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The Minnesota Historical Society’s Local History Services helps Minnesotans preserve and share their history. This blog is a resource of best practices on the wide variety of museum, preservation, conservation, funding, and non-profit management topics. We’re here to help.
Being a social benefit
By: grabitsdm | April 30, 2008
 In January the blog noted in Threat to Tax Deductions that some believe that only those nonprofits that address the social good should have tax deductible status, possibly ruling out local historical organizations. In the most recent issue of The Public Historian (February 2008), the entire volume looks at "Sites of Conscience." The forward cites a 1999 meeting of historic site directors that considered how museums could serve as new centers for democracy in action. They adopted the following statement:
"We hold in common the belief that it is the obligation of historic sites to assist the pulbic in drawing connections between the history of our sites and its contemporary implications. We view stimulating dialogue on pressing social issues and promoting democratic and humanitarian values as a primary function."
How might this statement help satisfy those that want to see tax deductibility reserved for social justice nonprofits?
"We hold in common the belief that it is the obligation of historic sites to assist the pulbic in drawing connections between the history of our sites and its contemporary implications. We view stimulating dialogue on pressing social issues and promoting democratic and humanitarian values as a primary function."
How might this statement help satisfy those that want to see tax deductibility reserved for social justice nonprofits?