Letter from the MHC President THE MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL


by Kimberly K. Egan MHC President


Our November issue is typically our Giving Issue, designed to get everyone ready for Giving Tuesday. It’s that time of year when non-profi ts hope for end- of-year donations and taxpayers look for tax deduc- tions. But many fi nd the process of sifting through charities somewhat daunting. Fortunately, there is an


entire cottage industry to help you make sure you are working with and giving to a legitimate cause. National organizations (such as GuideStar and Charity Navigator) have become watchdogs for all types of chari- table giving and they provide useful in- formation to the general public.


Tax-Exempt Charities As a threshold matter, whether an or-


ganization qualifi es as a charity is a ques- tion of federal tax law. T e section of the tax code that explains the various types of non-profi t organizations is 26 U.S.C. § 501. T at is why you hear so many people referring to non-profi ts as “501s.” Not all 501s, however, are charities, and not all donations to a 501 are tax deductible. True charities are the most common


cent of their total expenditures. It is important to always confi rm that the charity to which you plan to


MHC COMMITTEE REPORTS IN THIS ISSUE!


• Farm Stewardship - Reminders on proper manure removal practices on page 33


• Industry Professionals - Meet new


members and read about current member news on page 44


type of non-profi t in the horse industry, and they are organized under sub-section (c)(3) of 26 U.S.C. § 501. Section 501(c) (3) status is generally available for any corporation that is “organized and oper- ated exclusively for . . . charitable . . . or educational purposes,” or to “foster . . . amateur sports competitions,” or to “pre- vent cruelty to animals or children.” T e primary limitation on 501(c)(3)s is they cannot use charitable contribu- tions for private gain, and they cannot be in the business of “attempting to infl uence legislation . . . or interven[ing] in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public offi ce.” Generally speaking, 501(c)(3) charities must keep their lobbying expenditures under 20 per-


• Sport Horse - Competition results for Maryland-bred sport horses on page 19


• Trail Stewardship - Explore the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge on page 29


contribute is a 501(c)(3) because contributions to 501(c)(3)s are gener- ally deductible to some degree as charitable donations – depending on an individual’s tax status of course – whereas contributions to many other kinds of non-profi ts are not. Each of the charities evaluated by Guide Star and Charity Navigator meet this basic requirement. Moreover, both GuideStar and Charity Navigator have tools for as- sessing the accountability and transparency of a charity. Charities that follow good governance and transparency practices are less likely to engage in un- ethical or irresponsible activities, which means your charitable contribution is more likely to go to support the chari- table mission that is important to you. It also means that charity is less likely to run afoul of federal or state taxing authorities, thus jeopardizing the tax-deductible na- ture of your contribution. In addition, the watchdog agencies


have ratings systems for charities, much like investment houses issue ratings for publicly traded equities. One of our long- time


Industry Professional members,


Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue, has just received the highly coveted 4 Star rating from Charity Navigator. T eir 4 Star rating is the highest possible rating that a charity can receive, and it means that Gentle Giants “exceeds or meets best practices and industry standards across almost all areas” and is “likely to be a


highly-eff ective charity.” According to Charity Navigator, it means that Gentle Giants is “great.” T e horse industry owes a great deal to volunteers and charities. T is


season, thank them in one of the most meaningful of ways – give wisely, give generously, and give often!


Thank You To Our Maryland Horse Council Sponsors! join.mdhorsecouncil.org www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | NOVEMBER 2023 | 7


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