Twin Cities nonprofits report no drop in donations after first year of tax changes

Leaders of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra were feeling a bit uneasy as year’s end approached. So were the folks at the Animal Humane Society and Loaves and Fishes. All three nonprofits rely on year-end donations to fund their missions, which range from performing great music, to finding homes for orphaned animals, to feeding the hungry. The nonprofit world has been worried donations would drop off ever since federal tax changes threatened to reduce the number of taxpayers who itemize charitable deductions. But as the books close on 2018, those dire predictions so far haven’t materialized. Many Twin Cities nonprofits, ranging from arts organizations to disaster relief agencies and safety net charities, say they’ve reached or come close to achieving their end-of-year fundraising goals. “The initial, first wave of consequences to the tax changes is subtle to nonexistent,” said Brian Molohon, Union Gospel Mission’s vice president of development.