Policy & Legislation
Highlighted Issues or Resources
Philanthropy Caucus Now Operating in Each House of
Congress
The Philanthropy Caucus is a bipartisan effort by Congress. The
Congressional Philanthropy Caucus (U.S. House of Representative) is
chaired by Representative Robin Hayes (R-NC). The Senate Philanthropy
Caucus (U.S Senate) is co-chaired by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and
Richard Burr (R-N).
The Caucus will:
- Inform members of Congress and congressional staff about the
important role that foundations play in our communities and around the
world
- Identify issues of mutual interest to the philanthropic sector and
lawmakers
- Raise awareness about legislative issues affecting foundations, such
as the recent changes to donor-advised funds and supporting
organizations
The co-chairs of the Congressional
Philanthropy Caucus and Senate
Philanthropy Caucus have circulated Dear Colleague letters on
the Hill encouraging members to support the sector and join the Caucus.
Go to the Council on
Foundation’s website to learn how you can encourage members to
join.
Government Involvement in the Nonprofit Sector
According to the Washington Post, a group of nonprofit leaders and
social entrepreneurs are organizing an effort to create a
government agency specifically tailored to philanthropy and the
nonprofit sector. In the run-up to the 2008 presidential election,
they are calling for a White House agency or office similar to the Small
Business Administration to provide strategic coordination to the
sector. Others argue that the new federal agency would
over-regulate small nonprofits and community organizations.
Read the article.
Update on Assembly Bill 624 – Foundation Giving to
Minority-Led Nonprofits
In 2007 California State Assemblymember Joe
Coto, Democrat from the 23rd District and Chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus introduced a bill of
interest to the philanthropic community. This bill would have required
private foundations with assets over $250 million to collect specified
ethnic and gender data pertaining to governance and grantmaking.
SCG, Northern
California Grantmakers and San Diego
Grantmakers share the Assemblymember’s commitment to diversity
and share his concerns about ensuring that philanthropy better reflect
the changing demographics and emerging needs in our state.
In late June 2008, a negotiated resolution to the
issues raised by AB 624 has been reached and the legislation is
effectively “dead”. SCG members may access more information about the
legislation in the For Members Only area of our website. To access
the information you must log-in. If you need to be reminded of your user
name and/or password, phone or email Neel
Garlapati at (213) 680-8866, ext. 230.
~ top of page ~
Foundations on the Hill 2008
Join SCG as we participate in Foundations on the Hill 2008 in
Washington, D.C. on March 4 and 5, 2008.
Foundations on the Hill - District Days 2007
In our efforts to strengthen and promote philanthropy’s influence
on public policy, Southern California Grantmakers is encouraging members
to participate in District Days. Co-sponsored by the Council on
Foundations and the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers,
District Days is an opportunity for grantmakers to meet with their
respective Members of Congress. This is a great way for past Foundations
on the Hill participants to reconnect with their Members of Congress on
key legislative issues. District Days also serves as a way for
grantmakers unable to attend Foundations on the Hill to meet with their
Members of Congress and engage with public policy at the local level.
SCG Visits Congress
Led by SCG President, Sushma Raman, four Southern California
foundation representatives participated in the annual Foundations on the
Hill visit to Washington on February 27 and 28. We were warmly received
by legislators and their aides where we discussed the important role of
philanthropy in promoting social change in Southern California, as well
as aspects of the Pension Protection Act that affect community
foundations; donor-advised funds; and the potential development of a
philanthropy caucus. In addition to a face-to-face meeting with Senator
Boxer, the California delegation also met with the chief of staff for
Senator Feinstein and several legislative aides.
Read a full report by SCG guest writer Peter
Dunn from the California Community Foundation. See photos from Foundations on the Hill.
~ top of page ~
Related Resources &
Information
Effective
Advocacy at All Levels of Government
W. K. Kellogg Foundation
Provides a guide for nonprofits to engage in policy advocacy at the
state and local as well as federal levels. Includes an overview of
lobbying processes and principles, costs and benefits, sample
strategies, case stories, and links to advocacy resources. Published:
September 2008. Subjects: Public affairs, civil society, philanthropy,
volunteerism.
Investing in Change: Why Supporting Advocacy Makes Sense
for Foundations
 Provides an overview of foundation funding for advocacy,
including profiles of campaigns, tips for effective support, questions
foundations should consider before committing to funding advocacy, and
challenges and risks.
Published by Atlantic
Philanthropies: May 2008 (20
pages; 3.00MB; PDF)
Foundations and Public Policy Grantmaking
In this white paper, Coffman proposes a framework by which private
foundations can consider their engagement in public policy grantmaking.
The paper focuses on the broad strategic decisions around public policy
grantmaking, and suggests specific lessons that foundations should keep
in mind when considering policy-related grantmaking.
A report from The James Irvine Foundation written by Julia Coffman
The Challenge of Assessing Policy and Advocacy
Activities: Strategies for a Prospective Evaluation Approach
The Challenge of Assessing Policy and Advocacy Activities: Part II --
Moving from Theory to Practice
Prepared by Blueprint Research and Design for The California Endowment,
the reports provide an overview of the challenges of evaluating policy
change, establishes guiding principles for policy change evaluation and
makes recommendations for a prospective approach to conducting an
evaluation.
Published: 11/30/2006
What the New Charities Law Means for You
This article provides a brief, user-friendly overview of some key
provisions in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (H.R. 4). The
article has been vetted by legal and content experts to ensure its
accuracy.
Published: 11/14/2006
How Can Foundations Engage in Advocacy &
Lobbying?
This article covers the basic legal issues and requirements related to
foundation advocacy and lobbying. The article has been vetted by
legal and content experts to ensure its accuracy.
Published: 11/14/2006
Sources for More Information
The
Council on Foundations has launched the Virtual Policy Action
Center!
Sponsored by the Council on Foundations, the Center’s simple
goal is to help mobilize and expand a philanthropic grassroots network.
The Council believes that doing so will increase the sector’s
impact in shaping public policy. The Policy Action Center will promote
the sector’s interests on Capitol Hill and serve as a
philanthropic legislative resource. It provides background materials,
sample congressional letters, talking points, issue papers, and other
tools that you can use to be more effective in their
advocacy.
Independent Sector
The Independent Sector has an information-rich public
policy area on their website, which includes information about
nonprofits as well as grantmakers.
~ top of page ~
| Southern California Grantmakers, Southern California Association for Philanthropy, Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura, Ventura County, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, Riverside, Riverside County, grantmaker |
|
