Public Policy

Philanthropy News and Op-Eds The Council Speaks Out on the Value of DAFs On Thursday, October 27, the Chronicle of Philanthropy released this year’s Philanthropy 400. Of particular note is the fact that Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund moved into the number one spot on the list. Accompanying the list…

On Tuesday, November 8, Americans will go to the polls to elect the forty-fifth president of the United States, 34 Senators, and the entire House of Representatives, as well as hundreds of state and local officials. And while interested parties may urge constituents to get involved and participate…

News from the Hill Update on Republican Blueprint for Tax Reform In June 2016, House Republicans unveiled a blueprint for tax reform. This week, they released a new video to promote and explain the plan. Barbara Angus, chief tax counsel for the majority on the House Ways and Means Committee,…

After meeting with senior officials at the Department of Treasury, the Council submitted a letter on October 21, 2016 to Elinor Ramey, Attorney Advisor in the Office of Tax Policy regarding private foundations and how they may use donor advised funds (“DAFs”) to further their grantmaking activity.…

News from the Hill Dynamic Scoring Released for Clinton, Trump Tax Plans This week, the Tax Policy Center released updated analyses of the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump plans—factoring in new dynamic scoring calculations that account for the macroeconomic effects of both plans. According to the…

The Charitable Giving Coalition (CGC) urged Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the major party nominees for President of the United States, to support the full preservation of the charitable deduction in a letter the coalition sent to the candidates this week. Along with preserving the charitable…

  Council CEO Vikki Spruill and special guest speakers analyzed the results of the 2016 election and discussed what it all means for the philanthropic sector. Connie Schultz, a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist, shared her thoughts on the election and its impact on our nation. What does the…

Executive & Regulatory News President Obama Highlights First Department of Education Pay-for-Success Projects Speaking at a national town hall on improving outcomes for at-risk youth, President Obama highlighted the announcement of two new pay-for-success awards from the Department of Education…

News from the Hill Bill to Delay Overtime Regulations Passes the House Last week, we reported that the Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act (HR. 6094) was introduced to delay the Department of Labor (DOL) overtime rules from taking effect until June 1, 2017. Late…

In this week's Washington Snapshot: Congress Passes Bill to Fund Government Through Early December; Bill Introduced in House to Delay Implementation of the DOL Overtime Rules; Policy Preview: Opportunities in Child Welfare; Self-Dealing & Family Foundations: What If the Brady Bunch had a…

Join the Council on Foundations on Tuesday, October 11, at 12pm ET for a special briefing on work at the Federal level to improve outcomes for children in need. Christine Calpin, Managing Director of Public Policy at Casey Family Programs, will highlight current opportunities to improve Federal…

Philanthropy’s Role in Strengthening America’s Democracy This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference. Join a timely, topical, and interactive afternoon that will provide both a forum for a conversation about the state of democratic practice in America, and a review of the…

News from the Hill Voter Perceptions of the Charitable Sector This week, the Council joined partners Independent Sector and the Alliance for Charitable Reform/Philanthropy Roundtable for a breakfast in cooperation with the House Philanthropy Caucus. We were excited that Congresswoman Debbie…

News from the Hill Ways & Means Subcommittee Holds Hearing on University Endowments As our readers will recall, we reported last week that the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee was set to hold a hearing to scrutinize college and university endowments this week. The hearing, featuring…

News from the Hill Congressional Leaders Champion Social Investment Representatives Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) and John Delaney (D-MD) are working to educate their colleagues on the value of social investing and the role of philanthropy in leveraging private capital to create social good. The pair have…

Executive & Regulatory News IRS Releases 2016-17 Priority Guidance Plan Last week, the Department of Treasury released its priority guidance plan for 2016–2017. The priority guidance plan identifies and prioritizes tax issues that the agency aims to address through regulations or revenue…