February 7, 2025

What's Happening This Week...

• News from the Council
• What We're Tracking in DC
• Happening in the States
• News, Resources, and Events

Happening at the Council

Join Us at Foundations on the Hill

Help strengthen philanthropy's voice on Capitol Hill! Foundations on the Hill, hosted by United Philanthropy Forum and the Council, in partnership with Independent Sector, is a public policy and advocacy conference for philanthropic professionals at all levels — whether you’re a seasoned advocate or new to advocacy, you’ll benefit from the opportunity to engage directly with legislators and policymakers, shape policies that affect your community, network with peers, and build your policy engagement skills. Register for Foundations on the Hill, February 23-26 in Washington, DC.

Updated Public Policy Resources

As you know by now, key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire at the end of 2025, meaning it is very likely that Congress will move tax legislation this year. Since so many of the legislative issues that impact philanthropy are tax issues, we see this moment as an opportunity to ensure Congress understands your work and the sector more broadly. To support you as you follow the conversation and meet with your Members of Congress, the Council’s Government Affairs and Legal Resources team has been developing and updating resources for engaging in the tax debate, including:

• A new tax package hub you can use to monitor the ongoing tax debate.
• A primer on budget reconciliation, the legislative process Congressional Republicans will most likely use to pass tax legislation in the coming months.
• Updated talking points for the 2025 tax debate that highlight philanthropy’s convening power and broad support for communities across the country and around the world.
• Legislation we are monitoring.

We are also monitoring the President’s executive actions and their potential impact on the philanthropic sector. And, if you’d like to receive more detailed policy updates, including bimonthly calls, you can join our Public Policy Action Network.

Note: While many of our policy and advocacy resources are open to the public, some of these are for Council members only. Reach out to membership@cof.org for more information.  

What We're Tracking in DC

• President Trump issued a memo directing the heads of executive departments and agencies to review all funding the agencies provide to non-governmental organizations (NGOs). He also directed agency heads to ensure future NGO funding decisions are aligned with the interests of the U.S. and the goals and priorities of his Administration. We are working with partners to understand the impact of this memo and will update you in future editions of Snapshot.
• On February 5, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued two memos related to the President’s executive order, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” One of the memos instructs the Civil Rights Division and the Office of Legal Policy to jointly submit a report to the Associate Attorney General by March 1. The memo provides some information about how the Department of Justice, and potentially other agencies, will implement the Executive Order.
• Over the past two weeks, the Trump Administration made several significant changes to U.S. foreign assistance and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Most USAID personnel have been placed on administrative leave, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday that he was the acting administrator.
• Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announced his committee will consider a budget resolution next week, setting up the Senate’s preferred two-bill approach. The first reconciliation package would include provisions advancing Republican priorities, including immigration, energy, and defense. A second package would include tax changes. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), meanwhile, said the House will work through the weekend on its own budget reconciliation plan.
• A bipartisan group of legislators introduced the Charitable Act (H.R.801/S.317) last month. The Charitable Act would create a charitable deduction for taxpayers who do not itemize, including for contributions to donor-advised funds. The Council strongly supports this legislation, which would incentivize more Americans to give to charitable organizations at a time when charitable giving is declining. Take action: ask your members of Congress to support this bill. 

Happening in the States

Tax Policy in the States

While the 2025 tax debate at the federal level is moving forward, many states are also introducing tax legislation that could impact charitable nonprofits. Legislation in New Hampshire seeks to require payments in lieu of taxation of 25% of the municipal rate of the property tax on all real and personal property for all nonprofits except houses for worship. On the positive side, pending legislation in Oklahoma would expand sales tax exemptions to purchases up to $3 million by 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in a tax year. The exemption would not apply to alcohol or tobacco purchases.

Free national webinar: Executive Actions and Their Impact on Charitable Nonprofits

Today at 3:00p.m. ET

Join this free, national webinar, today from 3:00 – 4:00pm ET to learn more about Executive Orders, the ones most directly or indirectly impacting charitable nonprofits, and the latest on the legal challenges. Because we expect overwhelming interest for this webinar, please only click the link to register for the live event if you plan to view it live. If you don't anticipate being able to join live, please register to receive the recording so we can keep as many live lines available as possible. Register for the live event or sign up to receive the recording.  

News & Resources

• Nonprofits Raise More Money Online with Philanthropy-Related Content, Washington Square News
• With Trump 2.0, These Climate Donors Are Thinking Differently, Wall Street Journal
• The Implications of a USAID Shutdown, Brookings Institution  

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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