Why We Should Ditch the Charitable Tax Deduction (Opinion)

Plus, a study looks at donors' feelings on A.I.; and Jimmy Carter's legacy of giving is celebrated ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. OPINION [The Case for Doing Away With the Charitable Deduction]( By Robert McClelland [STORY IMAGE]( A tax code tweak that replaces the deduction with matching grants could encourage everyone to donate. FUNDRAISING [How Do Donors Feel About A.I.? This New Study Asks]( By Jie Jenny Zou [STORY IMAGE]( Nearly a third of respondents said they would be less likely to donate to charities that used A.I. PHILANTHROPISTS [Jimmy Carter’s 100th Birthday and Legacy of Giving Celebrated]( By Thalia Beaty and Glenn Gamboa Associated Press [STORY IMAGE]( A benefit concert and the construction of 30 new homes are among the many events marking President Jimmy Carter ‘s 100th birthday on Oct. 1. Considering the former president’s long legacy as a philanthropist, it’s no surprise that he wants any gift-giving to go to other people. WEBINARS [October 10 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join us for Steps to Take to Build a Planned Giving Program to learn from Aquanetta Betts, director of planned giving at George Mason University, and Sean Twomey, senior director of planned giving and impact at the Wilderness Society, how to jump start your planned giving efforts. They’ll share smart tips for attracting charitable bequests, which totaled $42.7 billion last year, and other planned gifts. SPONSOR CONTENT| Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University [Pioneering the Future of Nonprofit Leadership]( FORUMS [October 29 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join Strengthening Cybersecurity In the Age of A.I., a conversation with Francesca Bosco of the CyberPeace Institute, Michael Enos of TechSoup, Raffi Krikorian of Emerson Collective, and Joshua Peskay of RoundTable Technology. They’ll share updates on the current landscape of cyber threats to nonprofits and practical advice on how organizations can protect themselves. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE [Chronicle of Philanthropy Subscription] Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online Christian aid organizations responding in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene are struggling to cover a disaster area that spreads from Florida’s Gulf Coast to the Appalachians of North Carolina. Some are adjusting their overseas operations and calling in supplies from Canada, while they air-drop supplies to remote areas, set up field hospitals, help clean up, and hand out food. Meanwhile, one Asheville, N.C., nonprofit was handing out necessities before any government aid centers could be set up. After the Asheville Dream Center, the local branch of a national outreach ministry, put out an appeal, the nonprofit Global Empowerment Mission showed up with food, cleaning supplies, tarps, pet food, and water on Sept. 29. ([Asheville Citizen Times]( and [Christianity Today]( - Plus: How to Help Victims of Hurricane Helene ([New York Times]( - Background from the Chronicle: [From Diaper Banks to Disaster Relief: How A.I. Is Changing Nonprofit Operations]( Harvard University’s $50 billion-plus endowment has long been the largest in higher education, but for two decades its investment returns have lagged almost all of its Ivy League peers, and even most large university funds. It has bought into alternative investments, such as private equity and natural resources, just as their performance stuttered. At the same time, it has paid its top money managers a total of about $800 million. If the endowment’s returns had kept pace with its peer average, it would be about $20 billion larger, according to former Harvard President Lawrence Summers. ([Bloomberg]( subscription) More News - Alice Walton, Mercy and Heartland Whole Health Announce $700M Alliance in Northwest Arkansas ([Arkansas Business]( - A Concert and 30 New Homes Mark Jimmy Carter’s 100th Birthday and Long Legacy of Giving ([Associated Press]( - D.C.’s Meyer Foundation, CEO George Askew Part Ways ([Washington Business Journal]( subscription) - Harlem Tennis Nonprofit Set On $50M Expansion ([Crain’s New York]( subscription) - ‘Every Pet Deserves Care’: New Coalition Helps Rhode Islanders With Limited Resources Get Pets the Care They Need ([Boston Globe]( - Why Does the Nonprofit Wichita Beacon Keep Losing Reporters? ([Nieman Lab]( Note: In the links in this section, we flag articles that only subscribers can access. But because some journalism outlets offer a limited number of free articles, readers may encounter barriers with other articles we highlight in this roundup. EDITOR'S PICKS RURAL PHILANTHROPY [National Grant Makers Bet This Rural Education Program Can Scale]( By Eden Stiffman [STORY IMAGE]( The Ballmer Group, Blue Meridian Partners, and others are helping Partners for Rural Impact take a model from Harlem and adapt it for Appalachian Kentucky and beyond. FUNDRAISING [Gifts From DAFs Are Nearly 10% of All Giving. How Nonprofits Are Trying to Court Those Donors]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( DAFs remain controversial, but their size and influence continue to grow. Gifts from the accounts totaled $52 billion in 2022. RESEARCH AND DATA [The Hidden Patterns Shaping American Philanthropy]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( Where do the country’s charitable dollars really flow? A new collaborative report reveals a complex landscape of giving, with patterns shifting dramatically across time, geography, and donor types. ADVERTISEMENT Online Event [A special invitation]( —Join the Chronicle at the Mission Forward Leadership Summit on October 9, a free online event produced by Mission Partners that we’re proud to co-sponsor. The half-day event will showcase leading experts on how nonprofits are bridging divides, communicating and planning in a time of volatility, working to cool down the political climate, and much more. [Register now.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES Find your next nonprofit role in The Chronicle Career Center: - [Senior Philanthropy & Campaign Officer]( — Catalina Island Conservancy [Search all job openings →]( Hiring? [Post a Job.]( [Chronicle of Philanthropy Logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2024 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037