CapinCrouse LLP’s Post

New #Insights! The 2024 Giving USA report reveals ongoing declines in charitable donations to #religion, mirroring broader reductions in religious attendance and overall giving. These trends challenge leaders of faith-based organizations, clergy, and donor networks to develop innovative strategies to navigate and respond to the shifting landscape of #faith and #philanthropy. 🤔 What can leaders on the ground do in response to these reported changes in faith and giving? Read more in the latest issue of our newsletter 👉 https://lnkd.in/gSFXZab4 #LakeInstitute #LakeInsights #FaithandGiving

Study: Religiously Affiliated Are More Likely To Trust Charities In new data released today by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, respondents were asked to assess their trust across 13 charity categories. Participants identifying as unaffiliated, atheist or agnostic tend to be less trusting of the charity categories. For example, while overall 18.2% of respondents report high trust for civil rights and community action organizations, only 9.4% of agnostics, 9.2% of atheists and 8.4% of unaffiliated did so. https://lnkd.in/ekJN4CkN

According to new research from BBB’s Give.org, Atheist, Agnostic, and unaffiliated participants are less likely to report high trust in charities, report contributing over the past three year, or say that they are open to charity solicitation. For example, among the religiously affiliated (including Catholic, Hindus, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, and Protestant participants) 28.0% say they highly trust charities. By comparison, only 10.5% say the same among Agnostics, Atheists and the Unaffiliated. https://lnkd.in/gwjdd5hV

The idea of taxing charities is "populist and superficially straightforward but also quite ignorant" - it also won't raise any revenue and in fact will most likely be revenue negative as charities running op shops and other businesses may be forced to reduce their services (often essential services) due to the state-forced reduction in their income - government would likely then have to make up the shortfall, but research indicates charities running services do so more efficiently and effectively than government. So ironically, taxing charities would not only raise no revenue, it would likely increase government's costs! Charities are already struggling with increasing costs, increasing demand for services, increasing pressure on volunteers and declining revenue streams - we should be encouraging charities to run businesses to raise funds for their charitable purposes to reduce their dependency on donations and government funding. I agree - taxing charities would be an "own goal"

🌟 Legacy & In-Memory Giving Through a Faith Lens 🌟 At the CIOF Legacy and In-Memory Conference 2024, Lucinda Frostick, Director of Remember A Charity, hosted a fascinating panel discussion exploring the role of #Faith in shaping #Legacy and #InMemory giving. Joined by speakers Adam Overlander-Kaye, Yasmin Hoque and Abigail McMillan, the session highlighted how faith and culture influence charitable giving across Judaism, Islam, and Catholicism. Here are some of the key insights shared: ✡️ Judaism Adam Overlander-Kaye of Kisharon Langdon shared how philanthropy is a core tenet of Jewish life, deeply rooted in the concept of redistributive social and economic justice. Despite the UK’s Jewish community being small (290K people or 0.1% of the population), its generosity is profound, with over 2,000 Jewish charities in existence. Jewish culture includes a structured mourning ritual called Shiva, which integrates remembrance into everyday life. Adam’s poignant reminder: "History is someone else's story, but memory is my story." ☪️ Islam Yasmine Hoque of AL-HQ Law & More described how charitable giving is integral to Islamic faith and estate planning. Will writing is compulsory, and two principles guide giving: Zakat: An obligatory act of worship. Sadakah: Voluntary giving, allowing up to a third of one’s estate to be donated to charity, offering perpetual rewards in the afterlife. With the UK’s Muslim population now around 4 million, there’s growing potential for legacy gifts as part of this cultural tradition. ✝️ Catholicism Abigail McMillan from CAFOD shared how giving is ingrained in Catholic culture, tied to Caritas (a Biblical form of charitable love). November is the month of remembrance, with traditions such as lighting candles, offering prayers for the deceased, and donating to the parish. In-memory donations are a normalised and valued part of Catholic practice, making these conversations natural and impactful within the community. 🔑 Takeaway: Across these faiths, giving is more than an act of generosity—it’s a profound form of love, social justice, and remembrance. Understanding these cultural nuances can help charities connect meaningfully with supporters and create opportunities for impactful legacy and in-memory giving. What cultural or faith-driven practices have you found to influence giving in your work? Let us know in the comments! 💬 Chartered Institute of Fundraising #LegacyGiving #FaithBasedGiving #FundraisingInsights #CharitySector

