Happy Summer, everyone. I bet you were thinking: “there is no better topic to celebrate summer than tax reform.” Right? Well, lucky for all of us, this isn’t as much about the policy of tax reform as about what we need to do to follow the new rules and position ourselves differently for philanthropic success. So pour yourself a glass of iced tea, open the window, and let’s talk. When nonprofit leaders are asked about what their organization is doing as a result of tax reform, the common response over the last six months has been “nothing.” I understand how that can sound like the right answer, especially if you don’t have staff. However, you really can do things right now to adjust to the new rules. If you do… Read more »

The nonprofit sector is a fundamental component of a healthy democracy. We see the sector as the foundation for virtually all social and civil rights movements in our country. What starts as a grassroots voice grows to a movement and is most often sustained through the framework of the sector. The movements for civil rights, disability rights, women’s rights, and others all took hold in our sector. These issues continue to need our attention. They are amplified and joined now by new movements we recognize as #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, and in response to gun violence #NeverAgain, to name just a few. It is no wonder that the fastest growing classification of nonprofits is 501(c)4, which gives organizations more ability to lobby and advocate with a stronger voice. These issues generate hot… Read more »

Last night the House and Senate Appropriations Committees released the text of the omnibus spending bill that will fund the federal government through the current fiscal. Lawmakers DID NOT include a provision to repeal or weaken the longstanding Johnson Amendment, the law that protects charitable nonprofits, houses of worship, and foundations from partisan politics.  This is good news for Alaska’s nonprofit sector! Thank you to those that signed the Community Letter in Support of Nonpartisanship and picked up the phone to call our congressional delegation, and congratulations to all! Our partner, National Council of Nonprofits, has put together a list of highlights from the 2,232-page bill that they have deemed most relevant to charitable and philanthropic organizations. Their list includes: Arts, Culture, and Community Engagement: The legislation would fund the… Read more »

Last year we shared with you attempts in Washington D.C. to repeal the Johnson Amendment. This is the provision of the federal tax code that protects charitable, religious, and philanthropic organizations from getting involved in candidate endorsements. The National Council of Nonprofits had led the charge to save this important provision, and we’re proud that Alaska nonprofits have stepped in, too, to let our delegation know about the danger of repealing this long-standing protection from partisan politics. Another attempt is underway this month to once again repeal the Johnson Amendment. Some congressional leaders hope to consolidate a huge array of legislative proposals into a massive bill to be passed by March 23 that would provide funding for the rest of the fiscal year. (See article below.) And one of the riders being… Read more »

To be sure every Alaskan is counted in both the 2020 Census and the annual American Community Survey (ACS), we all need to step up and do our part. To help accomplish this task, Foraker has pulled together a diverse group of Alaska organizations to address critical elements that are necessary for an accurate count. The Alaska Census Working Group has pinpointed issues that could result in undercounting, especially in rural areas. To learn more about the activities of the working group, visit this new page on our website. If you have ideas or comments on how to achieve accurate counts in the both the 2020 Census and the ACS, or if you want to know more about the working group, contact Mike Walsh, Vice President/Director of Public Policy, at 907-388-5561 or mwalsh@forakergroup.org…. Read more »

As we prepare for the holiday, we know many of you have questions about the current tax bill’s implications on the nonprofit sector. Below is some helpful information to know our starting point in 2018. Foraker will remain a resource to you as we navigate the changes together. To learn more about the bill, read Nonprofit Quarterly’s article What Nonprofits Can Expect in the GOP Tax Bill. The article outlines several things to watch for, including: deductibility of charitable contributions, new excise taxes on selected nonprofits, treatment of unrelated business income generated by charities, and changes in the tax-exempt treatment of interest income from certain bonds issued by nonprofits. Thanks to the National Council of Nonprofits for creating this matrix that outlines the components in the tax bill that impacts nonprofits…. Read more »

The House and Senate have passed separate versions of tax reform (see a comparison chart here). The difference between the bills must be negotiated in what’s called a conference committee made up of a dozen or more Representatives and Senators. We write asking for your help in convincing Senator Murkowski and Representative Young, as members of the tax reform  conference committees, to preserve nonprofit nonpartisanship and to reject any changes to the Johnson Amendment. Each bill contains multiple provisions that would harm the ability of charitable nonprofits to advance our missions. The most damaging is Section 5201 of the House-passed bill; it would radically change the longstanding, vital protection in law for nonpartisanship of charitable, religious, and philanthropic organizations, known as the Johnson Amendment. Section 5201 would: Create pressure on… Read more »

The Senate passed its version of the tax bill ‪on December 2. For those of you tracking the bill closely, here is how the issues that directly impact nonprofits stand in the House and Senate versions. There is more work ahead of us all. Thanks to the National Council of Nonprofits for their close analysis…. Read more »

Alaska nonprofit staff, board, volunteers and donors: As tax legislation moves through the U.S. Senate this week, some of the basic structures under which the nonprofit sector operates are facing significant changes. For 100 years, through the U.S. tax code and its charitable giving incentive, Americans have been encouraged to donate to the causes that matter to them. If the Senate provision that raises the standard deduction is approved, 95% of us will lose that opportunity.  Additionally, partisan politics will likely enter into our charitable organizations, fundamentally compromising the nature of our work. Yesterday, the National Council of Nonprofits issued an open letter to all of us.  As a member of the Council, I encourage you to take a moment and read the full letter. There may be certain parts of the tax bills that you support, but… Read more »

The Senate is now looking at its version of tax reform legislation and Senator Murkowski and Senator Sullivan need to hear from you TODAY, before debate begins on the Senate floor. The most effective way of advocating on a fast-moving bill is to pick up the phone. So, if you have time to do only one thing today, have that one action be calling each of our senators. Make the Call: Simply call Senator Sullivan (202.224.3004) and Senator Murkowski (202.224.6665), identify yourself as a constituent, and relay these two important points: “Do not use tax reform to weaken or repeal the Johnson Amendment, which keeps divisive partisan politics out of nonprofits, houses of worship, and foundations. I am concerned that efforts to repeal or weaken the Johnson Amendment would harm… Read more »