By Doug Donovan for the Chronicle of Philanthropy
Nonprofits need a single organization to spearhead a national advocacy network to champion public policies that help charities and foundations, especially as Washington seems poised to consider an overhaul of the federal tax code, says a new report.
A two-year study involving more than 100 interviews with experts and studies of 500 advocacy efforts was released Wednesday by Independent Sector, a coalition of charities and foundations. The report estimated that it would cost $20-million over four years to establish a national organization to push a nonprofit agenda.
“The current fiscal climate demands a strong nonprofit voice on public-policy matters now more than ever,” says the report. “The sector must be well positioned to respond to public-policy initiatives concerning tax laws that affect charitable and philanthropic organizations.”
Diana Aviv, chief executive of Independent Sector, says challenges to tax laws that benefit charities and donors should spur nonprofits into action. No matter who wins the election, she says, lawmakers will come under pressure to change the tax code, given the huge federal deficit. “There is a great urgency now that we haven’t seen in decades,” Ms. Aviv says.
