A Message from the Americans for the Arts

Charitable contributions are the lifeblood of the nonprofit sector and account for up to 40 percent of a nonprofit arts organization’s annual budget. Right now, Congress and the White House are considering major tax reform measures to raise new revenue for the federal government.  Some legislators are considering limits to the charitable tax deduction in order to retain more tax revenue. This recommendation is both short-sighted and harmful to many arts organizations.

 If this succeeds, it will be at the expense of much needed charitable contributions to thousands of nonprofit organizations across the country. Harmful tax code changes impacting the charitable deduction would set off a cascade of consequences undermining our economy, as well as cultural programming and services that millions of Americans rely on. For nearly 100 years, the charitable deduction has served as a model of our altruistic society and it must continue to be a fundamental tenet of our income tax system.

That’s why Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund are joining forces with the Charitable Giving Coalition on November 20th on Capitol Hill to bring national attention to this cross-sector issue affecting groups ranging from The Red Cross, YMCA, and medical research to churches, universities, and cultural groups.

Will you help us deliver a strong message by signing our petition to tell Congress to protect charitable giving incentives?


Nina Ozlu Tunceli
Executive Director