Public Policy

Last Chance: Public Policy Preconference We are delighted with the level of interest we’ve received for our inaugural Council on Foundations Public Policy Seminar! The event, which takes place on Saturday, June 7th, from 9:30 am-4:30 pm at the Washington Hilton in Dupont Circle, is a preconference…

On May 20th, Congressman Erik Paulsen (R-MN-3) introduced H.R. 4691, a bill that would simplify the private foundation excise tax to a flat rate of 1 percent—a position the Council has long supported. The bill is co-sponsored by Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL-7).  Council President and CEO,…

Just Announced - Public Policy Preconference We are thrilled to announce our inaugural Council on Foundations Public Policy Seminar on Saturday, June 7th, from 9:30 am-4:30 pm at the Washington Hilton in Dupont Circle. The seminar is a preconference to our 2014 Annual Conference: Philanthropy…

The IRA Charitable Rollover - Working Toward Permanence & Expansion Yesterday, Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL-18) and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3) introduced H.R. 4619, legislation to make the IRA charitable rollover, which expired December 31, 2013, permanent. The Council has been…

At a recent gubernatorial candidate forum I attended in Rhode Island, a Brown University professor presented on the challenges of climate change for the Ocean State. His last slide gave three examples of “win-win solutions.” At the top of the list was the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI…

    The Council on Foundations is excited to launch Seasons of Giving, a quarterly newsletter with valuable insights to help you advance your work and increase your impact. This newsletter will provide background on some of the major events and trends in the field and highlight resources…

2025 HUD Award Applications Now Open Foundations are invited to apply for the 2025 Secretary's Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships! The award recognizes outstanding partnerships between philanthropic organizations and the public sector that have led to measurable benefits in housing…

We are thrilled that spring has finally arrived here in Washington, D.C.! The cherry blossoms are in bloom, and tourist season has begun! Since next Friday is Good Friday, we will be sending you Snapshot on Thursday afternoon. Ways and Means Hearing on Tax Extenders Last week we brought you up to…

Centennial News Pittsburgh Foundation Video on Reaching $1 Billion in Assets Cleveland Foundation Day was busiest Monday in film festival history, Crains Cleveland Celebrating 100 years in America, Charlevoix Courier Celebrating Community Foundations: 100 Years in America, 98 Years in Indiana…

IRA Charitable Rollover Included in Senate Extenders Bill The Council’s Public Policy team has been closely tracking a flurry of activity on the Hill this week, as the Senate Finance Committee considered which of the 55 expired “tax extenders” to extend for another two years. The IRA charitable…

Vikki Spruill, President and CEO, Council on Foundations: On behalf of the Council on Foundations, I would like to thank Chairman Camp for his decades of public service to the people of Michigan and to the U.S. House of Representatives. We wish him the very best in months and years ahead. We are…

Council Releases Summary of Camp Bill For the past few weeks, we’ve working to analyze Chairman Camp’s tax reform bill, assess its potential impact on philanthropic and charitable organizations, coordinate with our colleagues in the field, and most importantly determine how to best represent the…

Council to Senate: Preserve & Expand IRA Rollover As our members know, the Council has long supported a permanent extension of the IRA charitable rollover, and an expanding the rollover by eliminating the $100,000 cap, allowing donors to make rollovers beginning at age 59 ½, and permitting…

Next month, the Council on Foundations and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are kicking off a new webinar series on issues affecting philanthropy at a national level. Titled Leading Forward: Innovations in Philanthropy, the webinars will focus on three topics that are contributing to the…

Camp Bill Sets Critical Precedent Stakeholders in every sector—including the Council—continue to delve into House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp’s (R-MI-4) Tax Reform Act of 2014 to get to the bottom of its wide-reaching implications. As we’ve been commenting since the bill’s…

Right now, over 200 leaders from across the philanthropic sector are uniting in Washington, D.C. to tell their lawmakers that thriving philanthropy builds thriving communities. As lawmakers contemplate comprehensive tax reform, individual changes to the tax code and the President’s FY2015 budget,…