Bite the Hand that Feeds You, or Else!

Changes in the charitable deduction are conservatively projected to reduce contributions from individuals by 2.5 percent. With individuals contributing $217.79 billion in 2011, that’s a drop of $5,444,750,000, an amount that would run the federal government for 8 hours, but covers nearly two years of budget for the Salvation Army, serving 30 million people annually in need due to poverty, addiction, natural disasters, and just plain bad luck.