Thanks to NPCC members, and nonprofits across the city, state and country, the reconciled Congressional tax bill does NOT include a provision to repeal the Johnson Amendment nonpartisan protections for nonprofits. You did it!! Congratulations and THANK YOU.

Of course, there is more left the do. The rest of the tax bill (this hyperlink has an excellent assessment of the final bill’s impact on nonprofits) is still so harmful for our nonprofits and the communities we serve. And while Senators Schumer and Gillibrand are on record as opposing the bill, as are many of New York’s House members, some House members intend to support this harmful bill.

We learned a lesson in defeating the repeal of the Johnson Amendment: the majority in Congress ignored the voices of charitable nonprofits when it inserted policy changes that will depress giving and kill nonprofit jobs, when it attempted to politicize 501(c)(3) organizations against their will, and when it chose to expand the federal deficit and tax tax-exempts to provide huge tax cuts to wealthy corporations and individuals.  Members of Congress, including those who will vote against the bill, need to know that the millions of people who work for and support charitable works know this bill will harm us - and that we will hold the politicians accountable .

The reasoning is simple: as a sector, we have power, but that power is only as strong as our voices. Let’s remind all of our politicians that we have an opinion, and that opinion matters.

Kill the Bill and Start Over
The consequences of the tax bill will be devastating to the millions of people around the country who rely on charitable nonprofits and foundations for everything from food and shelter to faith-based sanctuaries and job training to a safe place to escape domestic abuse and enrichment through the arts. By necessity, spending cuts will be the immediate result of the enormous tax cuts, ensuring that nonprofit organizations that already have been stretched too far are simply going to have to turn people away, discontinue vital programs, and even close their doors entirely. All of these are the foreseeable results of a bill that adds more than a trillion dollars to the federal deficit while undermining incentives for giving back to the work of charitable nonprofits in our communities.

Every person committed to the mission of a charitable nonprofit or foundation needs to make Congress know the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act harms the people we serve and the ability of organizations dedicated to the public good to address community needs. We urge you to  immediately  take one or more of these steps.

  • Step One: Call your Representative and Senators (Capitol switchboard: 202-225-3121) and deliver this important message:

“I am a constituent and I stand with charitable nonprofits across the country in opposing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The bill hurts nonprofits and the people we serve, and is a setback for our community. Vote No on the tax bill!”

  • Step Two: Send this page as an Action Alert today to your board members, employees, volunteers, and the people you serve and encourage them to join you in speaking up to preserve kill the bill and start over – this time taking into account the nonprofit sector and the communities we serve.
  • Step Three: Send tweets. Find your Representative and Senators, then send direct messages to their Twitter handles. Make use of those 280 characters to let them know how the tax bill would hinder your organization’s ability to serve the community and advance its mission. Include the period at the start to send directly to your elected officials. Here are some sample tweets:

.[Representative/Senator twitter handle] I stand with charitable nonprofits across the country in opposing the #taxreform bill. The bill hurts #nonprofits and the people we serve, and is a setback for our community. Vote No on the tax bill!

Thanks for your all you do to support the sector.
For more information, contact info@npccny.org or call 212-502-4191.
* This type of activity may not be permissable for private foundation members.