I have a question about the Heritage Foundation. Anyone know this?

[Capitalocracy]

They're supposedly a charitable organization. They don't pay taxes and people can choose to have donations to them automatically deducted from their paychecks because of this. But does anybody know what charitable activities they engage in? Or what the criteria is for an organization to be considered charitable? I've done a little Googling and I haven't managed to find anything charitable that they've done.

Thanks

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. I've seen their signs on trails in the mountains

And at some local areas of interest, old buildings and such like.

[jody]

2. Link below has some information

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3819

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

22. I see no actual charity works named there. -nt

[FormerDittoHead]

3. >what charitable activities they engage in? EDUCATION!!! They're like a "SCHOOL"!!!

Don't you get it! Rich people pay less tax because of their donations to that "Educational Institution"!

Isn't that GREAT!??? And now with Citizens United, the rich don't even have to use THEIR OWN MONEY when they influence government!

[Pterodactyl]

4. I thought the Heritage Foundation was a think tank, not a charity.

I had not heard that before.

[Capitalocracy]

6. A think tank isn't really a thing

If you take my meaning. They're all either charities or consulting services or research companies, officially.

What I don't understand is how spreading right-wing ideology can be considered a charitable activity... and if it is, are we doing this as well? I know we have non-profit liberal think tanks, but are they also considered charitable organizations?

[Pterodactyl]

13. Yeah, but I'm still not getting this charity angle.

I know they accept donations, but I think they are a non-profit non- charity.

[Capitalocracy]

14. It's a 501(c)(3)...

I guess in this case their role is "education". I'd like to see what the legal definition of education is. I guess advocacy counts as education... and therefore they don't have to pay taxes or do any actual charity work. But it's a 501(c)(3) non-profit, which has to be charitable or educational (NOT a PAC or other political organization)

[Pterodactyl]

20. More info on Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501c#501.28c.29.283.29

[Starry Messenger]

5. They are a right wing think tank.

I don't think they do charity work. Do they give grants or something?

[izquierdista]

12. They give bullshit

Thousands of dirt poor farmers depend on them to be able to fertilize their crops.

[madfloridian]

7. It's a think tank, a conservative one.. Members they brag about:

http://www.askheritage.org/

Hannity and Limbaugh for two.

[drm604]

8. Accordng to jody's link

their mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies" and that seems to be what they do.

I'll agree that that doesn't seem very charitable but they have an announced mission and they work to fulfill that mission.

Maybe the tax laws need to be rewritten in some way so that "charities" actually help people who actually are suffering but then we'd also be excluding things like historical preservation societies and such.

I'm not sure what can be done about these so-called think tanks that are really nothing more than propaganda factories for the wealthy and big business. The only ones they benefit are the donors themselves.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

23. Maybe a whitelist of activities that qualify?

In that list, you could include relief work, historical and archaeological preservation, free services (legal etc.), and specify some conditions (non-discrimination etc.)

[Tesha]

9. May of these Reich-Wing think tanks operate as 501(c)3 organizations under the rubrick...

...of performing education. The more-honest ones
operate both 501(3) tax-deductible and 501(c)4
taxable arms.

Tesha

[SpiralHawk]

16. It's a Republicon-Socialist front group

They promote Socialism for the Rich (R) & Doddley Squat for the Poor & Hungry.

They embody Republicon Family Cesspool Values.

[Capitalocracy]

17. doddley squat sounds like something British people would eat

we'll have some doddley squat and then some figgy pudding

[Tesha]

21. No, that's higgledy-piggledy. ;-) Or rumple-thump. Or Haggis. Or somethin' like that. (NT)

[Turbineguy]

10. Their charitable activities are

organizing things so that the wealth you produce goes in the pockets of the rich. It's all how you look at the word "charity".

[OHdem10]

11. They are a very CONSERVATIVE THINK TANK. and most

influential in Republican Party.

In fact, Paul Ryan picked up most of his famous or
infamous Path to Prsperity(for the rich) from Heritage
Website. No they are not a charitable organization.
They study issues and develop policy ideas.

[Larry Ogg]

15. This should tell you all you need to know

But if you want to torture yourself... http://www.askheritage.org/help-heritage/?utm_source=Google_Brand&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=THF_Join700k&utm_campaign=2011_Brand

[MacNfries]

19. regarding members of the Heritage Foundation ...

Yup ... I'd say this says it all. Mac

[jody]

18. Another list at link #2 above "National Public Benefit / Research and Public Policy Institutions"

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.results&overallrtg=4&cgid=8&cuid=24&scopeid=2

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

24. What's your point? -nt