Centennial Leadership Conference on Non-Profit Tax Reform

Centennial Leadership Conference on Non-Profit Tax Reform

March 15-16, 2017

This convention gathered leading experts from diverse backgrounds in philanthropy to address some of the critical issues explored at the 2014 Convention on Promoting Meaningful Reform, including the following questions:

  • What makes an organization “charitable”? Has the law drawn the lines circumscribing charitable organizations the right way?
  • Current law treats all charitable purposes the same. One possible way of addressing this is by granting different levels of tax benefits to different types of giving. Is this a good idea, or will this cause more problems than it solves?
  • Donor advised funds provide maximum tax benefits to donors without imposing any mechanism to ensure that the money makes its way out to charities in a timely manner. Congressman Camp has proposed a 5-year payout rule for these accounts. Is this the right response?
  • Endowments at public charities, particularly universities, have grown to unprecedented levels. Some observers find this troubling, particularly in light of the astronomic rise in tuition. Should the rules be changed to encourage and/or require payout from endowment funds?
  • The 1969 legislation established a 5% payout rule for foundations. While the 5% standard was designed to serve as a floor for payout, scholars have noted that it often serves as a ceiling as well.  Is it is appropriate for foundations to be able to meet their payout obligations through administrative expenses and donations to donor advised funds? Is it time to revise the payout rules governing private foundations?
  • Because of differing benefits, the distinction between private foundations and public charities has played a significant role in shaping charitable giving. Do these current rules provide a meaningful distinction? Might there be a better way to redraw the lines in order to serve the larger public good?


Become a Co-Sponsor


For more information about becoming a co-sponsor, please contact Professor of Law and Forum Convenor Ray Madoff


 

Conference Schedule

Wednesday, March 15, 2017            

6:30 pm                                         Welcome Dinner

                                                        Tax Reform: Perils and Opportunities for Change in Charitable Giving

                                                        Steve Miller, National Director of Tax at AlliantGroup; Former IRS Acting Commissioner and Commissioner of the Tax Exempt and

                                                        Government Entities Division

                                                        Dean Zerbe, National Managing Director of AlliantGroup; Former Senior Counsel and Tax Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on                                                         Finance

Thursday, March 16, 2017

8:00 am                                           Breakfast

8:30 am                                           Welcome and Introductions

                                                          Darren Walker

                                                          Ray Madoff

8:45 am                                           History of Charitable Tax Benefits and Guiding Principles

                                                          Stanley Katz and Robert Reich

9:15 am                                           Current Trends in Charitable Giving

                                                          Una Osili

9:45 am                                           Current Tax Proposals Affecting Charitable Giving, and their Potential Ramifications for the Sector

                                                          Eugene Steuerle

10:30 am                                         15-minute Coffee Break

10:45 am                                         Donor-Advised Funds in Support of Nonprofits Foundations and Public Charities

                                                          Ray Madoff and Roger Colinvaux

11:30 am                                         Private Foundations in Support of Non-profits

                                                          Brian Galle and Ray Madoff

12:15 pm                                         Lunch

1:00 pm                                           Johnson Amendment, Strengthening the IRS and other Issues

                                                         Roger Colinvaux and Brian Galle

1:30-2:30 pm                                 Next Steps

2:00pm                                           Conclusion