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

Waivers for "Public Interest" Lobbyists

Mar 11, 2009 by Amanda Adams*

An interesting posting at Huffington Post addresses some of the unintended consequences of the new executive order on ethics. The main content of the article was apparently based off of interviews with "progressive" lobbyists, who would only speak on the condition of anonymity.

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Obama Administration Delays Implementation of Controversial USAID Rule

On Feb. 2, the Obama administration announced that it was delaying the implementation of the controversial Partner Vetting System (PVS) rule and opening a 30-day public comment period. The rule is now scheduled to go into effect on April 3.

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Nonprofits Make Major Impact on DC Voting Rights Legislation

Nonprofits have had an enormous impact on the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009 (H.R.157/S.160). The bill passed in the Senate on Feb. 26 by a 61-37 vote and will soon come before the House. If the bill passes and is signed into law, it will give the District of Columbia a voting member in the House of Representatives for the first time.

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GAO Reports on Nonprofit Funding through Sub-Award Contracts

A recent report to the chairman of the House Budget Committee shows that the federal government relies on networks and partnerships to achieve its goals, and many of these involve nonprofit organizations. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, produced the report.

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Foundation Watchdog Releases Report on Enhancing Impact of Philanthropy

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), a national foundation watchdog organization, recently released a report titled Criteria for Philanthropy at its Best: Benchmarks to Assess and Enhance Grantmaker Impact. The report recommends four criteria and ten accompanying benchmarks for how grantmakers should improve their giving and management.

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Is Voting Rights Discrimination an Issue of the Past in Alabama?

Mar 5, 2009 by Lateefah Williams*

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley says that voting rights discrimination in Alabama is an issue of the Past. He feels that Alabama is currently being unfairly punished for its actions during the Jim Crow period. Thus, he had state lawyers file a brief in Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 v. Mukasey, a U.S. Supreme Court case where Texas is challenging Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

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CREW Files IRS Complaint Against Two Nonprofits for Partisan Electioneering

Mar 2, 2009 by Lateefah Williams*

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint asking the IRS to investigate if the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region and the ANCA Endowment Fund violated their tax exempt status by engaging in prohibited political activity. CREW's complaint says that the IRS should consider revoking their tax exempt status.

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How The Economic Stimulus Package Will Affect the Nonprofit Sector

Mar 2, 2009 by Amanda Adams*

The National Council of Nonprofits has initiated an ongoing series of special reports on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and what it means for community-based organizations. The first special report analyzes the legislation and identifies potential grant opportunities for nonprofits. The second report offers grant information, tips, and considerations. The reports will be revised on a periodic basis.

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Bill to Require USAID Vetting System Introduced in House

On Feb. 13, 2009 Rep. Ileana Los-Lehtinen (R-FL) and 18 co-sponsors introduced H.R. 1062, the Partner Vetting System Act of 2009. It would mandate a controversial vetting program for grantees receiving U.S. foreign assistance. It mirrors a rule proposed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that would require recipients of U.S.

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International Commission of Jurists Report Calls for Change in Counterterrorism Laws

Mar 2, 2009 by Suraj Sazawal

After a three year investigation of the worldwide impact of counterterrorism laws in 40 countries, including 16 hearings, the prestigious International Commission of Jurists relased a report Assessing the Damage, Urging Action. It finds that many governments, including the U.S., have "confronted the threat of terrorism with ill-conceived measures that have undermined cherished values and resulted in serious human rights violations." It calls on governments to re-asses their strategies and not let temporary measures become permanent.

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