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- Congressman Urges Foundation Officials to Push for Tax Changes
- Cummings Energizes FOTH With Encouraging Words
- FOTH Panelists Say Tax Reform Will Take Time
- FOTH Table Talk Is About Tax Reform
- At Luncheon Panel, Advice on Taking Risks to Advance Philanthropy
- FOTH Attracts Next Gen Go-Getters
- Foundations on the Hill Snapshot
Congressman Urges Foundation Officials to Push for Tax Changes
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
By Caroline Preston
Published: March 9, 2011
With Washington scurrying to try to avoid a federal government shutdown, now might not be the easiest time for foundation officials to bend the ear of Congress members. But about 250 foundation employees are scheduled to be in town this week, as part of the Council on Foundations and the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers’ annual “Foundations on the Hill” day, to try to make their case to federal legislators about the value of philanthropy.
At a lunch on Tuesday, they heard from Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Democrat of Oregon and a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, who shared his perspective on tax issues that affect nonprofits.
His message about the importance of foundation advocacy was simple: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” Read more.
Cummings Energizes FOTH With Encouraging Words
By the time Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) took the stage at FOTH, attendees had been on the go for nearly nine hours. But he quickly reenergized the crowd with remarks about tax reform—he's on philanthropy's side—as well as the budget deficit and education.
"Many people in Congress have made a decision that it is time to cut, cut, cut, and one of the arguments often made is that foundations can make up the difference," he said. "There is absolutely no way foundations can do that. And you need to make that very, very clear when you visit Capitol Hill."
Cummings said another way foundations can "make people's lives better" is by ensuring every child has access to a quality education. "The greatest threat to our national security is not Osama Bin Laden," he explained. "It's our failure to properly educate every single one of our children."
FOTH Panelists Say Tax Reform Will Take Time
The more than 250 attendees at FOTH were extremely interested in hearing what Hill staffers had to say about tax reform.
"Some things take a lot of time, and tax reform—done right—will be one of them," said Russ Sullivan, majority chief of staff for the Senate Finance Committee. But Sullivan predicted that tax reform might not "move in earnest" until 2013. Nevertheless, the Finance Committee will hold weekly hearings this year to "get into the nuts of bolts" of this important issue, according to Tax and Oversight Counsel Preston Rutledge.
Tax reform is also on the minds of House Ways and Means Committee members. "This is an issue that's hugely important to Chairman [Dave] Camp," noted Dave Olander, the committee's chief majority tax counsel. "It's not too early to be engaging actively even though it is very early in the discussion."
Sullivan, Rutledge, Olander, and the other panelists—Gordon Clay, legislation counsel for the Joint Committee on Taxation, and Karen McAfee, minority oversight staff director for the Ways and Means Committee—urged FOTH participants to share stories and data not only on tax reform but also on economic development, unemployment insurance, itemized deductions, and the estate tax. "Sharing your stories puts faces behind these issues," explained McAfee.
During one of the breakout sessions, Yul Edwards, chief of staff for Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), also emphasized the importance of sharing stories. "It's critical when you talk to members of Congress—particularly new ones—to tell personal stories," he said. "You never know who or what you have in common, and it's good to find those connections."
FOTH Table Talk Is About Tax Reform
House Ways and Means Committee Chair Dave Champ (R-Mich.) is committed to comprehensive tax reform, and so is Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-Ohio). Brian Bailey, Tiberi's policy director, wanted to assure attendees at a breakfast rally that kicked off Day 2 of FOTH that everything is on the table in Ways and Means. He explained that the committee's recent debate was about whether Congress should strive to reform only the corporate tax code or the small business and individual tax codes as well. Tiberi is in favor of reforming all three, said Bailey. "The philanthropy community has more to gain in a comprehensive tax bill than they have to lose," he said.
Bailey also noted that Ways and Means has welcomed 10 new members. Two are freshmen, and they are experiencing a huge learning curve. Bailey assured foundation staff that they needn't be afraid to walk these new members through the philanthropic community's concerns, as this may well be new territory for them.
Bailey concluded by encouraging foundation staff members to be diligent in reaching out to their representatives on the Hill. "Philanthropy is vital to our economy," he said. "Stand ready to work with Congress to make sure philanthropy continues to play a strong role."
At Luncheon Panel, Advice on Taking Risks to Advance Philanthropy
"You have the potential to build bridges that other people can't. Philanthropy is acting as a converging course for something that's going to make a difference." That's the message Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) wanted to share at the opening luncheon at FOTH. Standing at a podium in front of tables full of philanthropy professionals, he discussed the fractious topics of budget, taxes, and deficits.
The steadily recovering economy and a changing climate for conversations about health care, tax reform, and defense spending are presenting foundations with opportunities to collaborate with the government, said Blumenauer. He urged attendees to help make communities work better and to focus federal resources. "How do you break through barriers?" he asked. "You find ways to engage and meet with leaders."
Blumenauer stressed to his audience the importance of being heard and pushing matters near and dear to their organizations' hearts to the top of the legislative agenda. "If you're not on the table, you're on the menu," he warned.
FOTH attendees also listened to a panel discussion with Council President and CEO Steve Gunderson and Rob Collier, president and CEO of the Council of Michigan Foundations, who reiterated the importance of philanthropy to the nation. "In order to understand Congress today, you have to understand attention deficit disorder," Gunderson quipped. The conversation turned to building partnerships with the government to create positive changes in the community, and attendees were encouraged to take risks that lawmakers cannot. As diners dispersed to their next sessions, the conclusion was clear: Philanthropy is making a difference.
FOTH Attracts Next Gen Go-Getters
A sense of expectancy hovered inside the Capital Hilton boardroom as emerging leaders of philanthropic foundations from around the country waited to hear suggestions about how to connect with lawmakers.
Matt Dolan, a director of Federal Policy Group, which advises clients on regulatory and legislative matters, and Karen Marangi and Jamal Simmons, principals at The Raben Group, a Washington, D.C.-based firm specializing in strategy and policy development, coalition building, and political counsel, tag-teamed at the podium and left attendees feeling empowered and prepared.
Their recommendations ranged from the obvious (be on time, have contact numbers handy, dress professionally, set cell phones on silent) to the savvy:
- Approach your visit like a sales call. You're presenting an idea to help lawmakers understand what you're doing and how they can help. Encourage questions and bring materials to leave behind, but present it as you're exiting so they won't be distracted during the meeting.
- Be friendly with the staff and treat them with cordiality and appreciation, no matter their official title. Staffers know their stuff and wield influence because they have the ear of the lawmaker.
- Think about an individual or situation that changed because of your foundation's work. Jot down a few stories that paint a picture about what you do, who it helps, what the results are, and how you'd like to continue or expand. Show them how your work relates to them and their constituents.
- Visit the lawmaker's website to get a feel for the topics they find important, how they voted on issues, and the caucuses they've joined. Use that information to find common ground and an ongoing relationship. You don't want this to be just a one-time affair. Invite them to events so they can see and support your work firsthand.
