3/23/20 - Urgent policy HR748 and more!

Sen. Lankford proposes broadening the above-the-line charitable deduction in HR 748

The draft emergency economic stimulus bill H.R. 748 in the U.S. Senate would allow all taxpayers – not just those who itemize their deductions – to receive a $300 tax credit.
Senator James Lankford (R-OK) offered an amendment on Sunday that would significantly increase the cap of $300 on the above-the-line charitable deduction from what is in the current draft bill. The National Council of Nonprofits has endorsed the Lankford Amendment and encourages your organization to do so too.

If you support the increased above-line charitable deduction as proposed by Sen. Lankford please take two steps, IMMEDIATELY:

1. Fill out this online form to show your support for the proposed amendment
2. Send this message as a mass Action Alert to your networks; feel free to customize and send with your logos, or for the sake of time, simply forward this email.
   

The amendment would be part of H.R. 748 and will add the following: 

• Provide an above-the-line deduction for charitable giving capped at 1/3 of the standard deduction ($4000 for individuals / $8000 for married couples);
• Ensure it’s available for all of 2020, so that those who’ve already donated this year can also take advantage of this; and
• Ensure that there’s no giving floor included, so that we make this accessible for small dollar donors which are critical to churches and charities.
  

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Nonprofits included in the COVID-19 Bill (H.R. 6201)

Earlier this week the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6201 in an effort to alleviate the recent economic slow down caused by novel-Coronavirus. H.R. 6201, or Families First Coronavirus Response Act offers free medical testing for COVID-19, increased funding for unemployment assistance, food aid, and Medicaid. Additionally, the bill has also suspended the work requirements for supplemental nutrition program (SNAP), but here is how Congress’s H.R. 6201 will affect local nonprofits!
 
Emergency Paid Sick Leave (Section 5102)
H.R. 6201 requires employers to provide their employees with two weeks of paid sick leave, which is to be paid at the employee’s normal pay rate. Paid leave will help those in quarantine or those who are seeking diagnostic treatment at their local healthcare facility, or for those seeking preventative care for the coronavirus. The bill also requires employers to pay two-thirds of the employee’s regular rate in the event that their employee must leave work to care for family member who is sick or if a child whose school has been shut down, or if their childcare provider is unavailable.
 
In return, section 7001 offers employers some generous tax credits! Employers will be provided a refundable tax credit equal to 100 percent of qualified paid sick leave wages that have been paid by the employer. The tax credit is used against the employer portion of payroll taxes and “any paid leave costs that exceed the among of payroll taxes owed will be refundable to the employer at the end of each quarter”.
 
The Importance of the Refundable payroll tax Credit
The Application of credits to nonprofits is a major win for the nonprofit sector. Normally, Congress applies income tax credits for employers, which are incentives that tax-exempt employers were not able to redeem due to their tax-exemption status. The new provisions of Congress’s bill ensures that all types of employers (with fewer than 500 employees) are able to recoup the costs of these paid leave mandates. The emergency paid leave benefit (Section 5102) and the credits (section 7001 and 7003) will expire on December 31st, 2020.
 
Expanding Family and Medical Leave (Section 3102)
H.R. 6201 goes a step further in helping the number of workers who can take up to 12 weeks of leave under the previous Family and Medical Leave Act. After the two weeks of required paid leave, employees will receive a benefit from their employers that will be no less than two-thirds of the employee’s usual pay. According to Independentsectory.org, “The qualifying reasons for the emergency leave are a current diagnosis of COVID-19, self-quarantine, caring for another person with the disease or who is under quarantine, or caring for a child due to COVID-19 related closing of school, or other care facility.” Section 7003 of the bill provides a refundable tax credit equal to 100 percent of qualified family leave wages paid by an employer for each calendar quarter, allowed against the employer portion of payroll taxes.

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Nonprofits Navigating COVID-19 Webinar Series

We’re pleased to announce a series of webinars that will be facilitated by Kari Anderson, from Incite! Consulting Group. Use the links below to register! NOTE: If you signed up over the weekend, please cancel and re-sign up as the previous links have been updated.

March 25, 1:00 pm MT | Canceling/ Postponing Events
If you’ve had to postpone or outright cancel a fundraising event, or are having to contemplate this scenario in the next couple of months, I know you’re in a panic.  BEFORE you automatically offer to refund event attendee and sponsor dollars, let’s pause. There are methods to recoup lost revenue, engage supporters and keep your mission front and center.  Join me to learn more!
Click here to register for this webinar

March 26, 1:00 pm | Engaging Donors Virtually/Making Asks to Donors
We are so used to meeting  - in person - with donors to share stories and updates.  To make the case for support. To share how their gift has allowed your mission to be achieved.  And now…..Join me to talk about what to do in this time of uncertainty. What types of conversations to have.  What information to share. And, when to make the ask.
Click here to register for this webinar

March 31, 1:00 pm MT | Managing remote staff
Good news. Management of remote staff isn’t new.  Nonprofits who have more than one location have been doing this for years, and we’ve got a playbook for this!  If remote management is new for you, join me. I’ve got some easy steps for you to follow to keep all of your team engaged, informed, productive, and accountable.
Click here to register for this webinar
 
April 2, 1:00 pm MT | How to Leverage Extra Time
So, all of a sudden you have some extra time on your hands.  What to do? Once you have reorganized your fridge and closet, join me to talk through key projects that you “just haven’t had time for” at work.  You’ll then use this time getting organized, set and ready to ramp and scale when work returns to normal.
Click here to register for this webinar
 
April 3, 1:00 pm MT | Self-care
I know, I know.  Self-care is so….talked about.  And you might be pretty good at it.  But, are you really taking care of yourself right now?  It’s hard. It feels like we should be working on solutions all the time.  But, there’s no way we can get to solutions unless we take care of US. Spend some time with me and I’ll share how difficult this is (especially for those of us who are Type A, first born and a little control-y).  I’ll also share how I’ve become better at this, and how business can survive - and thrive - when we all take time to do this oh so important thing.
Click here to register for this webinar
 
April 8, 1:00 pm MT | Adapting your Strategic Plan
Description:  All of a sudden, the goals that are a part of your current strategic plan just don’t seem so relevant.  What to do? Let’s talk about the important things: cash flow, communications, caring for humans. And, how to reprioritize critical elements of your current strategic plan to assist you in weathering this crisis.
Click here to register for this webinar