Obama's Tax Return Offers Look at Faith-Based Charitable Giving

BY Dan Gilgoff, God & Country

Barack and Michelle Obama's 2008 tax return, released by the White House, shows that the first couple gave $172,050, about 6.5 percent of their adjusted gross income, to charity. The vast majority of the charitable donations went to secular nonprofits, including the United Negro College Fund and CARE.

That's a change from previous years, when the Obama gave generously to Trinity United Church of Christ, the church they left last year amid the controversy surrounding their longtime pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. In 2006, the Obamas gave $22,500 to Trinity. In 2008, the Obamas gave $8,050 to churches and faith-based or faith-related charities, which represented nine of the 37 charities the Obamas supported.

Here's the breakdown of their faith-based giving:

• $500 to Apostolic Church of God
• $200 to Brookland Baptist Church
• $500 to Brown AME Church
• $1,000 to Catholic Relief Services
• $150 to Crusade of Mercy
• $100 to First Lutheran Church
• $5,000 to New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity
• $500 to St. Leo's Residence for Veterans
• $100 to St Luke's United Methodist Church

Read the full return here.

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