On the eve of a possible government shutdown and in the midst of what may be the ugliest Presidential election in recent history, Katy Smith, Greater Good Greenville Executive Director, along with a delegation from South Carolina, brought optimism to Capitol Hill in conversations about the power of philanthropy in our state.
The team, including Katy, Susan DeVenny with the Arras Foundation, Melissa Levesque with Coastal Community Foundation, and Bob Morris with Community Foundation of Greenville along with Tiffany Friesen with Philanthropy Southeast, asked our senators and congress members to sign on to the Charitable Act, S.566/H.R.3454, which would reinstate the charitable deduction for non-itemizers that expired in 2021. We believe this incentivizes and rewards smaller-dollar donors to participate in philanthropy. The act has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
The team visited every office in our federal delegation and shared that in 2022, almost $300 million was granted by foundations located within our state. These gifts power our state’s nonprofits to innovatively tackle challenges from housing to transportation to violence and growth. And they support the arts, education, the environment and more, helping communities innovate in ways that the government cannot.
To encourage and support those everyday donors who may not make enough to itemize their taxes but who still give generously to nonprofits in our community, Katy and her colleagues encouraged the delegation to back this deduction for non-itemizers.
Thanks to United Philanthropy Forum for organizing the event and to Philanthropy Southeast for their support of organizations in our region.
