The  Honorable  Ron  Wyden                 July  17,  2015  221  Dirksen  Senate  Office  Building  Washington,  DC  20510  

Dear  Senator  Wyden:  

We  write  to  you  today  regarding  three  important  charitable  tax  provisions  that  we  understand  will  be  part  of  legislation  brought  forward  soon  in  the  Senate  Finance  Committee:  the  food  donation  tax  deduction,  the  enhanced  incentive  for  land  conservation,  and  the  IRA  charitable  rollover.  

Our  charitable  organizations  and  the  networks  we  represent  in  Oregon  are  grateful  for  your  continued  support  in  seeing  these  important  incentives  made  permanent.    

We  are  pleased  that  Senate  leadership  appears  to  be  in  favor  of  a  two-­‐year  extension  for  the  incentives  and  support  this  effort.  However,  we  continue  to  look  for  a  permanent  solution  to  these  critical  provisions.  We  believe  that  permanency,  as  included  in  the  America  Gives  More  Act,  is  the  real  solution  to  the  ongoing  uncertainty  our  constituents  contend  from  the  short-­‐term  extensions  we  have  seen  in  years  past.    

As  the  Senate  Finance  Committee  prepares  to  discuss  the  tax  extenders,  we  would  like  to  share  with  you  our  common  priorities.  In  order,  they  are:  

1. Permanency  for  the  tax  provisions  contained  in  the  America  Gives  More  Act.  2. A  two-­‐year  extension  of  the  three  tax  provisions,  including  the  expanded  food  donation  

tax  deduction.  3. A  two-­‐year  extension  of  the  three  provisions,  as  included  in  the  Chairman’s  current  markup.  

Our  organizations  collectively  work  to  address  Oregon’s  greatest  needs,  from  its  land  to  its  people.  We  cannot  overstate  the  impact  increases  in  voluntary  giving  will  have  on  priorities  such  as  education,  conservation  of  open  spaces  and  hunger  relief.    

We  are  grateful  for  your  strong  support  for  these  incentives  and  look  forward  to  continuing  to  work  with  you  and  your  staff  to  renew  and  make  permanent  the  food  donation  tax  deduction,  the  enhanced  incentive  for  land  conservation,  and  the  IRA  charitable  rollover.  

Respectfully,          

Susannah  Morgan  CEO,  Oregon  Food  Bank.      

Jim  White  ED,  Nonprofit  Association  of  Oregon    

   Jeff  Clarke  CEO,  Philanthropy  Northwest  

 Kelley  Beamer  ED,  Coalition  of  Oregon  Land  Trusts