Volunteerism- National Volunteer Week is April 18-24

IRS Standard Mileage Tax Deduction Rates for 2010 (as of Jan. 1, 2010)

1/25/10 Congress Releases New Analysis on Charitable Mileage Tax Deduction and Reimbursement Rate.  On January 25, 2010, the Congressional Research Service released a Report analyzing the current volunteer mileage rate tax deduction law and four legislative proposals dealing with the statutory rate (14 cents per mile) which taxpayers can deduct if they drive their own vehicle for charitable purposes. The report addresses three questions for Congress to consider: whether the rate should be set by statute or by the IRS; where that rate should be set in relation to the higher deduction rates for business use and for medical or moving use of vehicles; and whether mileage expenses reimbursed by the charity should be treated more favorably than unreimbursed expenses.  CRS Report R40434, Charitable Standard Mileage Rate: Considerations for the 111th Congress, by Nonna A. Noto. 

The Rates: Effective January 1, 2010, the IRS lowered the medical and moving standard mileage rate from 24 cents to 16.5 cents per mile and the business standard mileage rate from 55 cents to 50 cents per mile. In contrast, the third rate, the charitable (volunteer) standard mileage rate, which is set by statute under Section 170(i) of the Internal Revenue Code, remained at 14 cents per mile, where it has been since 1998. Read the press release at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=216048,00.html.  For details on the standard mileage rates read Revenue Procedure 2009-54 at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-09-54.pdf

The Campaign: In 2008 a national effort was launched to increase the volunteer mileage rate.  This was spearheaded by David A. Ross, J.D. of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations based on a bill by Congressman Todd Platts (PA-R-19).  Within 6 months, the coalition grew to thousands of charitable organizations, volunteer groups, and individuals.  Eventually raising the volunteer mileage rate received support from leaders in the US House and Senate. By February, 2009 a managers’ amendment to raise the volunteer rate was to be included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the Stimulus bill), by the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. During Conference Negotiations however, the amendment was blocked and never offered. 

The Result: While the initiative did not achieve its goal of raising the volunteer or charitable mileage rate tax deduction, it gained national attention for the issue and came closer to raising the rate than any prior effort since 1998. In the end, the issue was placed squarely on the public agenda -- and is in-part the reason why the latest CRS Study was conducted.

1/26/10 RSVP Announces New Funding for Volunteers and Nonprofit Capacity Building. The Corporation for National and Community Service just announced that it will provide $2.7 million in new grant funding to increase the number of RSVP volunteers.  20% of volunteers will be placed in assignments that enhance organizational capacity in the community, such as pro bono planning support, recruiting and coordinating community volunteers, or assisting with resource development. RSVP engages volunteers age 55 and older to assist seniors and veterans with independent living support, including respite for family or informal caregivers, to assist children academically to succeed in school, and help vulnerable populations to make their homes more energy efficient. Interested organizations must submit a Concept Paper by February 22, 2010, 5:00 EST.  Read the Press release at http://www.seniorcorps.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1652  The full NFOA is posted at http://www.seniorcorps.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa_detail.asp?tbl_nofa_id=78. 

11/19/09 PennSERVE: the Governor’s Office of Citizen Service has issued a request for applications (RFA#-2010-ACS-01) for potential 2010-11 AmeriCorps*State programs in the Commonwealth. Consistent with PennSERVE's mission, the funding is designed to help organizations strengthen Commonwealth communities by implementing innovative service programs that address a compelling community need through the use of volunteers. This national service grant opportunity is available to local community and/or faith-based organizations. If you think your nonprofit may be interested in operating an AmeriCorps program, you are encouraged to apply. To access the grant application information, visit www.pennserve.state.pa.us and click on the link for "PennSERVE RFA for 2010-2011 AmeriCorps Grants." The deadline for submission is December 3, 2009.

10/10/09 PennSERVE is pleased to announce its training and technical assistance workshop being offered for those interested in the 2010-2011 Request for Applications for AmeriCorps funding. The workshop will be conducted on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 in Harrisburg at the PA Department of Labor and Industry from 1:00 pm. until 3:00 p.m. This workshop is designed to give potential new and re-competing applicants an overview of AmeriCorps National Service and the process for applying for funding to operate an AmeriCorps program beginning August 2010. The workshop is free and open to any 501(c)(3) nonprofit or governmental agency, including, but not limited to: community or faith-based organizations, municipalities, educational institutions, and/or local affiliates of national nonprofits. Attendance at the workshop is not required for an organization to submit an application, but it is encouraged. All applications for new and re-competing PennSERVE AmeriCorps programs are due to the PennSERVE office by 3:00 p.m. Thursday, December 3, 2009. The 2010-2011 application will be available through the PennSERVE website: www.pennserve.state.pa.us and the Pennsylvania Bulletin in early October. Hard copies will also be available at the workshop. To RSVP for the workshop, please advise Jonie Buggy at the PennSERVE office by telephone 717-772-5035 or email jbuggy@state.pa.us. 

