Public Policy

Many observers view 2012 as a year when little will get done legislatively, as the candidates and political parties jockey for position in advance of the presidential election. Contrary to that opinion, this year is actually a huge opportunity for interested parties-like foundations-to build…

RACE TO THE CAPITOL The call came to West Central Initiative early in the work day on Dec. 17: Minnesota was one of nine states chosen for the Department of Education’s Race to the Top early childhood challenge grant.  We greeted the news with excitement. West Central Initiative is part of a…

Responding to Demand It can be frustrating to look for useful bits of information on grantees and strong programs inside an agency that produces large amounts of data each and every day. Since its inception two years ago, our Office for International and Philanthropic Innovation (IPI) has fielded…

by Elizabeth Carrott Minnigh Riding the train home to Washington, D.C., after a meeting in New York City earlier this week, I found myself immersed in a New Yorker article by Malcolm Gladwell, "The Tweaker: The Real Genius of Steve Jobs." The article contended that the real genius of Jobs was…

by Chatrane Birbal As lawmakers continue to wrestle with options to reduce the federal deficit, philanthropic leaders are finding themselves defending the status quo. Recently, the Senate Finance Committee received testimony from philanthropic leaders and researchers on incentives for charitable…

by Linda Reed My trip last week to Washington, D.C., was easy and productive thanks to the Council's great government relations team. I wanted to meet with members and staff of Montana's congressional delegation to brief them on our transfer of wealth study and some new information we have about…

By: Dan Hymowitz and Heather Lord   In America, the debate lumbers on about the best way to coordinate the philanthropic sector and the U.S. government. Meanwhile, one post-conflict West African country has jumped right in — the Liberia Philanthropy Secretariat is the fruit of…

by Stephanie De Wolfe At this week's Global Grantmaking Institute, much of our discussion has focused on the role of communities in fostering lasting systemic change. Engaging community actors who work closely with vulnerable populations is a key factor. Focusing on community-based organizations (…

Kathy Postel Kretman, PhD, director of the Georgetown University Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership, shares comments on the 2005 Issues Forum. "In choosing the topic for the Center’s 2005 Issue Forum – "The Cost of Caution: Advocacy, Public Policy and America’s Foundations…

Issue The charitable deduction is a tax provision which allows individuals to reduce their taxable income by the total amount of charitable contributions they made in that tax year (with some limitations, depending of the type of gift—i.e. cash, stocks, property—or the type of organization…