June 14, 2024

What's Happening This Week...

• News from the Council (and Friends)
• What We're Tracking in DC
• Federal Government Engagement Opportunities
• Happening in the States
• News, Resources, and Events

News from the Council (and Friends)

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Survey for Nonprofit Professionals

Calling all public service professionals! The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Coalition wants to hear from you. Please complete this survey about Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) to help inform the Coalition’s advocacy and ensure that PSLF is accessible and achievable. The survey will take you less than 2 minutes and your feedback is critical! The survey closes June 30.  

What We're Tracking in DC

Appropriations in Process

Much of Congress’s work since both chambers returned from Memorial Day recess has revolved around appropriations for Fiscal Year 2025. The House Appropriations Financial Services and Government Subcommittee released a draft committee report for its Financial Services spending bill, which includes funding for the Department of the Treasury and the IRS. The proposal includes a $2.2 billion cut for the IRS, including a $2 billion cut in funding for enforcement. The cut to IRS funding represents the bulk of the $2.3 billion overall cut to Treasury. The bill would also continue to restrict Treasury from issuing regulations around 501(c)(4) campaign activity. The House Appropriations Committee favorably reported the bill on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and Government Subcommittee held a hearing with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Secretary Yellen’s testimony focused on economic recovery post-COVID, Treasury’s national security work, and the IRS’s Direct File pilot. Subcommittee members asked questions about a variety of issues, including sanctions, implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Child Tax Credit.  

Federal Government Updates and Opportunities

• Ahead of Juneteenth, the White House announced new actions aimed at preserving and protecting African American history and culture, including several opportunities for partnership with nonprofits. 
• The Department of Housing and Urban Development released a fact sheet detailing the Biden-Harris Administration’s community development efforts. 

Happening in the States

State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds: Deadline Rapidly Approaching

State and local governments have until the end of this year to commit to spending their share of the $350 billion in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). Charitable nonprofits, while eligible for SLFRF, have been included in only 4% of projects reported as of the end of 2023. Recent actions by local governments in Indiana, Iowa, and Pennsylvania give hope that charitable organizations are making progress in accessing these funds to support their communities. 

Child Care Update

Charitable organizations have identified assistance in securing child care as a major solution to the ongoing workforce shortage. The good news is that lawmakers continue to make final pushes to address the lack of child care in their states. Alabama has created a series of employer tax credits and a nonprofit provider grant program aimed at expanding child care opportunities. Colorado Governor Polis signed into law a bill creating a refundable income tax credit for lower-income taxpayers with eligible children up to age 16. Newly enacted legislation in Nebraska appropriates $300,000 for the Intergenerational Care Facility Grant Program to reduce legal and regulatory barriers and provide start-up costs to certain nursing homes and assisted-living facilities so they can provide child care at their facilities.  

News & Resources

• Fearless Fund Ruling Could Challenge Business As Usual For Foundations, Forbes
• Why Nonprofit-Government Partnerships Sometimes Flounder, The Chronicle of Philanthropy
• How business leaders and civic partners in small and midsized U.S. cities can advance racial equity and inclusive economic growth, Brookings Institution
• New Research: Philanthropy Roundtable finds Tax Incentives Lead to More Money for Charities and Communities in Need, Philanthropy Roundtable 

Keep in Touch!

Please feel free to reach out to any of us on the Government Relations Team with comments or concerns, or to share an issue, article, event, or op-ed you would like to see covered in a future Washington Snapshot.

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