AmeriCorps Opportunity Workshop Details: Location: E-100 Conference Room, First Floor, L & I Building, 651 Boas Street, Harrisburg, PA 17121 Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Directions & Parking: Directions may be obtained through Mapquest or similar website. The Labor & Industry Building is located at the corner of 7th and Forster Streets; metered parking is available on the street and hourly or daily parking is available in the 7th Street Garage located diagonally across the street. Please do not try to park in the garage adjacent to the L&I Building; it is for Commonwealth employees only.

PennSERVE Mission Statement: “To encourage, develop and facilitate volunteer and citizen community service, which builds upon the talents, strengths, opportunities and challenges of people and communities in ways which enhance the quality of life for all citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

7/29/09 Preserve Funding For the Nonprofit Capacity Building Program. PANO and the National Council of Nonprofits are actively working to prevent the Nonprofit Capacity Building Program from being de-funded. Certain members of Congress are looking to defund the program. Without this funding, there is no program. Without this program, small to mid-sized nonprofits will continue to struggle to meet the basic needs of their communities.

Section 198S(g) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 reserves $5 million per year for the next 5 years for nonprofits to get the training they need to build their capacity. The President’s proposed budget uses a “notwithstanding clause” which essentially eliminates section 198S(g) and defunds our Nonprofit Capacity Building Program for the coming year.

Earlier this year, PANO, the National Council of Nonprofits, and State and National organizations from around the country worked with Senators Grassley (R-IA) and Baucus (D-MT) to successfully include a new Nonprofit Capacity Building Program in the Serve America Act. The Serve America Act eventually passed, and the Nonprofit Capacity Building Program was authorized.

This was a unique program: the ONLY one in all of federal law written specifically for “small and midsize nonprofit organizations.” The Program would provide matching money for training of nonprofits so they could build their capacity to better serve their communities. The cost was a relatively small $5 million each year, for five years. However, during negotiations, funding for this Program was came from a reservation of funds in the budget of the Corporation for National and Public Service.

On Tuesday July 28, the Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies is scheduled to meet to consider a recommendation from the Office of Management & Budget that would strip-out the $5 million reservation of funds from the Corporation’s budget.

Some of the groups that backed the Serve America Act are asking Congress for “full funding of the President’s budget for the Serve America Act” (which would wipe us out, since the President’s budget seeks to de-fund us), while others seek “full funding of the Serve America Act”; we fully support the latter concept of full funding for the Serve America Act, but this will not ensure funding for the Program that we have actively worked on for five years.

H.R.3293 is expected to voted on by the Senate Subcommittee on Tuesday 7/28/09, and be voted on by the full Committee on Thursday, 7/30/09.

Read about the Nonprofit Capacity Building Initiative. 
Read Senator Grassley’s Press Release. 
H.R.3293

7/1/09 PA Launches “Get Help Now, Pennsylvania” Volunteerism Initiative. In Pennsylvania, Governor Rendell responded to the President’s call to service with the “Get Help Now, Pennsylvania” program. From July 7 to September 11, 2009, an estimated 2000 volunteers at 17 locations throughout the state will provide free legal and banking counseling and referrals two days each week to thousands of struggling Pennsylvanians. These volunteer legal, banking, mortgage professionals, and financial analysts will provide free assistance, counseling, and referrals to struggling Pennsylvanians. These volunteers will not provide personal legal or banking advice, but they can refer citizens to an appropriate place for assistance. For more information, locations and times, call 1.888.799.4557; or visit www.pa.gov or www.pabar.org.  Read more about “Get Help Now, Pennsylvania.”

7/1/09  Obama Administration Launches United We Serve Volunteerism Initiative. On June 22, 2009, the Obama Administration launched the United We Serve program, a summer-long call to service from June 22 to September 11, 2009. During the 81 days of service, United We Serve program hopes to improve the communities by dramatically increasing the number of Americans volunteering. The program is also designed to foster a more reciprocal relationship between the nonprofit sector and federal agencies by building lasting partnerships. The recession is having a major impact on nonprofits, and those they serve. Most organizations are facing revenue shortfalls and decreased contributions, while the demand for their services continues to grow. Yet, many charities lack the capacity to meet the increasing needs of their communities, and at a time when their communities need them most. Volunteerism can help bridge this gap, and ensure that nonprofits’ can continue to provide these important community services. The United We Serve program seeks to bolster the capacity of organizations through increased volunteerism. The website www.serve.gov  has been established as a hub for locating volunteer opportunities as well as registering your own projects.

