Money gifts urged

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 4

Money gifts urged

Charitable organisations in Christchurch are being urged I to | encourage : people to give as much I money as; possible this I year, befor[e| the tax icon-! ■ cessions for donations end in March, 1989. | : I; ! I The president of the | New Zealrind Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations, Mr i lan Calder, yesterday ex-j l| plained to a public meet-! ing in Christchurch [how | donations would be affected if people were not able to claim tax deductability on their incoriie returns. I I ' ! ' [i li The Government has said it will compensate for the organisations' loss in funding, but it has not said I how, or whether the compensation will be in I full. : I - < 1 Mr Calder also disputed | statements from the Gov- : emmerit that the more ■ affluent people were, the | more money they [ were I likely to to charities. He said that most gifts came middle to lowincome earners. The chairwoman of the Christchurch District!

Council of Social Services,Mrs Rosemary Carr, (said the meeting had [I ex- ' pressed a hope that the : Government could recon- ' ! siller the proposed legisla-i ! tiori, and exempt "genuine I charities” from the! tax 1 changes. 1 , '‘The whole assumption! that charities make a profit is something that : concerns all of us, because most of the money! th'ey acquire isj used to 1; pay for the services they [provide.” I About 50 representatives of charitable organ- 1 ' isations attended the meeting, and were told to([ try: to increase public); awareness of the proposed tax changes. |‘The matter is going to ! affect everybody in the: ienjd, because if the organ-: ■ I isations cannot keep upi thdir services, they will! hajve to come from elsewhere,” said Mrs Carr. A task force is to be set up' in Christchurch to I convey the concerns of . the charitable organisations tb members jof Parliament, an,d to keep the public informed of progress!! '