AmericanCharityMuseum.org

Mission of American Charity Museum

The mission of the American Charity Museum, a non-profit organization of The International Charity Foundation, Inc. (Charity Army) is to inspire a history and destiny of American Charity,

More recently over the last 50 years or so, donations to charitable organizations have increased consistently year-over-year, far outpacing the rate of inflation. Today, charitable giving is a core value of American Western culture with over 97% of U.S. households donating to charity in 2018!

America’s Charitable History

Here are a few highlights:

1643 – The first account of a fundraising drive in America is organized by Harvard University. It raised 500 pounds.

1913 – Congress passes the Revenue Act of 1913 exempting charities from paying federal income tax.

1917-Thanks to the Revenue Act of 1917, taxpayers can deduct their charitable contributions off their federal income taxes.

1941 – The Form 990 was filed for the first time for tax years ending n 1941.

1962 – Individuals gave a total of $9.89 billion to charity, far surpassing donations by foundations ($700 million) and corporations ($540 million).

1964 – President John F. Kennedy authorized the creation of a formal fundraising program. Launched in 1964, the first Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) raised $12.9 million.

August 29, 2005 – Hurricane Katrina devastates the gulf coast and philanthropists respond by giving $6.5 billion. The pace and level of giving was unprecedented, breaking all previous records of disaster-related giving.

Charity Day 2018 raised over $12 million for charities around the world.

A leading advocate in its field, American Charity Museum collects, preserves, presents, and celebrates all artefacts of American Charity activities. In addition to underscoring the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of Charity artefacts and their forms, the American Charity Museum offers educational programs that provide a foundation for charity integration and literacy.

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