Protecting Nonprofit Rights

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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more news

GWOB Releases Letter to Treasury Dept

Jun 1, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Grantmakers Without Borders released a letter to Secretary Paulson about the Treasury Department's Risk Matrix for the Charitable Sector. As a major philanthropic network with over 130 organizations worldwide, GWOB has taken issue with the Treasury's "formulaic chart of ambiguous factors" which asks grantmakers to classify each grantee as "high", "medium" or "low" risk.

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IRS Questions Political Activity of Kansas Church

Jun 1, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Wichita Eagle reports that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has asked Pastor Mark Holick of Spirit One Christian Center in Wichita Kansas to answer thirty one questions about political activities at the church. The questionable activities include the pastor distributing voter guides and messages on the church's marquee critical of candidates and their position on abortion. Holick has scheduled a news conference today at the church to discuss the issue.

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"Charities Must Challenge Politicians"

May 31, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Robert Egger, president of D.C. Central Kitchen and a leader of the Nonprofit Congress, has written this must read article from the Chronicle of Philanthropy ($$). Egger demands that the nonprofit sector no longer responds passively to a lawmaking process that has no charitable influence. Nonprofits have a responsibility to be vocal during any election.

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Senators Call for Updated Form 990, a Seemingly Opportune Time

May 31, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) has made another noteworthy formal communication to Treasury Secretary Paulson, this time along with ranking Finance Committee member Charles Grassley (R-IA). The leaders of the Senate Finance Committee have urged Treasury to update Form 990, the federal tax form nonprofits file each year to report tax information, so that the financial operations of nonprofits can be better understood. There is a particular focus of concern on scrutinizing hospitals and universities.

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Troubling Report Recommends Increased Watch List Use to Check Nonprofits

May 30, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) released a report on the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) function to identify instances in which charitable organizations may be linked to terrorist-related activities.

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IRS Urged to Use Terror Watch Lists to Check Nonprofits

When it comes to the effectiveness of using watch lists to identify terrorist threats, theory and reality yield very different results. On May 21, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) issued a report criticizing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for not using the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center's (TSC) consolidated watch lists to check nonprofit tax filings for possible matches to suspected terrorists.

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Lobby Reform Bill Passes House without Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure

By a vote of 396-22, the House approved new lobbying reform legislation on May 24 when it passed the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (H.R. 2316). The bill increases the reporting requirements for registered lobbyists, establishes a new electronic disclosure system, imposes new penalties for violating lobbying laws, and includes the controversial proposal to require registered lobbyists to report their bundled campaign contributions (H.R. 2317). The bill will now go to conference committee with a similar Senate bill that was passed in January.

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Supreme Court Proposes Increased Disclosure of Ties Between Amicus Filers, Parties

May 29, 2007 by Kay Guinane

On May 17 the Supreme Court proposed several changes in its rules, including procedures for groups or individuals filing friend of the court (amicus curiae) briefs supporting a party in a pending case. Proposed rule 37.6 would impose a new disclosure requirement, expanding the current requirement that amicus filers disclose whether the attorneys for one of the parties in the case helped write the brief and identify outside funders. The new disclosure provision would require filers to also include:

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After Much Delay, House Lobbying and Ethics Package Complete

May 25, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Yesterday House members overcame any internal disagreement to finally pass H.R. 2316, with a final vote of 396-22. During much of the debate yesterday Republicans were challenging the Democrat's promise of addressing political corruption. Judiciary Chairman Conyers accepted a Republican motion to recommit, expanding both of the lobby bills.

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House Set to Vote on Lobby Reform

May 24, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The House lobby and ethics reform package is scheduled for a floor vote today after the Rules Committee reported out a single rule late Wednesday night that sets up separate floor votes on the overall lobbying package, H.R. 2316 and the bundling bill H.R. 2317. The committee did not allow debate on a number of amendments, including doubling the one-year lobbying ban on former lawmakers and staff directly lobbying their former colleagues. Dropping this provision has already brought very negative media attention. From a New York Times editorial yesterday :

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