Turns Out I’m the Squirrel with the Stapler, and the IRS Handbook

When Luann asked if I’d write something for the advocacy email, I had a moment. You know the one. That “Wait, you mean me?” moment. I’m not a tax lawyer. I don’t speak fluent deduction. And while I work in fundraising, I usually leave the IRS out of it unless absolutely necessary.
 
But then I realized, maybe that’s exactly why I should write it.
 
Because sometimes what we need isn’t an expert in tax code. We need someone who can read a government update and explain it without sounding like they’re teaching a seminar at a beige hotel near the airport. I don’t do overproduced. I speak human.
 
And let me tell you, I really leaned into that this past Fourth of July weekend.
 
While the rest of America was grilling hot dogs and watching fireworks, I was knee deep in nonprofit tax law. Fireworks of a different kind. Red, white, and read the fine print.
 
Now, I’m not proud of this, but I will own it. I voluntarily clicked on an email from a friend titled “New Tax Law: What’s Staying, What’s Changing, and What It Means for You.”
 
Here’s the link if you want to be the life of your next party:
 
As I read through it, one thought kept bouncing around in my head: This feels like handing a squirrel a stapler and asking it to write a policy.
 
It’s chaotic. It’s not built for this. It looks confident for a second, then panics and launches itself across the room. And somehow, despite all odds, it finishes the job.
 
That was me.
 
And here’s what I pieced together. Five big takeaways that actually matter to people like us in the nonprofit world:
 
1. Above the line deduction is back starting in 2026 - People can write off $1,000 or $2,000 if married without itemizing. That’s a big win for everyday givers. Less paperwork. More motivation to give.
 
2. This worked before - Back during the CARES Act, a similar setup led to $30 billion in giving from 90 million taxpayers. Small orgs like ours saw real benefits.
 
3. The standard deduction isn’t changing much - It’s staying high. $15,750 single and $31,500 married. It will adjust for inflation. Not a game changer, but worth knowing.
 
4. Itemizers will have to give a little more - To get any charitable deduction, they’ll need to give at least 0.5 percent of their income. No more “$25 and done.”
 
5. Corporate giving just got interesting - Companies will have to give 1 percent of their taxable income to get the deduction. That opens the door for local nonprofits with strong community connections to form new partnerships. Let’s walk through that door.
 
Now, I’m not saying I agree with every part of the law, but I am saying this. - It matters.
 
It matters for the families who stay in our hospitality house.
It matters for the patients we transport through Health on Wheels.
It matters for the nurse who’s going to school on a scholarship we funded.
 
Policy changes don’t sound exciting. But they’re the pipes under the surface. They either let impact flow or block it.
 
So even if this feels a little outside your usual lane, take a moment. Read it. Think about what it means for the causes you care about and the people we serve.
 
Because at the end of the day, we’re not here to decode tax policy. We’re here to change lives.
 
And sometimes, that means handing the squirrel a stapler and saying
“Alright, let’s figure this out.”

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