Photograph by Nina Berman/AuroraSeveral times a week, a group of teenage girls swap their book bags for aprons and bake desserts at the Lower Eastside Girls Club, in New York. The program, Sweet Things, is one of many free after-school and weekend activities the club offers neighborhood girls ages…
Fund raisers try to adjust to a lull in gifts as the economy slowsBrian Berrigan, executive director of the Jesuits of New Orleans Province, cleared his ALSO SEE:Charitable Giving and Recessions schedule for the last week in December in anticipation of the usual flurry of calls, faxes, and letters…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
American Lung Association of Pennsylvania (Harrisburg): Appointed Robert Galardi, director of development for the western region, to be vice president of development, statewide, based in the Wexford, Pa., office. American Red Cross (Washington): Appointed James W. Krueger, chief executive officer…
Agency Releases Data on Nonprofit Finances
By GRANT WILLIAMSThe Internal Revenue Service has issued a report tracing the growth of charities from 1996 to 1997. The number of charities in the United States that filed informational tax returns with the government rose from 192,059 in 1996 to 198,957 in 1997, an increase of 3.6 percent. That…
By Grant Williams
Contributor
Charitable Deductions Rise, Says IRS Report
By GRANT WILLIAMSNew statistics released by the Internal Revenue Service show that deductions claimed for charitable contributions rose from $99.2-billion in 1997 to an estimated $109.2-billion in 1998, an increase of 10.1 percent. The jump marks the third straight year that charitable deductions…
By Grant Williams
Contributor
Interest Rates for Planned Gifts
Following are the interest rates, provided by the Internal Revenue Service, for computing charitable deductions for charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, charitable lead trusts, and some other deferred gifts. February 2001 6.2% January 6.8% December 2000 7.0% November 7.2% October 7.4%…
Deductions Denied for Cash Gifts
By GRANT WILLIAMSThe U.S. Tax Court has ruled that the Internal Revenue Service was right to deny deductions for charitable contributions that were claimed by an Ohio man. The court’s main reason: The taxpayer could not prove that he actually made the gifts. Stanley Joseph Jennings took more than…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
House, Senate Pick New Tax Leaders
By GRANT WILLIAMSControl of a key House committee that oversees government regulation of nonprofits has changed hands. Rep. Bill Thomas, a California Republican, has been named the new chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Mr. Thomas replaces Rep. Bill Archer, a Texas Republican, who…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
IRS Has No Plans to Increase Fees
By GRANT WILLIAMSThe I.R.S. has announced that it will not increase the fees that it charges charities for key rulings and applications this year (Revenue Procedure 2001-8, Internal Revenue Bulletin 2001-1). Tax-exempt organizations seeking private-letter rulings from the government on how to…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
New Site Created on Taxes and the Web
By ELIZABETH SCHWINNConcerned that nonprofit groups might not be taking advantage of their chance to shape tax regulations that will govern their use of the Internet, a nonprofit official has created a Web site to encourage charity leaders to post their views on the topic. The I.R.S. last fall…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor