• Continue leadership with early education, including implementation of new laws passed in 2014, legislative and administrative improvements to child care and pre-k and increased attention to infants and toddlers;
• Increase leadership and emphasis on 1) tax and programmatic policies that affect lower-wage workers, specifically federal policies of Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit; state tax policies of State EITC, Tax Credit for the Elderly, sales tax and income tax changes; and 2) policies that smooth out the "cliff effect"; 
• Continue efforts in healthcare implementation and stakeholder engagement, especially related to Marketplace and Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0. 
• Continue leadership in charitable sector policy work and stakeholder coordination, especially around charitable giving incentives (charitable deduction, NAP, etc.) and tax exemption (property, sales). 
• Continue leadership in support of quality, statewide 2-1-1.

The month of October includes opportunities for nonprofits to stumble into trouble as it is an election year. A simple statement about an individual (who happens to be running for office) may be construed as support for that candidate--which is a big no-no for nonprofits.

 

Nonprofits ARE ALLOWED (and encouraged) to advocate and lobby related to mission--supporting or opposing specific policies, rules and funding. If you do so, track and report as required.

 

  

Nonprofits ARE FORBIDDEN from supporting or opposing candidates or parties in any way. If you do so, you risk revocation of your tax-exempt status.

 

 

Download our Election Year Reminders and share with your staff at your next board meeting. 

 

*For this purpose, we use the term "nonprofit" to mean nonprofit charities organized under 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. There are other types of tax-exempt organizations with different rules. 

Pay attention, please! This could affect your personal budget, your clients' budget and your nonprofit organization. Legislators have heard testimony from various witnesses with the following ideas:

• Presenter:
  Application of sales tax to all services would allow sales tax rate to be reduced to as low as 4.5%
  (from current rate of 7%). Then there was a recognition that certain advocacy groups (financial, legal and medical services) would not allow their services to be taxed, likely leaving it for others or reducing the chances of successful passage--yet.
• Presenter: Application of sales tax to all goods and consumables, including food items, could help increase state revenues. (Editor note: Indiana does not tax grocery food items, unless prepared food. SNAP benefits may not pay sales tax on SNAP-eligible items. Nearly 1 in 7 Hoosiers receives SNAP.)
• Several presenters: Perhaps Indiana should eliminate all deductions and credits, both to help reduce income and sales tax rates, but also to simplify tax filing.See Tax Simplification Conference summary. (Editor note: Many credits and deductions were created to foster certain behaviors and outcomes through enacted public policy, i.e., encouraging economic investment, charitable giving and savings for college or leveling the playing field for low-wage workers.)
• Presenter:
  Removing the

  property tax exemption
  could provide amounts of revenue to the State and to local governments from various exempted groups if offered as a simple application.
  Seetable of Property Tax Deductions, Exemptions and Creditsor table of history and county-level estimates. (Editor note: All deductions, credits and exemptions are on a schedule for review and evaluation, with EITC and Tax Credit for the Elderly on the list for 2015. See description and review schedule. Legislators are looking at how to evaluate and how to measure with guidance from Pew.)

• 77% of families have had to choose between paying for food and paying for medical care;
• 85% of families have chosen to purchase inexpensive, unhealthy food because they could not afford healthier options;
• 77% of families have had to make the choice between food and paying for utilities; and
• 63% have had to decide between paying for food or paying for housing.

  

• children prepare for and succeed in school;
• individuals achieve and sustain financial stability;
• individuals access quality healthcare; and
• communities thrive, including a strong 2-1-1 network and charitable sector.

  

IaUW Policy / Advocacy info - Review and download IaUW Policy Priorities, Third House calendar, bill lists, fact sheets, talking points and testimony.

  

  

NRN Calendar - Register for high-quality and affordable training for nonprofit staff and volunteers by the Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network.

Indiana General Assembly

Library of Congress