NAEIR Assists in Enhanced Tax Deduction (HR 2592) Movement

By Cruz A. Ramos, Vice President/Public Affairs (car@naeir.org)

Meetings were held earlier in the year between Gary C. Smith, President and CEO and James E. Jones, Director/Public Affairs for NAEIR and representatives of Independent Sector (IS). These served as opportunities to discuss topics including NAEIR’s membership in IS and our introduction and stewardship of HR 2592, a bill that would allow smaller businesses to enjoy an enhanced federal tax deduction (currently only available to C corporations) when donating excess inventory to nonprofits and schools. 

A more recent meeting in mid-August took place between Independent Sector representatives Ann-Marie Nwabudike, Senior Associate, Membership Retention, Stacy Cheetham, Senior Associate, Member Recruitment and Katica Kiss, Government Relations Specialist and NAEIR.  Cruz A. Ramos, VP/Public Affairs and James E. Jones expressed high expectations regarding the benefits of membership in IS to NAEIR and its national membership base. 

From Left to Right: Cruz Ramos (NAEIR),  Ann-Marie Nwabudike (IS),
Stacy Cheetham (IS) and Katica Kiss(IS)

There was also further discussion at this time, concerning progress made regarding HR 2592 and some discussion on IS’ part regarding the Charitable Deduction and widespread concern regarding its future. There was also some discussion regarding the 2011 Independent Sector Annual Conference http://www.independentsector.org/2011_conference

in Chicago in late October.

During that same week, two other meetings are also well worth mentioning.  James E. Jones and Cruz A. Ramos met with Jefferson Burnett, VP of Government and Community Relations and Whitney Duff, Director of Legislative Affairs of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).  The meeting was productive in that there are some promising possibilities regarding NAEIR and the services we may be able to offer some of the association’s members.

Cruz Ramos speaking with Dr. Carol J. De Vita 

A meeting with Dr. Carol J. De Vita, Senior Fellow at the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute was also promising.    NAEIR was able to position itself as an organization that has an important impact on a large number of social service organizations and charitable organizations in general in addition to schools.  At the same time, NAEIR also works with companies both large and small throughout the country.  For the past forty-three years, the Urban Institute has established a strong reputation as a non-partisan organization that has done extensive economic and social policy research.  It has served as a highly respected resource in the development of public policy since the Johnson administration helped set it in motion in the 1960’s. Because of the non-partisan nature of its work and relationships with other organizations, even support for legislation that might be deemed favorable to charities and schools alike as well as small businesses is not possible.  However, the Urban Institute’s relationships with leading organizations and individuals that help shape public policy and the potential to cultivate a network of support at a later date through our relationship with the Urban Institute may well help us in the future.
The passage of HR 2592: Charitable Contribution Parity and Enhancement Act - would increase donations of inventory significantly on a national level by providing small businesses with the enhanced federal tax deduction currently available only to C corporations, thus providing them with a tax incentive to donate their excess inventory.  It would also very likely increase communication and collaboration between businesses and charitable organizations at all levels.

Congressman Aaron Schock has sponsored the bill and Congressmen Danny Davis and Robert Schilling are its co-sponsors.  We’ve been working with the firm of McGuire-Woods in shepherding this legislation through Congress and recruiting as much help as possible from legislators on both sides of the aisle as well as leading national organizations. 

Independent Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of 600 charities, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the nation. Its mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the nonprofit and philanthropic community. Learn more at IndependentSector.org.

NAEIR, the National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources, is a not-for-profit distributor of supplies to churches and other nonprofit organizations. NAEIR operates a 10-acre warehouse full of $100 million worth of inventory from its headquarters in Galesburg, Illinois.

You may send an email to Cruz A. Ramos at car@naeir.org.  He may also be reached at 309/343-0704, ext 341.  All media queries are welcome as well.

NAEIR

560 McClure Street

Galesburg, IL  61401