from Philanthropy Journal:

Is the IRA charitable donation about to end?

For the past several years, and for the remainder of 2011, people over the age of 70 and a half have been able to make charitable contributions of up to $100,000 per year directly from their Individual Retirement Accounts.

Under these rules, such gifts do not trigger any federal income tax for the IRA owner, but they do count against the amount required to be distributed from the IRA for the year.

This great tax break will end as of December 31, 2011, unless Congress takes action to extend it, and who thinks Congress will be able to accomplish that?