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...

read in full

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...

read in full

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...

read in full

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...

read in full

more news

Numbers of Charities on the Rise

Jul 6, 2006 by Guest Blogger

According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy (subscription required): More than a million charities and private foundations were registered with the Internal Revenue Service as of September 30, 2005, according to figures released by the tax agency, up from roughly 800,000 in 2000.

read in full

CFC Proposed Rule Doesn't Impact Advocacy Rights

Jul 6, 2006 by Guest Blogger

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed changes to the eligibility requirements, the public accountability standards, and to other parts of the current Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) regulations found at Part 950 of title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The proposed changes are intended to streamline the eligibility requirements, the public accountability standards, and other administrative requirements to reduce the burden on charitable organizations seeking to qualify for the CFC.

read in full

Report Finds IRS Program Could Hamper Free Speech for Organizations

WASHINGTON, July 6--A report released today finds fault with the IRS program to enforce the ban on partisan activities by charities. The report's most serious findings suggest that the IRS's Political Activities Compliance Initiative (PACI) threatens the constitutional rights of nonprofit organizations and churches to speak out on issues of the day. It also suggests that the IRS exaggerated the extent of noncompliance in an agency report on its enforcement efforts in 2004.

read in full

PACI Investigation Persuades Nonprofit to Create 501(c)(4)

Jul 5, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Catholics for a Free Choice has lodged a complaint with the IRS alleging that Catholic Answers, a 501(c)(3), had engaged in prohibited partisan electioneering activity. In reponse, Catholic Answers has now set up an appropriate tax exempt entity (a 501(c)(4)) to legally carry out the activities it wants to engage in. You can find Catholic Answers' statement on their website

read in full

CREW Files Another Complaint Against ATR

Jul 5, 2006 by Guest Blogger

According to BNA: Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington has filed another complaint with the IRS on the actions of Americans for Tax Reform on the heels of the Senate Indian Affairs committee report we told you about here.

read in full

Job-Training Bill Passes Senate Without Discrimination Provision

Jun 30, 2006 by Guest Blogger

From CQ: The Senate on Thursday passed legislation renewing worker-training programs, setting up a conference with the House after the July Fourth recess because the House version of the same bill includes some significant differences. Negotiations will center on two provisions in the House bill that Enzi — in negotiations with Democrats on his committee — left out of his bill. One provision would allow faith-based groups that receive job-training grants to base their hiring decisions on the religions of job applicants. Now we will see what happens in conference...

read in full

Chronicle Article Details the Details of the Grassley Tax Bill

Jun 29, 2006 by Guest Blogger

The Chronicle of Philathropy provides a good overview of the Grassley tax bill. It can be found here. The article quotes lobbyist Rick Grafmeyer's view on the packageThe chairman is letting the charitable community know that unless there is action on the larger package, he will start moving on his own to pass the reforms he thinks are needed, without the other provisions," said Rick Grafmeyer, a Washington lawyer who lobbies Congress on behalf of several nonprofit groups. More details can be found here as well. 501cstrategies says:

read in full

Sunset Legislation Update: Dems Oppose Provision in Senate

Jun 29, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Check out an update on sunset commission legislation on the REG WATCH blog.

read in full

FEC Accused of Trying to Intimidate Soft-Money Donors for 527s

Jun 29, 2006 by Guest Blogger

From the Hill: The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is being accused of attempting to intimidate soft-money donors to 527s by targeting the donors for questioning. The agency, which is tasked with policing national and congressional political campaigns, is targeting some of the wealthiest Republican and Democratic donors.

read in full

Grassley Puts Charitable Reforms In Catch-All Tax Bill

Jun 29, 2006 by Guest Blogger

The Senate Finance Committee yesterday approved a number of charitable reforms. The reforms, which were unexpectedly rolled into a tax-adminstration bill via Sen. Chuck Grassley's (R-IA) manager's amendment, includes increased excise taxes, requiring electronic filing of Form 990, and a requirement that non-profits that currently do not file tax returns at all to provide the IRS with general information every three years. Grassley issued a press release on the bill on Wednesday. He talked about the broad probe he has been conducting at abuses by tax-exempt groups. The press release says:

read in full