Accountability Efforts Deserved Attention

To the Editor:

Pablo Eisenberg’s “Why Don’t Charities and Lawmakers Want to Curb Nonprofit Abuses?” (Opinion, June 29) includes a number of factual errors that we would like to set straight for your readers.

Contrary to Mr. Eisenberg’s assertions that the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector focused primarily on self-regulation, almost 80 percent of the panel’s recommendations focused on specific changes that Congress should make to tax laws and regulations to prevent unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of charitable organizations.

Many of these legislative changes designed to improve oversight and enforcement were included in the tax-reconciliation bill (H.R. 4297) as passed by the Senate in February 2006, and additional items were included in tax-administration legislation passed by the Senate Finance Committee on June 28.

Independent Sector was joined by over 100 charitable organizations in a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to strengthen our sector by enacting these significant reforms and charitable-giving incentives into law. We are continuing to lobby Congress to move these important measures forward.

Mr. Eisenberg is also apparently unaware of Independent Sector’s vigorous efforts to urge Congress to increase funding for federal oversight and enforcement. We recognize that there is no point in enacting additional laws if there is not adequate funding for oversight and enforcement.

We are mindful of the difficulties in obtaining additional funding for any IRS tax-enforcement activities in the current budget climate, but we are committed to pursuing this goal as long as necessary.

Even with the best federal and state enforcement mechanisms, reducing abuse and improving governance and accountability will require vigilance by our sector. To that end, the panel is continuing to examine ways to strengthen the self-regulation and governance of charitable organizations and plans to issue additional recommendations early next year.

Patricia Nash Christel
Vice President
Marketing and Communications
Independent Sector
Washingon