Action Alert #11
Support the CARE Act before it reaches the Senate floor!

Dear SAA Member,

Student Advocates for the Arts (SAA) urges you to send a letter to your Senators in support of Senate passage of the CARE Act of 2003.

The CARE Act includes tax incentives for charitable giving and other support to help nonprofit organizations address community needs. The Senate Committee on Finance passed the CARE Act earlier this month, and we expect that the bill may be considered on the Senate floor in the next few weeks. It is critical that the charitable and philanthropic community speak out immediately and urge your Senators to support the CARE Act. Below is the text of a letter that you can edit to add specifics about your organization and send to your Senators urging them to vote in favor of passage of the CARE Act.

Dear [insert Senator name here],

I urge you to support passage of the CARE Act of 2003 when it comes before the full Senate. It is critical that the CARE Act is enacted into law this year. Our support for the CARE Act stems from the tax incentives that encourage people to increase or begin giving,
and spending initiatives that enhance the services that charities provide. Simply put, the CARE Act would help America's charities do more to help others.

Across the nation, charities are struggling to deliver services to the American people under difficult circumstances. Despite the incredible generosity of Americans in the aftermath of September 11, donations to charitable organizations dropped last year by 2.3 percent and they're lagging even further behind this year. At the same time, more people are turning to
charities for help because of job lay-offs, health concerns, and the needs of our children. The tax incentives contained in the CARE Act to encourage charitable giving are needed now more than ever.

The CARE Act recently passed by the Senate Committee on Finance provides a charitable deduction for non-itemizers, allows individuals to contribute from their IRAs to charity without incurring tax penalties, and simplifies the record-keeping requirements and other confusing limitations on nonprofit lobbying activities.

We request you support the CARE Act when it is considered on the Senate floor. Thank you for your consideration on this matter of critical importance to the charitable
community.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
Member
Student Advocates for the Arts

Please CC Student Advocates for the Arts at studentadvocates@columbia.edu
and forward this on to other students you know who are interested in supporting the arts.

Find your Senator at the links below:

New York
Senator Clinton http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html
Senator Schumer http://schumer.senate.gov/webform.html

New Jersey
Senator Corzine http://corzine.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Senator Lautenberg Frank_Lautenberg@lautenberg.senate.gov

links to other senator emails
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Thanks to the Independent Sector for their help with this Action Alert.