Council on Foundations, Sector Leaders Join Forces Philanthropy Week in Washington March 3-7, 2014

As President Obama presents his proposed budget and as Congress considers comprehensive tax reform, proposed policy changes could have a significant – and potentially harmful – impact on philanthropy’s effectiveness. That’s why the Council on Foundations is pleased to welcome nearly 150 leaders from throughout the philanthropic sector for the first annual Philanthropy Week in Washington March 3-7, 2014.

The Congressional Philanthropy Caucus will provide lawmakers an important venue to discuss the inextricable link between a thriving philanthropic sector and thriving communities and how tax policy matters. In addition to two Hill briefings (March 4 and 6), the caucus will collaborate on a series of events throughout 2014 to educate lawmakers about the sector’s vital role.

The Schedule

The complete schedule is available here. Highlights include:

Philanthropy Caucus Briefings (March 4 and 6)

March 4, Noon-1 p.m.
Senate Roundtable - “Philanthropy and Government: Partnerships in Times of Less”
Hart Senate Office Building, Room 902

March 6, Noon-1 p.m.
House Briefing - “Philanthropic Investments and Partnerships: Rebuilding America’s Communities”
Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-339

Foundations on the Hill

March 5-6
The Embassy Suites - Convention Center
900 10th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20001

Hosted by the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers with strong and ongoing support from the Council on Foundations, Foundations on the Hill (FOTH) provides local foundation and charity leaders with the latest updates on federal policy affecting the sector and includes two days of one-on-one meetings with congressional members and staff.

The Alliance for Charitable Reform’s Summit for Leaders

March 5, 8:00 - 11:45 a.m.
The Embassy Suites
900 10th St NW
Washington, D.C 20001

A half-day seminar for Philanthropy Week participants to learn how to navigate tax reform and get relevant policy developments at the state and national levels.

Twitter Chat

March 7, Noon – 1 p.m.

The Council on Foundations will co-host a twitter chat with The Chronicle of Philanthropy about issues of importance to the sector, including the president’s proposed budget, tax reform philanthropy’s role in the economy and creating jobs, responding in times of crisis, spurring innovation and strengthening public philanthropic partnerships. This chat will be part of the #cf100 series of Twitter chats, marking the 100th anniversary of community foundations.

Participants will use unifying hash tags for all social networking communication during Philanthropy Week (including the Twitter Chat): #pwdc, #cf100, #PhilanThrive

Beyond the Beltway – Community-level Activities (March 3-7)

A series of community-level events and activities designed to demonstrate how tax policy matters and can helps or hurt philanthropy’s effectiveness at the community level. Foundations, nonprofits and charities will raise awareness locally about the importance of protecting and strengthening a thriving philanthropic sector.

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The Council on Foundations

The Council on Foundations (www.cof.org), formed in 1949, is a nonprofit membership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. Members of the Council include more than 1,700 independent, operating, community, public and company-sponsored foundations, and corporate giving programs in the United States and abroad. The Council’s mission is to provide the opportunity, leadership, and tools needed by philanthropic organizations to expand, enhance, and sustain their ability to advance the common good. The Council is part of the Charitable Giving Coalition unified to protect the charitable tax deduction: www.protectgiving.org, #PWDC, #PhilanThrive, #protectgiving,