
Dan Maffei (202) 225-3701 (315) 423-5657 NY 25th District
Earl Pomeroy (202) 225-2611 (701) 224-0355 ND At-Large District
Steven Driehaus (202) 225-2216 (513) 684-2723 OH 1st District
Mary Jo Kilroy (202) 225-2015 (614) 294-2196 OH 15th District
Zach Space (202) 225-6265 (330) 364-4300 OH 18th District
Kathy Dahlkemper (202) 225-5406 (814) 456-2038 PA 3rd District
Patrick Murphy (202) 225-4276 (215) 826-1963 PA 8th District
Christopher Carney (202) 225-3731 (570) 585-9988 PA 10th District
Paul Kanjorski (202) 225-6511 (570) 825-2200 PA 11th District
John Spratt (202) 225-5501 (803)327-1114 SC 5th District
Tom Perriello (202) 225-4711 (276) 656-2291 VA 5th District
Alan Mollohan (202) 225-4172 (304) 623-4422 WVA 1st District
Nick Rahall (202) 225-3452 (304) 252-5000 WVA 3rd District
Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665 (920) 437-1954 WI 8th District
OBAMANOMICS—TRICKLE DOWN DESTRUCTION of the economy
Bambi doesn’t keep his promises...so buyer beware!
SET THEIR LOCAL AND DC LINES ON FIRE!
PLEASE ASK THEM TO REPEAL THE BIG NEW FEES in TRICARE for Life, the retired Military over 65 secondary health ins. which they passed in a DOD bill. They promised our Military these benefits, and our Military have earned them.
Sen Scott Brown’s number is 202-224-4543
Capitol Hill switchboard is 202-224-3121
Lots of local demwit phone numbers on this thread
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2408217/posts
Rename, repackage, rewrite it a tad smaller, and sell another pig in a poke. NO COLAs for granny, retired Military or retired fed employees. BIG NEW fees for Tricare for Life retired over 65 Military’s secondary health ins. (DOD bill already passed, delayed but goes into effect 2011 NEEDS TO BE REPEALED!
OBAMA’s WAR ON SENIORS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2433867/posts/
New Dem mantra: Woof, woof eat dog food granny....ala let them eat cake.
Obama says slight fix will extend Social Security, http://townhall.com/news/us/2010/02/19/obama_says_slight_fix_will_extend_social_security
Health Care Rationing for Seniors Another Problem in New Obama Plan http://www.lifenews.com/bio3058.html
Medicare tax may apply to investment income (ObamaCare tax hike)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2460988/posts
Obama: No reduced Medicare benefits in health care reform
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/28/obama.health.care/index.html
Will healthcare reform mean cuts in Medicare for seniors?
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2009/1017/will-healthcare-reform-mean-cuts-in-medicare-for-seniors
Health Reform’s Hidden Victims Young people and seniors would pay a high price for ObamaCare.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203517304574306303720472842.html
SOCIALIZED MED THREAD http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2464538/posts
MILITARY & Retired MILITARY
TRI CARE FOR LIFE This from a google search:
http://economicspolitics.blogspot.com/2009/05/tricare-for-life-is-obama-trying-to.html
This option would help reduce the costs of TFL, as well as costs for Medicare, by introducing minimum out-of pocket requirements for beneficiaries. Under this option, TFL would not cover any of the first $525 of an enrollee’s cost-sharing liabilities for calendar year 2011 and would limit coverage to 50 percent of the next $4,725 in Medicare cost sharing that the beneficiary incurred. (Because all further cost sharing would be covered by TFL, enrollees could not pay more than $2,888 in cost sharing in that year.) http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/99xx/doc9925/12-18-HealthOptions.pdf
Bill Would Restrict Veterans’ Health Care Options 11/06/09
Buyer and McKeon Offer Amendments to Protect Veterans and TRICARE Beneficiaries
Congress plans to block Tricare fee increases
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w/
By Rick Maze - Staff writer, Oct 7, 2009
Tricare fee increases imposed last week by the Defense Department will be repealed by a provision of the compromise 2010 defense authorization bill unveiled Wednesday by House and Senate negotiators.
The fee increases were announced on Sept. 30 and took effect on Oct. 1, but the defense bill, HR 2647, includes a provision barring any fee increases until the start of fiscal 2011.
Retired Army Maj. Gen. Bill Matz, president of the National Association for Uniformed Services, said the announcement of fee increases was shocking considering that the Obama administration promised earlier this year to hold off on any new fee Tricare fee increases until fiscal 2011.
“President Obama and DoD assured NAUS and the entire military family earlier this year that there would rightly be no increases in any Tricare fees” in fiscal 2010, Matz said. “We took them at their word, and I can’t believe that a co-pay increase like this was allowed to go forward,” he added.
The government has been destroying charitable giving for a long time. Politicians want that money to buy votes and bureaucrats want to build their empires. After all, 70 cents of every dollar of “government charity” or “entitlements” sticks to some bureaucrat’s or politician’s fingers. Only thirty percent of the actual spending makes it to the intended recipients.
Charitable giving is commanded by God,
and is good for the human soul, helps it grow.
And, these are the two reasons that 0bama and the left seek to destroy it.
anti-Christian,
with a lower case ‘a’.
The left’s whole ideology is based on an anti-Christian agenda, led by the spirit of the anti-Christ.
No, you’re not alone. I’ve got your back. ;)
“I also await the day when churches are told not to preach that homosexuality is a sin and if they do, they will lose their tax exempt status.”
Some sects of the Lutheran Church are already doing that...WILLINGLY!
Man, I miss That Old Time Religion! I’m still looking for a new church home and it’s been two years! No one is STRICT enough for me. Except, of course, ‘The Religion of Peace(TM). *Rolleyes*
bump
I only tithe to my church and give to Christian organizations like Salvation Army, the Rescue Mission, 700 Club and Samaritan’s Purse, no secular groups.
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