America’s volunteers play a vital role in delivering services to their communities through nonprofits. But a painful quirk in federal tax law has created a barrier that is preventing many volunteers from doing what they really want to do, which is to help the needy in their communities. As a result, nonprofits from coast to coast have been losing volunteers because of high gas prices and this unfair tax statute.

TAKE ACTION ON THE GIVE ACT!

Fortunately, a bill was recently introduced to fix this problem: the Giving Incentives to Volunteers Everywhere Act of 2008 (GIVE Act) (S.3429) .  But when Congress comes back to DC from its August recess, it will have only three weeks to get the bill passed in both the House and Senate before it adjourns so members can seek re-election. Join NCNA and hundreds of other nonprofits in urging Congress to take action now on this vital issue! Send a letter to your Senators urging them to co-sponsor the bill and then send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to keep your community informed. You can also learn more about real nonprofits affected by this issue; read about the background of this legislation; learn why NCNA has endorsed this legislation; or sign onto the letter of support on behalf of your organization. Please raise your voice for nonprofits and volunteers everywhere!

Introduced August 6th, by U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and John Ensign (R-NV), the GIVE Act addresses the adverse impacts on volunteers of high gas prices and discriminatory tax policy towards nonprofits by eliminating the disincentives that prevent charitable volunteers from doing what they really want to do, which is to help the needy in their communities. The GIVE Act, as introduced, would 1) raise the charitable mileage deduction from 14 cents to almost 41 cents; 2) eliminate the need for nonprofits to seek new legislation every year by setting the charitable volunteer rate at 70% of the standard business mileage rate as adjusted by the IRS; and 3) exclud e from any income tax consequence actual mileage reimbursements made to volunteers. These features not only address economic pain being felt in America’s communities, but also recognize the vital role the nonprofit sector plays in coordinating volunteer efforts to meet human needs.