FOTH Report Round Up

The Maine delegation led by Janet Henry of Maine Philanthropy Center meets with Senator Susan Collins.

Several regional associations have reported on their successful Hill meetings at this year’s Foundations on the Hill. Here’s a quick round up of what happened in DC and how regionals are taking the conversation forward.

Sherry Ristau, president and CEO of Southwest Initiative Foundation, shared her experience at Foundations on the Hill with Minnesota Council on Foundations’ Philanthropy Potluck blog:

As I learned more about proposed policy changes, it became clear that there certainly could be big changes—and that the charitable deduction benefit is in jeopardy. As I visited one-to-one with key Congressional offices, it is clear we could lose this important incentive encouraging Americans to give. I am truly afraid of the unintended consequences of how our government is looking at the charitable deduction.

Meanwhile Adam Donaldson, Members Services Director at the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers had this to say about what legislators need from the philanthropic sector:

ABAG met this week with the offices of Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Representatives Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and John Sarbanes (D-MD) to inform them of current policy debates surrounding the charitable deduction and examples of our members’ impact through funder collaborations. Each office asked for the same thing. More input. They encouraged grantmakers to provide commentary on policy proposals, explaining how current projects underway in Maryland could be affected.

Finally Mindie Reule, Program Manager for Public Policy at Philanthropy Northwest, strikes an upbeat note and gives us a heads up for what’s coming up on Congress’s agenda:

… we heard general support for our sector from both Republicans and Democrats, and recognition of the importance of philanthropy and nonprofits to our communities and civil society. We also know that members of Congress and their staff on both the House and Senate are working on tax reform this year—and tax policy that affects foundations and nonprofits has and will be part of those conversations.

Protecting the Charitable Deduction at FOTH

This morning over 300 philanthropic leaders gathered together at the 2013 Alliance for Charitable Reform Summit for Leaders as part of Foundations on the Hill, an annual opportunity for grantmakers and regional associations to meet with their federal lawmakers in Washington, D.C. At the summit, they heard from Congressional staff and public policy leaders about the most pressing issues facing the charitable sector.

As foundation leaders and regional association staff meet with Members of Congress across the next two days, they’ll be stressing the importance of protecting the charitable deduction. A donor who itemizes can take a deduction on his or her gift at the same rate as his or her tax rate. The charitable deduction encourages charitable giving, benefiting communities across the country. As Congress considers ways to raise revenue and simplify the tax code, the charitable deduction has come under scrutiny as a potential revenue generator. However, the charitable deduction is very different from other tax benefits because it is the only one that encourages individuals to give away a portion of their income without getting anything back.

Any effort to cap or limit the charitable giving will have a devastating impact on nonprofits. Academic studies of President Obama’s proposed cap of 28 percent project that up to $5.6 billion in charitable giving would be lost each year—that’s the equivalent of the annual operating budgets of the Red Cross, Goodwill, the YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, the Boys and Girls Clubs, Catholic Charities, and the American Cancer Society combined. The Forum, the Council, and the Philanthropy Roundtable encourage Congress to advance proposals to increase giving, not limit it.

To follow all the action as foundations head to the Hill, follow the hashtag #FOTH on Twitter. For more information on how to protect the charitable deduction, visit the website of the Charitable Giving Coalition at www.protectgiving.org. The time to use your voice is now.

The Importance of Speaking Up

Forum Board Chair and Council of New Jersey Grantmakers President Nina Stack has a new post up at the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation’s blog in which she addresses the need for philanthropy to engage legislators on public policy issues impacting the sector.

Stack recounted her recent participation in the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s“Walk to Washington,” an event at which business, policy, and social sector leaders discussed recovery efforts from Hurricane Sandy.

“…As the speakers would count off all those different industries and groups that have been providing assistance, there was not one mention of philanthropy or nonprofits, the foundation community or the charitable sector. It was disappointing.  But it wasn’t surprising.  Why? Because we, as a sector, are terrible at communicating what it is we do. It is hard to boil down into a compelling sound bite the impact of philanthropy and why it matters.  But if there were ever a time to rise to the challenge it is now.”

Stack goes on to encourage foundation leaders and regional associations to take the opportunity to share their story at this year’s Foundations on the Hill. Read the full piece here.

Register Now at the New FOTH Website!

The Forum, Council on Foundations, and Alliance for Charitable Reform are excited to announce that the Foundations on the Hill (FOTH) 2013 website is now live! The website, www.foundationsonthehill.org, has a lot of great information and resources including hotel information, legislative resources, and meeting planning resources.

Foundations on the Hill will take place on March 19-20, 2013. FOTH is an annual event for grantmaker and regional association representatives to meet with their members of Congress to promote the important role philanthropy plays in serving the public good in your regions. Last year saw more than 220 foundation and grantmaking representatives from 35 states and the District of Columbia, including 80 first-time attendees. Next year’s event marks our 11th year partnering with the Council and our first year of full partnership with ACR.

Stipends for first-time attendees of FOTH will once again be available. Stipends are worth up to $1,200 of travel (air and ground) and hotel expenses. Additionally, the recipient’s regional association receives a $300 award to continue public policy and advocacy efforts in the region. Applicants must be a member of the Council, a regional association, or ACR. The application and requirements will be available on the FOTH website later this week.