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Increasing taxes on private foundations means fewer dollars to charitable organizations, from food pantries to disaster relief groups. The below data from Candid shows that in almost every state, private foundations will have to pay millions more in taxes, crippling their ability to respond to the…
Developed for the Council on Foundations by Christopher J. Armstrong, Partner at Holland & Knight
In the event that a senior leader of a community foundation or similar organization is arrested at a First Amendment protected protest, preparing for an immediate response is essential to…
This page outlines the range of purposes that qualify an organization for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It explains how the IRS and courts interpret key terms — especially "charitable" — and how those interpretations shape eligibility.
Permissible Exempt…
Developed for the Council on Foundations by Christopher J. Armstrong, Partner at Holland & Knight
Congress’s power to conduct inquiries, including information requests, the issuance of subpoenas, and public hearings has long been recognized by the courts as part of Congress’s power to…
Community Foundations and other public charities may engage in an insubstantial amount of lobbying as part of normal operations. But what are the rules around engaging in self-defense?
Internal Revenue Code Section 4911(d)(2)(C) provides public charities with an exception to the…
Self-Defense Exception: A legislative proposal to modify the private foundation excise tax on net investment income under IRC section 4940 would qualify as a self-defense issue, because it affects a private foundation’s duties. Private foundations may therefore communicate with the legislature, its…
Sometimes the hardest part of engaging in advocacy can be figuring out where to start.
Government is the mechanism for public policy process, and elected officials and their staff are driving and creating policies. As their constituents and important stakeholders in civil society, they need to…
The rules of advocacy and lobbying for private foundations differ somewhat from community and public foundations.
As a private foundation, the law allows the following:
Advocacy
Lobbying
Funding Lobbying
Advocacy
Yes, private foundations may engage in advocacy activities as…
Suzanne Friday, Senior Legal Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs at the Council, discussed the goals and motivations driving corporate giving, with a particular focus on corporate foundations.
After a brief review of the applicable legal rules, they discuss how corporate foundations can…
The philanthropic sector has a unique opportunity to highlight the voices and concerns of the communities it serves. Nonprofit VOTE, Independent Sector, United Philanthropy Forum, and the Council on Foundations believe we should bring those voices to the forefront. By producing a toolkit to provide…