USA: Removing tax exemptions for non-profit organisations
Calvin Say, speaker of the House in Hawaii, is in favor of removing tax exemptions for non-profit groups – including charities, colleges and universities. A bill currently before the Hawaii Legislature would require charities to pay a 1 percent tax. Kansas is also considering making charities subject to sales tax. Similar non-profit organizations’ exemptions from property taxes are also under scrutiny in several counties in Pennsylvania, Kansas and Rhode Island.

On Nov 12, Governor Doyle signed into law AB-209, now Act 75, which authorizes counties to contribute to the capital improvements of domestic violence shelters and to fund nonprofits that provide assistance to low-income individuals or individuals who are victims of domestic violence and related crimes.

The measure was sought after the Marathon County Board acted to contribute funding for a local domestic violence shelter, but was prevented from doing so because of a legal opinion stating the county lacked statutory authority.

“Local victim service providers and county governments obviously have strong shared interests in addressing domestic violence, especially as the effects of abuse ripple through entire communities, adversely affecting safety and quality of life,” said Patti Seger, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV). “[This Act] gives counties another tool to partner with local victim advocates.” Bill History

What it is: The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States, regardless of age or citizenship status, and the Constitution requires the Census to take place every 10 years. Originally designed to ensure equal representation in political districts, the Census is now used to determine funding at state and federal levels.

Why it's important: The 2010 Census will help local communities across the country receive more than $400 billion in federal funds each year for the next 10 years – or over $4 trillion - for things such as emergency services; hospitals, bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects; schools, job training centers; and senior centers. In addition, residents themselves have used Census data to support community initiatives involving environmental legislation, quality-of-life issues, and consumer advocacy.

The problem: Lower income and more mobile populations, precisely those served by many nonprofits, are frequently undercounted by the Census, leading to underfunding of critical services and infrastructure and under-representation in government. 

Our answer: Nonprofits, which are often considered a trusted resource, can play an important role in making sure their communities are fully and accurately counted by educating these communities on the importance of the Census and how to participate.

What you can do: Make sure everyone is counted.

The Census is around the corner: forms are being mailed mid-March. At stake is a decade of federal funding, political representation, and public and private investment. Go to NonprofitsCount, the most comprehensive website on the 2010 Census for the nonprofit community. There you can:

• Request a free Census Toolkit that will help you ensure your constituents are counted.
  
• Stay informed about what's going on in Wisconsin.

What's at Stake - By the numbers:

$4 trillion

Federal funds distributed to the states based on Census data over the next 10 years.

$5.8 billion

Census-based federal funds Wisconsin received in 2007 alone!

$1,032.55

Amount each person counted in the 2000 Census earned for Wisconsin in federal funds in 2007

Warning Wisconsin Could Lose Population Count Due to Snowbird Confusion in Census, Help Needed, Job Opportunities. Dec 16, 2009
The results of the census are used to determine Congressional seats, legislative districts, and the distribution of over $400 billion in federal funds. Localities use census data to site hospitals and schools. Businesses use them to determine where to build new plants and site stores. “Wisconsin already ranks low in receiving federal dollars,” says Kaminski, “We don’t want an undercount to exacerbate that situation.”

The President has just signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, joined by Senator Kennedy, President Bill Clinton, the Congressional leaders who supported the legislation, and countless others dedicated to passage of the bill at the SEED School, where service is a core part of the curriculum. Appropriately, the President announced a major call to service: