Public Policy

Issue The private foundation excise tax, which private foundations pay on net investment income annually, is currently a flat rate of 1.39 percent. This percentage took effect in the 2020 tax year after legislation simplified the two-tiered system to a flat rate. Council’s Policy Position The…

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.…

Over the last two years, the Council has been actively engaging with the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as they have taken steps that could shift the global regulatory environment for cross-border philanthropy. FATF has a large impact on nonprofit activity worldwide because of…

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…

  Download the Presentation Slides   Building and nurturing relationships with your lawmakers is important because it provides the opportunity to share with them the meaningful work you are doing in their communities. As commentators, academics, and even some policymakers express…

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…

News from the Hill Tax Reform Work Still Ongoing, McConnell Says This week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) expressed his doubts that comprehensive tax reform will occur in the next two years. However, McConnell emphasized that even without comprehensive reform, Congress will still…

Access to legal services can be essential to addressing your community's needs including domestic abuse, homelessness, and Veterans services. Thinking through the types of legal services, the distinction between civil and criminal legal aid, and how to evaluate these services can be overwhelming.…

Leading Together to Advance Philanthropy Joint Letter Published in The New York Times On Sunday, a New York Times opinion piece offered a troubling take on the state of the charitable sector. David Callahan, who writes for Inside Philanthropy, expressed his view that the sector is the “wild…

Global Policy Update This past Wednesday, the Council on Foundations and the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) hosted a conference call on China's Draft Law on Management of Overseas NGOs and its potential impact on U.S. funders and other organizations working in and with China.…

We’re coming to you a day early as we prepare for the holiday weekend. Memorial Day provides a special time to honor the service and sacrifice of our military men and women. We want to thank those who have served and are serving in our Nation’s military. Join Us: Global Policy Call China's Draft…

Check out the news release summarizing this call and listen to the full recording. Over the past week, the Council has received many inquiries from foundations concerned about how a new draft Chinese law would impact grantmaking in China. In response to this feedback, the Council, in partnership…

News from the Hill America Gives More Act Setback Yesterday, the Senate passed two trade bills by replacing the language of H.R. 644, the America Gives More Act, with trade provisions. This legislative practice of taking a bill that has passed one chamber, gutting the language and replacing with a…

News from the Hill Senate Passes Budget Resolution On Tuesday, the Senate passed the first House-Senate Budget Resolution in six years, which passed the House last week. This is significant because it lays out Congress' agreed-upon policy and spending priorities for the coming year, in every…

Call to Action! We need you — foundation leaders on the ground in your communities — to reach out to your Senators today and encourage them to support community investments now. As a constituent, your voice is invaluable! You can send an email to your Senators to urge the Senate Finance Committee…