Issue: Charitable Giving

Issue

Charitable giving is the lifeblood of museums of all sizes and disciplines; it accounts for more than one-third of their operating funds. We support efforts to extend and expand incentives for charitable giving. Limitations on these incentives could have a chilling effect on the ability of museums to attract donations needed to serve their communities and protect their collections. We urge Congress to:

• expand and make permanent the universal charitable deduction, which was established on a limited and temporary basis in the CARES Act. It allows taxpayers to deduct charitable contributions regardless of whether they itemize.
• extend the CARES Act provision that allows individuals to deduct up to 100 percent of their Adjusted Gross Income through charitable gifts.
• support the Legacy IRA Act (S. 243), allowing seniors to make tax-free distributions to planned giving accounts as well as to charities.
• exclude the charitable deduction from any proposals to reduce the value of itemized deductions.
• support the Artist-Museum Partnership Act, allowing artists to get a tax deduction when they donate their own work to museums.

Download the Tax Policy Issue Brief (PDF)

Supporting Letters and Testimony

• Charitable Giving Coalition Submits 2017 Testimony to Senate Finance Committee
• Alliance Joins Coalition Letter Thanking Senators Thune and Wyden for Introducing CHARITY Act
• Joint Nonprofit Letter Opposing IRS Gift Substantiation Regulation
• Joint Letter Urging Congress to Act on Permanent Extension of Charitable Tax Provisions, Including Several Museums
• National Nonprofits Urge Congress to Renew Charitable Tax Provisions
• Alliance Joins Coalition Letter to Presidential Candidates in Support of Charitable Giving Deductions
• Alliance Joins Coalition Letter to Senate Finance Committee Working Groups
• Hundreds of Museums Join November Letter in Support of IRA Rollover
• Alliance Joins Charitable Deduction Letter to Rep. Paul Ryan
• Over 220 Museums Join Open House Letter in Support of IRA Rollover
• Alliance Joins Open Letter to House Ways and Means Committee (IRA Rollover)
• Alliance Joins IS Letter in Support of IRA Rollover
• 33 Senators Sign On to Letter to Protect Charitable Deduction
• Hundreds of Museums Join Charitable Deduction Letter
• Alliance Joins Letter to Senate Finance Committee
• Alliance Joins Coalition Letter to the White House
• Alliance Joins Coalition Letter to Senate Budget Committee
• Alliance Testimony on Tax Reform and Charitable Contributions
• Alliance Joins Statement to House Ways & Means Committee
• Ford Bell’s Testimony on Tax-Exempt Organizations
• Alliance Joins Letter Opposing Limitations to Charitable Deduction
• Alliance Joins IS Letter Supporting Preserving the Charitable Deduction