Supporting the designation of "GivingTuesday" and strong incentives for all people of the United States to volunteer and give generously.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 709 Supporting the designation of ‘‘GivingTuesday’’ and strong incentives for all people of the United States to volunteer and give generously. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 18, 2019 Ms. GABBARD (for herself and Mr. HURD of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means RESOLUTION Supporting the designation of ‘‘GivingTuesday’’ and strong incentives for all people of the United States to volunteer and give generously. Whereas GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to posi- tively transform their communities; Whereas GivingTuesday is in its eighth year and has become a worldwide movement that celebrates the power of gen- erosity in all its forms; Whereas GivingTuesday brought together more than 2,500 organizations in all 50 States in its first year and con- tinues to gain momentum with a growing number of partners in the United States and around the world; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Nov 19, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR709.IH HR709 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 709 IH Whereas GivingTuesday, along with other community-giving days, highlights the charitable community in America which boasts 11⁄2 million nonprofits, philanthropic organi- zations, and religious congregations dedicated to improv- ing lives and strengthening communities; Whereas the charitable community is a key partner with Fed- eral, State, and local governments in the delivery of key programs and services, including child learning and nu- trition, emergency disaster response, crisis services for the homeless, and job training and placement programs; Whereas organizations participating in GivingTuesday sup- port our military servicemembers, veterans, and their families with financial counseling, educational support, childcare, emergency relief, and health support; Whereas communities are lifted up by the exposure of all citi- zens to the cultural, educational, and civic opportunities provided by the charitable community; Whereas virtually every person in the United States benefits from the work of the charitable community, which em- ploys more than 10 percent of the United States private workforce and engages an additional 63,000,000 volun- teers; Whereas the estimated national value of each volunteer hour is approximately $25.43 per hour, contributing about $203,000,000,000 to communities across the United States; Whereas the Founding Fathers established a strong philan- thropic tradition that should be continued and carried on; and Whereas GivingTuesday proves that acts of kindness and goodwill can transcend country, race, religion, and polit- VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Nov 19, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR709.IH HR709 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 709 IH ical ideals, and create lasting connections between people: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) recognizes that the United States needs a 2 strong and vibrant charitable and philanthropic sec- 3 tor to enable communities to meet local needs; 4 (2) supports the designation of ‘‘GivingTues- 5 day’’ as a way to encourage generosity and therefore 6 enact positive change and promote causes that fur- 7 ther progress and prosperity for a better world; and 8 (3) supports strong incentives for all Americans 9 to give generously to charitable organizations by pro- 10 tecting the charitable deduction and incentives that 11 encourage philanthropy and volunteering. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Nov 19, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR709.IH HR709 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with BILLS