October 29, 2009
Concerns About Federal Impact on Charity, Plus More: Thursday's Roundup
- Howard Husock, vice president of policy research at the Manhattan Institute, writes on Townhall.com that “the stars are aligning for government to capture funds that would have otherwise gone to philanthropy and for government itself to pick charity winners and losers.” His concerns center on proposed changes to the amount Americans can deduct for their charitable gifts, the new White House Office of Social Innovation, and the Serve America Act.
- Several prominent corporate chief executives have sales backgrounds, so why does it seem that nonprofit chief executives usually are not former fund raisers? Sasha Dichter, director of business development for the Acumen Fund, raises this question on his blog.
- While some nonprofit experts question the appetite of everyday donors for charity evaluations, Ken Berger, chief executive of Charity Navigator, a watchdog group, argues on his blog that there is a growing interest for such information.
- The Chicago News Cooperative is converting from a nonprofit group to a low-profit, limited liability company, or L3C, a move that other journalism ventures might follow, writes Jim Barnett, a blog writer for the Nieman Journalism Lab.
- Allison Fine, a social-media expert, asks groups that recruit or use volunteers to work with the Entertainment Industry Foundation to develop a long-term strategy for promoting volunteerism following last week’s “iParticipate” TV campaign. Her post responds to Greg Baldwin, president of VolunteerMatch, who says the week of volunteer-themed programs and public-service announcements did not translate into many new volunteers.
Comments
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Read Husock’s column. He is right on the money.
Obama also has the uncanny ability to turn gold into lead, and corrupts whatever he touches. Everything possible should be done to ensure that he keeps his — and his fellow thugs’ — grubby paws out of our sector, and stop trying to run our lives as he sees fit.
— Jeff Steele Oct 29, 03:25 PM #
I too am dismayed about the direction toward government-run “volunteering.” It started several years ago with some HSs and colleges instituting a volunteering requirement — surely an oxymoron — for graduation! I know whereof I speak: having grown up under a communist regime that regularly required participating in “youth and community brigades” for everything from local clean up and beautification to helping with harvest or in factories. Somebody please explain to me what the difference is between “required” volunteer work and indentured servitude or slavery. Is that where the wonderful American tradition of free people to form free associations for various worthy causes is headed?
— IPZ Oct 29, 03:52 PM #
As numerous studies have pointed out, top donors at many institutions often give more than the current cap for tax deductible gifts. This is because – surprise! – they are giving to charities for reasons that don’t involve taxes! You know, like good will and philanthropy and social justice.
I, for one, would like to see President Obama keep his “grubby paws” on the non-profit sector, as he’s giving it a lot of fabulous publicity. I suggest others take a deep breath and stop banging on about perceived communism and thuggery.
— Travis Oct 29, 04:32 PM #
3 wake-up calls for Travis, who has obviously been hibernating. Shake it off, Trav.
1) Of course, people don’t give for tax reasons, but taxes affect the way they give, and very few don’t take advantage of the 5-year tax-carryforwards to exceed the annual caps, or give in sophisticated ways that aren’t obvious to the average bear.
2) The Communism is far from perceived. Several of the Agitator-in-Chief’s appointees are self-avowed, card-carrying Communists, and many of Obama’s enumerated goals and philosophies are textbook Marxist. Of course, one would have actually had to read a textbook or two to know this.
3) The thuggery is self-evident. The White House and its liberal minions, who are supposed to REPRESENT the people, have acted in defiance of the people’s clear and expressed preferences, and their own surveys confirm it.
Perhaps you like the feel of Obama’a grubby paws, but I’m not about to bend over for him and hand him a jar of Vaseline.
— Jeff Steele Oct 29, 05:08 PM #
Obama is a professional agitator who uses “volunteers” like ACORN’s highly paid thugs to do his bidding.
— Gary Sweeten Oct 29, 10:16 PM #
Wow, Jeff; you’re a very, very angry man with a paranoia typical of a political extremist, who caps his comments off with homophobic remarks. Charming.
— Travis Nov 8, 01:27 AM #
Travis, I have yet to find an actual fact contained in any of your posts. Are you in possession of any?
And, oh, yes, how is it that you neglected to call me a racist, along with political extremist, paranoid and homophobe? If you make yourself a checklist and purchase a dictionary, the next time you plan to post, you may be able to conceal your limited attention span and unfamiliarity with the language.
— Jeff Steele Nov 9, 11:00 AM #
I am extremely dismayed by the comments on this post. They are rather disgusting to appear on The Chronicle of Philanthropy and I would like the moderator to take action.
As for the subject matter Howard Husock discusses, I do not have facts and statistics to counter his arguments. But I do have experience.
I currently work in a volunteer center after being unemployed for two years. I am very thankful for the Recovery money which made it possible for my center to receive an AmeriCorps grant. Because of this grant and the increase in volunteer volume, I have a job. Not only am I happy to be working, the AmeriCorps personnel are also grateful to have a job and acquire new skills. All of their positions are influential in eliminating poverty in underprivileged areas.
Another part of my job is to facilitate high school students with their required hours. I do not consider requiring hours of service to be a communist regime. I see it as a learning opportunity for the generation whose parents’ greed got us into the present financial mess.
I am very thankful that the government is refocusing our attention from ourselves to the needs of others.
— Ellen Nov 19, 12:52 PM #