3/31/09 Serve America Act Passed by Congress. The Serve America Act/ GIVE Act (H.R.1388) was passed by Congress last week and is expected to be signed by the President any day now. The Act is expected to triple the number of National Service volunteers and to expand service opportunities to volunteers at all stages of life. The bill also includes the Baucus-Grassley amendment to establish a Nonprofit Capacity Building Program (NCBP). The program provides federal matching funds for organizations like PANO to provide training for nonprofits. Although the bill passed, there is no guarantee of funding. The sector must now focus its efforts on the Appropriations Committee to ensure that programs like NCBP under the Serve America Act are adequately funded. For more information go to Independent Sector http://www.independentsector.org/programs/gr/National_Community_Service.htm,  and NCN at http://www.councilofnonprofits.org/?q=policy#ncba. 

3/25/09 The Senate to debate The Serve America Act today. Call your US Senator.  S.277 would expand national public service programs, increase the number of volunteers, and provide funding to ensure accountability, efficiency and long-term results. One possible Amendment by Senators Baucus and Grassley (which we support) would even help nonprofits better utilize volunteers by setting aside $25 million for volunteer management training of small and mid-size organizations. But a dangerous anti-advocacy provision was included in the House version of the bill (The GIVE Act) last week that would prohibit certain volunteers from engaging in advocacy or voter registration drives. Some nonprofits might even be held accountable for the advocacy of co-located but otherwise unrelated groups. Call Senators Specter and Casey NOW!   Urge their support for the Nonprofit Capacity Building Amendment to the Serve America Act and their opposition to any poison-pill or anti-advocacy restrictions.  Action Alert!

3/11/09 Given the Obama Administration’s focus on public service, the funds provided in the Recovery Act, Senator Kennedy’s Serve America Act recently introduced bills to raise the volunteer mileage rate tax deduction, pending legislation to reauthorize the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the House Committee hearing on February 25, the 4 new service bills introduced as part of “Service for All Ages” initiative, and the March 10 Senate HELP Committee hearing on “The Next Generation of Service,”  volunteerism is a major issue for 2009. A nexus of legislation, initiatives and funding are building momentum in Congress. Together they will create more volunteers and more programs. But for this boost in volunteerism to be sustainable, certain structural issues like the volunteer mileage rate must be addressed.

Raising the volunteer mileage rate is just as important now even though gas prices are lower than they were last summer. In this uncertain economy, one thing is certain: gas prices will rise again. A volunteer mileage rate deduction fixed by law at 14 cents jeopardizes charities that rely on volunteer drivers, imposes hardship on volunteers from rural America, and treats our volunteers as second class citizens. Bills introduced in 2009 include S243 (Cardin), S.285 (Feingold), HR345 (Platts), HR590 (Petri), and HR524 (Lewis- House version of Cardin’s bill) Bill links are posted at http://capwiz.com/pano/issues/bills/.  The Platts and Petri Bills in the House would raise the volunteer mileage rate to 100% of the business rate (currently 55 cents per mile). Two volunteer mileage rate amendments were proposed by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) for inclusion in the Stimulus Package. At the last minute however, neither proposal was introduced. Without addressing structural issues like the volunteer mileage rate, all of this activity on volunteerism might be ineffective. For additional information http://www.pano.org/publicpolicy/publicpolicy-irs_CRR.php. 

The recession is having a major impact on nonprofits. Most charities are facing revenue shortfalls and decreased contributions, while the demand for their services increases sharply. Many charities lack the capacity to meet the increasing needs of their communities, and at a time when their communities need them most. Volunteerism can bridge this gap, and help ensure that nonprofits’ continue to provide important community services. Let’s hope that the same enlightened statesmen who are behind these initiatives, are willing to do it right. By not addressing capacity and other structural issues, like the volunteer mileage rate, the effectiveness and sustainability of these bold new initiatives are uncertain.

1/16/09 Senators Kennedy and Hatch re-introduce the Serve America Act.  Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) reintroduced the Serve America Act, to create new service opportunities for people at all stages of life. If enacted, S.277 would increase volunteerism, support innovation and effectiveness in the nonprofit sector, and support short-term international service opportunities. S.277 will recruit Americans of all ages to do service work in health, education, environmental protection and anti-poverty programs. S.277 will expand opportunities for people to serve their communities at every stage of life, from students and working adults to retirees.

The Serve America Act brings this country one step closer toward the passage of a comprehensive national service reauthorization bill.  S.277 will build upon the success of the existing national service programs like AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America (which have not been reauthorized in 15 years). This bill would help strengthen and expand the government funded service initiatives, stimulate community volunteerism, and increase accountability and efficiency within the programs. In addition, S.277 would expand the national service infrastructure, address critical community needs, and develop civic competencies in those who participate.  S.277 is posted at http://capwiz.com/pano/issues/bills/?bill=12521601&size=full.