State level | North Carolina Center for Nonprofits

Nonprofit Tax Exemption Talking Points

Why Is Nonprofit Tax Exemption Essential for North Carolina?

1. It protects taxpayers.

Nonprofits provide essential services that government would have to provide otherwise. Tax exemption costs much less than the cost of government having to provide the services itself.
Nonprofits provide public benefits in exchange for tax exemption.
Organizations may choose not to locate in counties or states that do not grant tax exemption. This is a potential loss for the people and economy in those locations.

Threats to Tax Exemption and Incentives for Charitable Giving

Senate Tax Proposal

The Senate tax plan, which was passed as part of the Senate's version of the state budget for FY2015-17, would have made three changes that would harm nonprofits:

State Budget 2017

The N.C. General Assembly has approved the state budget for FY2017-18.

The Center has prepared a chart comparing a variety of issues affecting nonprofits in the House and Senate budget proposals and the final budget.

See What the Candidates for Governor Say About Nonprofits

The N.C. Center for Nonprofits has sent a candidate questionnaire asking each candidate for Governor to share their insights on several nonprofit sector issues. We encourage you to read their responses before voting in the May 8 primary. Here are their responses:

Democratic Candidates

Nonprofits and government contracts

Following up on 2010 research from the Urban Institute, the N.C. Center for Nonprofits has been working to identify and fix nonprofit government contracting problems in North Carolina. We have prepared a report highlighting our findings, which include:

Election Law Changes and Nonprofits

In August 2013, the N.C. General Assembly passed H.B. 589, the Voter Information Verification Act (VIVA), which makes several significant changes to North Carolina’s election laws. Legislators made important changes to this law in June of 2015. Because nonprofits are among the most trusted institutions in their communities, it is important that they provide accurate, nonpartisan information to their staff, volunteers, and those they serve about the election process.

Shorter Judicial Terms Could Be Problematic for Nonprofit Advocacy

A bill (S.698) under consideration in the N.C. Senate would place a constitutional amendment on the 2018 primary ballot to shorten the terms in office for state judges to two years. Currently, District Court judges serve for four-year terms, and Supreme Court justices, Court of Appeals judges, and Superior Court judges serve for eight-year terms.