#CharitySubtypes #AdvancingReligion When the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission register an organisation, its charity ‘subtypes’ are also publicly registered. These reflect the category of that organisation’s charitable purpose, which is what its activities will work towards achieving. Each subtype has a specific meaning under the law. The subtype for discussion today is Advancing Religion. ✔️ A religion involves a belief in a supernatural being, thing or principle, and acceptance of canons of conduct which give effect to that belief. ✔️ Advancing religion involves promotion of those beliefs, principles, observances and standards of conduct. Some examples of charities that advance religion: o Religious congregations o Religious education bodies o Funds for establishing and maintaining religious buildings 📢Important note on ‘Basic Religious Charities’📢 o Under the ACNC Act, 'Basic Religious Charities' are exempt from certain reporting requirements and the ACNC's Governance Standards. o To be classified as a Basic Religious Charity, a charity can be registered only with the subtype of advancing religion and could not be registered as any other subtype. o So, for example, it could not also be registered for the subtype of advancing education. ------- ℹ️ Accountants, Lawyers & Advisors ℹ️ Do your clients enquire about Charities/NFPs? Not sure where to start? Get in touch with us at legal@littlecfo.com to: 📎 Request our "Charity and NFP Legal Services & Pricing" info pack. 📞 Book a chat with our Principal. We work collaboratively with our accounting, legal, and advisory firm referrers. 📢 Ask about our CLE/CPD presentations. ------- #ACNC #Charities #CharitablePurposes #TaxConcessionCharity #DGR #charity #Nonprofits #Lawyers #Accountants #Religion

#CharitySubtypes #AdvancingReligion When the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission register an organisation, its charity ‘subtypes’ are also publicly registered. These reflect the category of that organisation’s charitable purpose, which is what its activities will work towards achieving. Each subtype has a specific meaning under the law. The subtype for discussion today is Advancing Religion. ✔️ A religion involves a belief in a supernatural being, thing or principle, and acceptance of canons of conduct which give effect to that belief. ✔️ Advancing religion involves promotion of those beliefs, principles, observances and standards of conduct. Some examples of charities that advance religion: o Religious congregations o Religious education bodies o Funds for establishing and maintaining religious buildings 📢Important note on ‘Basic Religious Charities’📢 o Under the ACNC Act, 'Basic Religious Charities' are exempt from certain reporting requirements and the ACNC's Governance Standards. o To be classified as a Basic Religious Charity, a charity can be registered only with the subtype of advancing religion and could not be registered as any other subtype. o So, for example, it could not also be registered for the subtype of advancing education. ------- ℹ️ Accountants, Lawyers & Advisors ℹ️ Do your clients enquire about Charities/NFPs? Not sure where to start? Get in touch with us at legal@littlecfo.com to: 📎 Request our "Charity and NFP Legal Services & Pricing" info pack. 📞 Book a chat with our Principal. We work collaboratively with our accounting, legal, and advisory firm referrers. 📢 Ask about our CLE/CPD presentations. ------- #ACNC #Charities #CharitablePurposes #TaxConcessionCharity #DGR #charity #Nonprofits #Lawyers #Accountants #Religion

Giving USA reports contributions to the religion sector comprised 24% of all donations received by charities in 2023 and totaled $145.81 billion, a 3.1% increase in current dollars. However, adjusted for inflation, giving to religion declined by 1.0%. Twenty-four percent represents the lowest portion of total giving to religion ever reported by Giving USA. According to research from Givelify and the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, 43% of surveyed faith leaders reported an increase in giving, 36% reported that giving stayed consistent, and roughly 20% reported a decline in giving to their place of worship in 2023.

In Toronto, it has been revealed by current news stories that a significant number of refugees and migrants have been received, and the gap has been filled by churches and religious groups through the provision of shelter and support in church basements. This generous response came promptly, even when governmental financial support was lagging. Mosques, synagogues, and other places of worship have similarly opened their doors, continuing a long-standing tradition of religious groups in aiding those in need. From a fundraising perspective, it is observed that individuals with religious faith are often more generous, donating to a variety of causes, both religious and secular. This generosity reflects the deep-seated altruism inherent in their beliefs, significantly supporting humanitarian efforts regardless of the organization's faith basis. In North America, it is noted that a substantial portion of public donations to humanitarian work originates from individuals with a religious affiliation, underscoring the profound impact of religious faith on charitable giving. The discussion also touches upon the nature of human flaws, suggesting that the scandals often associated with religion may stem more from inherent human traits like greed and the quest for power, rather than the religious institutions themselves. #Generosity #RefugeeSupport #MigrantAssistance #ReligiousFaith #CharitableGiving #HumanitarianWork #TorontoCommunity #SocialResponsibility #InterfaithCooperation #ChurchesInAction

Check out the latest from Napa Legal Counsel Frank DeVito on a very important case affecting the religious identity of faith-based nonprofit organizations. https://lnkd.in/e_KDpZm2