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Note
The information below was originally developed by the Finance, Administration & Operations Group (FAOG) Accounting Practices Committee and was last updated Aug. 19, 2010. It was updated in 2025 by the FAOG Accounting Practices Committee, in collaboration with Baker Tilly US, LLP, and…
Internal Revenue Code § 4945(e) allows private foundations to appear or communicate with a legislative body concerning a decision of that body that might affect the existence of the foundation, its powers and duties, its tax-exempt status, or the deductibility of contributions to it.
What…
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…
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…
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…
It is extremely rare for an organization to lose its tax-exempt status. When it happens, it's typically the end result of a three-step process: (1) The IRS conducts an examination of the tax-exempt organization; (2) the IRS issues a letter to the organization proposing revocation; then (3) the…
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…
Community foundations understand how the traditional community foundation business model falls short of new aspirations. Sustainability is an ongoing challenge and many community foundations work towards continually adapting their business model to support a changing context and achieve enough…