HARTFORD, Susan Campbell writes about the possible effects the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have on charitable giving by individuals. She quotes CCP President Karla Fortunato and CCP's 2018 Connecticut Giving Report, and CCP Board Members Richard Porth, CEO of United Way of Connecticut, and Frances G. Padilla, president of Universal Health Care Foundation of CT.
WASHINGTON, DC -- The accelerating concentration of philanthropic power in the hands of the affluent puts nonprofits at risk and can be checked only by significant tax-law changes, argues the latest in a series of reports and critiques focused on big philanthropy. Nearly a third of itemized charitable contributions in 2015 came from households earning more than $1 million annually — up from just 12 percent in 1995, according to the new report. At the same time, the share of giving by average Americans has been declining for most of the 21st century, sapping the strength of national nonprofits that rely on small donations and don’t attract support from the affluent.
NEW YORK, NY -- The Internal Revenue Service announced today the official estate and gift tax limits for 2019: The estate and gift tax exemption is $11.4 million per individual, up from $11.18 million in 2018. That means an individual can leave $11.4 million to heirs and pay no federal estate or gift tax, while a married couple will be able to shield $22.8 million. The annual gift exclusion amount remains the same at $15,000. For the ultra rich, these numbers represent planning opportunities. For everybody else, they serve as a reminder: Even if you don’t have a taxable estate, you still need an estate plan.
The OCTOBER 2018 DIGEST includes feature headlines: Disaster Relief Resources for Florence and Michael; Could Connecticut Be the 1st State to End Youth Homelessness?; Sexual Violence Prevention Collaborative to Educate through Youth Sports; Report Shows ALICE Continues to Struggle; New Site Shares Stories of Everyday Good; Network Launched to Advance Women and Girls; ECFC Releases New Connecticut Family Engagement Paper; Transforming Youth Justice Leadership Development Program; Plus -- LEADERSHIP TRAINING; PHILANTHROPY NEWS LINKS; GRANTS & RFPS; EVENTS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES; PEOPLE and JOBS IN PHILANTHROPY!
HARTFORD, CT -- Conventional wisdom is that the total price charged by the state and its local governments in Connecticut is one of the most burdensome in the country. A common measure upon which this conclusion is based is the total amount we residents pay in state and local taxes, relative to our aggregate personal income, i.e., our capacity to pay. On this basis, the Tax Foundation tells us that Connecticut ranks either first or second highest in the nation, depending on which of two analytic models it uses. However, taxes are not the only price paid to governments. Residents also pay a number of fees and other charges, separate and distinct from taxes. By Bill Cibes
BOSTON, MA -- Research on giving in the United States has now produced definitive empirical evidence to show a decline in the participation and amounts donated by “small” and “medium” (actually, median) donors and an increasing reliance on “large” donors. That lead sentence should make every reader stop and envision the future of philanthropy in our democracy. Nonprfit Quarterly's Patrick Rooney writes in support of a universal charitable deduction.