Breaking News: Secretary Duncan to Step Down Just today, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced that he will be stepping down in December from the position, which he has held since the beginning of the Obama Administration in 2009. It is expected that President Obama will…

Breaking News: Speaker Boehner to Retire at End of October Just as we were preparing to send Snapshot to our readers, we received word that Speaker of the House, Representative John Boehner (R-OH-8) will retire from Congress at the end of October. This announcement came during a meeting with GOP…

In 2012, the Department of Treasury and the IRS issued proposed regulations applicable to private foundations seeking to make grants to foreign organizations using equivalency determinations. At the time, the Council submitted comments in support of the rules, and urged Treasury and the IRS to…

Executive & Regulatory News New Guidance on Mission-Related Investing This week, the Treasury Department released long-awaited guidance on mission-related investments (MRIs), which the Council requested this year in our 2015-16 Treasury Priority Guidance Plan comments. The Council, along with…

This week, the Treasury Department released long-awaited guidance on mission-related investments (MRIs), which the Council requested this year in our 2015-16 Treasury Priority Guidance Plan comments. The Council, along with the Council of Michigan Foundations and Mission Investors Exchange,…

In remembrance of the 9/11 attacks that occurred 14 years ago today, the Council would like to take a moment to extend our thoughts to all those who were affected by the tragic events of that day. News from the Hill Sen. Grassley Maintains His Skepticism of DAFs In an interview with the Chronicle…

Due to the Labor Day holiday, this week’s edition of Washington Snapshot is slightly abbreviated. We wish our readers an enjoyable Labor Day! News from the Hill Congress is in recess through the Labor Day holiday and will return to Washington on September 8th for a busy end-of-year legislative…

As a reminder to our readers, Washington Snapshot will be taking a break next week. Join Us on 9/9: Nonprofit Media Event at the Newseum Join the Council on Foundations, nonprofit media organizations, foundations, journalists, academics, and other stakeholders for a conversation on Wednesday,…

Yesterday, the Charitable Giving Coalition issued a press release urging Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, to reconsider funding her college affordability plan at the expense of millions of Americans who rely on services made possible through the charitable deduction. As many of…

As a reminder to our readers, Washington Snapshot will be taking a break next week and the week of the 28th. Activate in August With many Members of Congress out of town and back home in their districts for the August recess, much of the action has shifted away from Washington and toward local…

Council Releases August Advocacy Toolkit This Tuesday, the Council hosted our Washington Update LIVE! webinar to discuss the importance of building relationships with your lawmakers so that they understand the value of philanthropy in their districts and states. Featured speakers: Maggie Gunther…

News from the Hill Senate Finance Committee Markup of "Tax Extenders" Package This Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee convened to markup a bill that would renew 52 of the “tax extenders,” including the charitable provisions, for the 2015 and 2016 tax years. As our readers will recall, these…

News from the Hill The Council Visits the Hill This past Monday, July 13th, representatives from the Community Foundations National Standards Board (CFNSB) and the Council’s Public Policy and Legal Affairs Team met with congressional staff from the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance…

News from the Hill Senate Tax Reform Working Groups Release Reports The Senate Tax Reform Working Groups released their reports this week. The five groups were organized by Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) to assess needs and priorities for future tax code reform.…

We want to remind our readers that we will not be publishing Snapshot next week in light of the Fourth of July holiday. We wish you all a happy Fourth! News from the Hill Senate Tax Reform Working Groups Will Not Meet Today’s Deadline The Council has been following the progress of the Senate…

Leaders in the Field Speak Out Philanthropic Sector Unites to Challenge Skeptic The Council and other sector leaders have been responding to a New York Times opinion piece written by David Callahan, who offers some misguided views of the charitable sector. In a response published by the New York…