The IRS Controversy and Nonprofit Reputations

As widely reported, the Internal Revenue Service apparently singled out some organizational applicants for tax exemption based on their political viewpoints. Tim Delaney, the CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, released a statement urging policymakers to use this regrettable incident as an opportunity to educate the public about the important work tax-exempt organizations do and to reinforce public trust in nonprofits that are responsibly led and managed.

2013 Foundations on the Hill

On March 19 and 20, a delegation from GWP joined 200+ grantmakers from across the U.S. in Washington, DC for Foundations on the Hill. GWP shared state and district data on philanthropy in our region.

Given Congressional scrutiny of the charitable tax deduction last December, in our discussions GWP emphasized the essential role played by private charitable contributions. We also provided lawmakers with findings from our 2013 Funders’ Outlook survey and impact stories to illustrate how charitable giving helps to build a stronger western Pennsylvania.

Investing in Hope: A Conversation About Asset Building and Economic Security with Sterling Speirn and Andrea Levere

On March 28, Pittsburgh welcomed two national thought leaders, Sterling Speirn (President and CEO of W.K. Kellogg Foundation) and Andrea Levere, President and CEO of the Corporation for Enterprise Development) to share their experiences working on increasing families’ economic security.

With Kellogg Foundation’s support, CFED and nonprofit partners are developing effective ways to help low-income families build the financial, human and social capital necessary to move up the economic ladder. In partnership with the Philanthropy Forum at GSPIA. and the Benter Foundation, GWP hosted a breakfast for funders where Speirn and Levere discussed the lessons learned.

Philanthropy and Gun Violence

Foundations across the U.S. are pondering how they can respond to the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. The Foundation Center’s IssueLab offers a selection of reports on what the social sector has learned about gun violence, many based on research funded by foundations such as the Joyce, California Wellness, MacArthur, and Gerbode Foundations. [more...]