Executive Issues

President Obama last night defended his controversial budget proposal to cut the rate for charitable tax deductions for wealthy people, arguing that the policy shift would not have an adverse effect on charitable giving.

When SNAP Long Island needed some extra money earlier this year, it asked its bank for an extension on its existing line of credit.

Two years ago, a charity called Women Arise went to the Hudson-Webber Foundation with a plea for help.

Almost six out of 10 people who responded to a survey by data analysis firm G2 Data Dynamics said their donations had not changed as a result of the economic downturn.

British corporate philanthropy is expected to fall by more than a third over the next year as a result of the financial downturn, according to a poll of 450 business leaders released on Monday.

Social entrepreneur Daniel Ben-Horin, whose multimillion dollar San Francisco business TechSoup Global connects charities to computer companies, sees an upside to the economic downturn.

Often the last resort for those in need, the Salvation Army in some cities is experiencing a budget crunch of its own despite a sharp increase in donations.

For the past few years, Carl Anglesea gave about $400 each year to charity. But he lost his job as a software developer in August, and since then Anglesea, 54, of Chuluota, Fla., hasn't given a dime. What he has done, though, is triple his hours as a volunteer AARP tax counselor helping people fill out tax forms. "I'd like to give cash, but I can't," he says. "So I'm committing to more hours as a substitute."

Ralph G. Adamo, Founder and CEO of Integrity Wealth Management, and supporter of several charitable foundations, is conducting research to assist development professionals and executives at charities to determine how to counter the broad decline in charitable giving due to the current financial crisis. Adamo's firm helps high net worth families to help maximize the benefits of their financial assets. As a group, they represent a substantial portion of most charities' endowments, so their needs and motivations are the focus of the research.

Anyone who has visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art is familiar with the pay-what-you-want concept that has obvious appeal to those unwilling or unable to handle full price.