Top 10 Events in 2015

The past 12 months have featured a number of major events that have affected, and will continue to affect, the nonprofit sector. In 2015, nonprofits mobilized to help with major crises, including the almost 8.0 magnitude earthquake in Nepal, the influx of migrant and refugees seeking new homes, and the continued socio-economic and racial inequalities in the United States. On the administrative, legislative, and foreign policy front, Congress passed legislation that will enhance charitable giving by making three essential tax incentives permanent, the IRS issued guidance that will permit private foundations to make impact investments, and nearly 200 countries reached an agreement to address climate change. And in a historic decision, the US Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution provides same-sex couples the right to marry. Here is a list of our top 10 events of 2015 affecting the nonprofit sector in the United States and a few links regarding each:

  1. Nepal Earthquake

  2. Refugee and Migrant Crisis in the Central America, Middle East, Africa, and Europe

  3. Terror Attacks (Paris, Beirut, Nigeria, Kenya, Elsewhere)

  4. Volkswagon Scandal

  5. Black Lives Matter (unrest in Baltimore after Freddie Gray)

  6. The US Supreme Court ruling that the Constitution provides same-sex couples the right to marry

  7. Guidance on Mission Related Investments

  8. Paris Agreement on Climate Change

  9. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

  10. Tax Incentives for Charitable Giving Made Permanent in PATH Act of 2015