Tzedakah, Inc.
 Supporting More Effective Jewish Giving
Web address:www.just-tzedakah.org


MEMO:

FROM:    Ira Kaminow, President
TO:          Friends of Tzedakah, Inc.
DATE:     April 10, 2008
RE:          How charitable are the presidential candidates?

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There are only a few days left to give maot chittim -- Passover gifts for the poor.
Visit our website if you'd like the names of organizations that distribute maot chittim.


Charitable contributions by the Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have each published tax information for the last several years. I thought that you might be interested to find out a bit about their charitable contributions. John McCain is scheduled to release his taxes later this month.

Hillary and Bill Clinton Barack and Michelle Obama
Adjusted
Gross Income 		Charitable
Contributions 		Contributions
as a Percent
of AGI 		Adjusted
Gross Income 		Charitable
Contributions 		Contributions
as a Percent
of AGI
2001 $16,165,110 $807,585 5.0% NA NA NA
2002 9,466,632 115,000 1.2 259,394 1,050 0.4
2003 7,934,705 410,000 5.2 238,327 3,400 1.4
2004 19,995,915 2,534,280 12.7 207,647 2,500 1.2
2005 18,056,395 1,755,473 9.7 1,655,106 77,315 4.7
2006 15,858,422 1,580,503 10.0 983,826 60,307 6.1


In 2005 and 2006 the Obamas' principal contributions were as follows: $45,000 to reading programs, $30,000 to CARE, $27,500 to the Trinity United Church of Christ and $13,107 to the Congressional Black Caucus. Click here for the Obamas' tax returns

The vast majority of the Clintons' charitable deductions were passed to the Clinton Family Foundation. The foundation has distributed about half the funds deposited. In the last two years contributions have focused on health programs, universities, and disaster victims. In 2006 the Clinton Family Foundation contributed about $465,000 for various health services and medical research and about $250,000 to various universities including those they attended. In 2005-2006, the foundation made major gifts related to the tsunami, huricane Katrina, and the Columbine massacre. In 2005, the Clintons made gifts to the American Friends of Yitzhak Rabin ($50,000), American Frirends of the Peres Center (25,000). Click here for forms filed by the Clinton amily Foundation

Tizku l'mitzvot. Best wishes for a happy and kosher Passover

חג כשר ושמח