Lawmakers from both parties support expansion of CARES Act deduction

Six Republican Senators, four Senate Democrats, and fourteen members of the House of Representatives (including ten Democrats and four Republicans) have introduced legislation to expand the increased charitable deduction cap for non-itemizers to up to one third of the standard deduction. The Universal Giving Pandemic Response and Recovery Act (S.618/H.R.1704 also extends the temporary $300 deduction, which was included in the original CARES Act, through 2022 and better still, enhances the provision to include gifts to donor advised funds.

Preliminary reports suggest that the so-called “universal charitable deduction” is already showing signs of success in encouraging more people to give to charitable organizations. For example, AFP’s Fundraising Effectiveness Project reports a 28% increase of $300 gifts made on December 31, 2020. Considering that $300 is the precise amount of the maximum a non-itemizer can deduct, this does not seem to be a coincidence! AFP also reports that gifts of $250 or less increased by more than 15% in 2020 compared with 2019.

The proposed inclusion of donor advised funds as qualified recipients of universal charitable giving is an important breakthrough and recognition that DAFs are powerful tools to increase effective charitable giving. Especially when paired with the expertise and resources uniquely available through Greater Cincinnati Foundation, a donor advised fund can be a critically important component of the philanthropic strategy for an individual, family, or business.

Call us if we can be of assistance in setting up a donor advised fund for you or your clients. We are your resource for philanthropic planning. It’s part of the GCF Advantage!