Public Policy
Washington Snapshot - June 20, 2013
June 20, 2013
Welcome to the Council’s Weekly Washington Snapshot
The Council on Foundations Public Policy and Legal Affairs team is pleased to launch a new weekly Washington Snapshot. Every Thursday afternoon, this newsletter will give you a quick glimpse at some of the pressing issues we’re…
Limits to the Charitable Deduction: Bad Timing & Faulty Logic
Council on Foundations president and CEO Vikki Spruill and several Council members met with Congressional leaders today to deliver the important message that changes to the charitable tax deduction would diminish its value and have an undeniably negative impact on communities across the United…
Takeaways from Last Week’s Inclusive Workforce Summit
Inspirational and aspirational is how I would describe Building a More Inclusive Workforce: A National Summit to Boost Education and Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities, held last Friday in Wilmington, Del.
Collaborating with the U.S. Business Leadership Network and Delaware Gov.…
Election Year Politics: What Foundations Need to Know
Legal Compliance Guidance
The election season, particularly in presidential election years, brings with it both opportunities and challenges for private foundations and public charities. Grantmakers can use this opportunity to increase civic involvement, provide nonpartisan information about candidates and educate…
Rules of Advocacy & Lobbying: Community & Public Foundations
Legal Compliance Guidance
The rules of advocacy and lobbying for community and public foundations differ somewhat from private foundations.
As a community or public foundation, the law allows the following:
Advocacy
Lobbying
Funding Lobbying
Advocacy
Yes, community and public foundations may engage in advocacy…
Rules of Advocacy & Lobbying: Private Foundations
Legal Compliance Guidance
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 described under…
Foundations for Civic Impact: Advocacy and Civic Engagement Toolkit for Private Foundations
Toolkit
This toolkit is designed for private foundations that want to support grantee involvement in civic and policy activities to increase organizational capacity and impact. While its primary focus is on the grantmaking activity of foundations, the toolkit also addresses rules and guidance for policy…
Foundations for Civic Impact: Advocacy and Civic Engagement Toolkit for Community Foundations
Toolkit
This toolkit is designed for community and public foundations that want to support grantee involvement in civic and policy activities to increase organizational capacity and impact. While its primary focus is on the grantmaking activity of these foundations, the toolkit also addresses rules and…
1969 Private Foundation Law: Historical Perspective on Its Origins and Underpinnings
Publication
The Tax Reform Act of 1969 contains major provisions that affect the way private foundations do business. In this paper, Thomas A. Troyer, an attorney who collaborated with the Council as Congress developed the law, recalls what motivated Congress to place severe restrictions on private foundations…
Making Our Voices Heard
Last week, I predicted that the itemized deduction could soon be back on the table as Congress looks for ways to raise revenue. It may not have been a great leap to predict that, but my crystal ball is working: Yesterday, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) announced a…
The Charitable Deduction: Who Really Benefits?
Living inside the Washington beltway must be a profoundly disorienting experience. Maybe there’s something in the Potomac River, maybe it’s just too much time in the world’s most self-absorbed echo chamber, or maybe it’s just the pressure of too much traffic. Honestly, I don’t know.
To continue…
Three Issues to Watch
Right now the debate on the fiscal cliff is consuming mainstream media and all conversations in Washington, D.C. Deficit reduction, the cliff, and tax reform all have major implications for philanthropy. Here are the three issues the Council on Foundations is watching and will continue to monitor…
Protecting the Charitable Deduction – A United Front
The timing of the November 12 session, “A Look Forward on Tax Reform,” during the Public Policy Action Institute at Independent Sector’s annual conference could not have been more critical. It provided an important opportunity for attendees to get a clear sense of the urgency and potential impact…
A Look Ahead
Yesterday, Americans cast their vote for the future course of our nation. Many of our fellow citizens affected by Hurricane Sandy endured much more difficulty than normal in voting, some using flashlights to see their ballots. Their resolve and resiliency is a tribute to the American spirit and…
Defend the Charitable Tax Deduction
America’s charities face a brewing crisis with the upcoming comprehensive tax reform debate that is almost certain to envelop our nation. As Congress searches for ways to close the growing national debt, the charitable tax deduction is included in the “everything” often mentioned in the phrase “…
Sharpening Our Pencils, Sharpening Our Impact
Though the scalding heat of summer is likely to last for at least another month in Arkansas, the summer season is ending for many students as they prepare to return to school. As these students soon will do, funders and government staff recently gathered with sharpened pencils to learn together at…