A bill passed by the House, the "American Gives More Act," would make the charitable tax provisions permanent and give people until April 15 to claim a tax deduction on charitable gifts made the previous year.

The best chance for passage of those items is during the final two months of the current Congress, according to David Thompson, vice president for public policy at the National Council of Nonprofits.

"We want to resolve our issues now while we still can," he says.