The Cost of Giving: How Do Changes in Tax Deductions Affect Charitable Contributions?

Each year, millions of American taxpayers claim tax deductions for contributions to their favorite charities. The charitable tax deduction subsidizes private giving by reducing the out-of-pocket cost of making contributions. In April 1999, the Urban Institutes Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy and Harvard Universitys Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations convened the first Seminar on Emerging Issues in Philanthropy to explore whether the benefits derived from the charitable tax deduction are worth the cost.