June 1st Public Debate: Do Citizens in a Free Society Have a Right to Privacy in Charitable Giving?

By Steve Buckstein

Do you donate to any nonprofit organizations such as charities, churches, or think tanks? Would you rather not be subject to possible retribution for supporting what others might think are the “wrong ideas”? Then you won’t want to miss a free public debate on donor privacy the evening of Monday, June 1 in Portland.

As debates on controversial topics such as global warming and gay marriage heat up, there are calls to make organizations espousing views on such issues reveal not only the names of their donors, but their addresses, occupations, and employers, just like political candidate committees must do.

Such disclosures could deter some people from donating at all, thus stifling the free exchange of ideas that helps make our society strong.

Arguing in favor of donor privacy will be James Huffman, Dean Emeritus of Lewis & Clark Law School. Jim was the 2010 Oregon Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Arguing for donor disclosure will be Dan Meek, a public interest attorney in Portland. Dan is Co-chair of the Independent Party of Oregon.

The debate will be moderated by Willamette Week’s Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist Nigel Jaquiss.

Join us the evening of June 1 in Portland for this public debate asking whether citizens in a free society have a right to privacy in charitable giving.

Full details and free tickets are available at CascadePolicy.org.

Steve Buckstein is Senior Policy Analyst and Founder of Cascade Policy Institute. Cascade Policy Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research and educational organization that focuses on state and local issues in Oregon. Cascade’s mission is to develop and promote public policy alternatives that foster individual liberty, personal responsibility, and economic opportunity.