By Laura Walling, Senior Director of Government Relations, Goodwill Industries International
On the heels of Giving Tuesday, Goodwill Industries International joins our partners in the Charitable Giving Coalition in calling on Congress to expand charitable giving incentives to all taxpayers. Since 2012, Giving Tuesday has marked the beginning of the year-end season of giving, during which Americans display unmatched generosity through charitable donations.
As the most charitable nation in the world, Americans continue to provide billions of dollars each year to support charities and faith-based organizations across the nation. Last year was the first in more than three decades in which all Americans were able to receive at least some tax deduction for their charitable gifts.
That is why we encourage our nation’s policymakers to continue supporting nonprofit organizations like ours by expanding and making permanent the universal charitable donation through the Universal Giving Pandemic Response and Recovery Act.
Americans give and volunteer their time to make a difference and to help those in need. However, tax incentives, like the universal charitable deduction for non-itemizers, help encourage even more giving. After Congress enacted the $300 universal charitable deduction in March 2020, giving data showed an increase in both donations and donors. Americans always respond in times of crisis, and there may be multiple factors contributing to these increases in generosity, but the universal charitable deduction is likely one of the contributing factors.
Unless Congress extends the temporary universal charitable deduction, December will be the last opportunity for most Americans to make a gift to charity that is deductible. Extending the deduction will help charitable organizations achieve their missions and support their workforces and communities as our nation recovers from the pandemic. At Goodwill, it means that a person will continue to earn a good job every minute of every business day.
As we enter this season of giving, we encourage lawmakers to keep in mind the great work charitable organizations are doing to support their communities and we urge them to extend and expand the universal charitable deduction in year-end legislation. Contact Congress via our Legislative Action Center and ask lawmakers to pass the Universal Giving Pandemic Response and Recovery Act.
