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.
Philanthropy News
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.
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.
WASHINGTON, DC -- Nonprofit Quarterly comments on Giving USA's most recent report. With fewer Americans giving to charity, some nonprofits are planning for an uncertain future. Even as "Giving USA" has reported record charitable fundraising three years in a row, the share of Americans who donate to charity is falling.
HARTFORD, CT -- Connecticut by the Numbers, comments on the individual charitable giving analysis by the Chronicle of Philanthropy and specific giving data on Connecticut.