http://www.ato.org/ATO/FULLSTORY.asp
This bill affects all fraternities and sororities not just ATO.
We are asking you to take a few minutes of your time and draft three letters to Congress in support of H.R. 1523.
Click here for sample letters and address lists.
During the last several months we, along with other members of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) have been working with key Congressional leaders on passage of HR 1523, the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2003. Thanks, in large part, to the NIC lobbying firm, Washington-based Patton Boggs, we are gaining important momentum on getting this legislation incorporated within a larger charitable giving act.
In short, HR 1523 would redefine existing tax law to allow for tax-deductible charitable contributions to be made to local or national 501(c)(3) organizations (such as the Alpha Tau Omega Educational Foundation) and for those contributions to then be used at the chapter level for a broad range of purposes, including making safety and infrastructure improvements to our chapter houses. Currently, tax-deductible gifts may be used for “bricks and mortar” only when directly related to educational purposes such as study rooms, computers, libraries and the like. Ironically, our host institutions do not have such restrictions on their use of their charitable contributions.
Clearly, passage of this legislation would immediately change the playing field for chapters, housing corporations and alumni who would have a much easier time soliciting donors for all chapter-house “bricks and mortar” needs.
As of August 1, HR 1523 has 41 sponsors and co-sponsors. The lead sponsors, Congressman Paul Ryan, (R-WI) and Congressman Ben Cardin (D-MD) have recently circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter seeking additional co-sponsors.
The House Ways and Means Committee, which has announced a September 3rd mark-up for the Charitable Giving Act (HR 7). HR 7 makes comprehensive reforms to the tax code’s treatment of the charitable giving industry. We believe HR 7 may be our best chance to get the concepts of HR 1523 attached to a larger, related tax measure that will be moving in this year’s Congress. In fact, it may take several years before Congress again takes such a comprehensive look at the universe of charitable giving laws.
A Word document sample letter to use as a model in writing your letters is included below. There are places in the letter for you to insert the proper name and fax number of the Member of Congress you are writing. Please be sure to personalize this information before sending the letter. The letter is not ready to be faxed “as is.”
There are two Excel spread sheets, one which shows all 403 members of Congress who are not yet sponsors of NR 1523 and another spread sheet showing just the 34 members of the Ways and Means Committee who are not yet sponsors. Both spread sheets include the names, addresses and fax numbers along with the colleges and universities located within their Congressional Districts.
Please follow these instructions in writing your letters:
1.Use the Excel spread sheet to determine the names and fax numbers of the Members of Congress. You will be writing:
Your Hometown Member of Congress
The Member of Congress who resides in the district your alma mater is located
The Member of Congress on the Ways and Means Committee spread sheet that resides in the district your alma mater is located (or closest)
2. Use the Sample Letter for all three Members of Congress
3. FAX THESE LETTERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (A letter by U.S. Mail will take days/weeks to get to the appropriate Congressional Office because of the extremely tight post-anthrax security measures)
4. Fax a copy of the letter you wrote to National Headquarters (317-684-1862). (This is important because our lobbying firm needs to know who has been contacted)
As well, and possibly even more important, if you have a personal relationship with a Member of the House of Representatives, please fax, e-mail or call to ask for his/her support as a co-sponsor of HR 1523.
Thank you for taking the time to help get this measure through the House, and more importantly, take a major step in improving living facilities for our brothers.
Wynn Smiley
Chief Executive Officer
Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity
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