Overheard
“The current economic downturn has spared no sector: including philanthropy. Congress knows that. As a result, I would expect the 111th Congress, working with the incoming Administration, to look for ways to ease the damage done. There are a number of good ideas already being considered and as a long-time advocate for and of philanthropy, I will continue to pursue solutions that work.”
- Dave Camp (R-MI), Ranking Member, House Ways and Means Committee
At the Forefront
“Historically, we tend to act ‘episodically’ to events—organizing forums or summits on an issue after an event occurs. There’s also very little follow up to gauge progress. The President and his team’s vision for the Office for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison speaks to the power and importance of partnership and dialogue around substantive conversations. Foundations can now speak directly to the White House.”
- Andrew Plepler, President and CEO, Bank of America Foundation
Immigration Reform
“My hope is that the President continues that spirit of unity he brought to his campaign and makes issues like comprehensive immigration reform a priority. We need to respect immigrant workers. As it currently stands, we don’t have an immigrant—integration or assimilation—policy in the United States. What we need is the leadership at the federal government to do so.”
- Arturo Vargas, Trustee, Community Technology Foundation of California
Tax Incentives
“Instead of direct tax cuts (which may still get stowed away in a CD), why not provide even better tax treatment or credits for gifts to community foundation endowment funds? Individuals receiving the tax credit have more to spend, and if they don’t spend, we are still using their donations to build an endowment for the future. This will help us to grant more during difficult times and we will continue to invest more than half in equities, which is also a benefit. As in several states (unfortunately, not Illinois), the availability of credit is raising the visibility of endowments and community foundations for the betterment of the community.”
- Joanne Mitrenga, Director of Development, DuPage Community Foundation
It Starts with Education…
“I would ask that President Obama’s education team look at how they could motivate children starting in the second grade to learn to do their homework, keeping in mind five values—reading skills, study skills, order in their lives, discipline, and responsibility. If those values are internalized, we will have a great nation.”
- Reuben Harpole, Program Officer, Helen Bader Foundation
Revisiting the Anti-terrorism Guidelines
Foundations agree that the Treasury Department’s anti-terrorism guidelines are ambiguous and time–consuming. These guidelines affect both foundations and nonprofits: they require foundations to dedicate many staff hours and research to vetting nonprofits and conducting due diligence and place a significant compliance burden on nonprofits. The Council—as the leader of the Treasury Guidelines Working Group—will continue to engage with Treasury and with the new Administration to revisit the anti-terrorism guidelines, so that foundations have clear, reasonable measures and clear expectations.
- From a December 2008 Council conference call with international corporate grantmakers.
Harnessing American Values
I would tell President Obama to let the intellectual market do its work, and allow creative thinking, innovation, and quintessentially American entrepreneurialism to blossom in the political, economic, and social marketplace. Over the last decade, innovation has been stifled. Allowing a space for dynamic thinking across sectors, nations and generations will create the kind of world we all want—one based on equity, respect, and opportunity.
- Mary Galeti, Vice-chair, The Tecovas Foundation.
A Philanthropic Blueprint
“What can the new president do to support philanthropy, volunteering, and civil society overall? Three things: be a philanthropic leader, be modern, and be creative.
- Be a Philanthropic Leader: This presidential campaign benefited from more than $1 billion in political contributions….The new president should encourage giving to continue, only now to philanthropy so we I can create solutions and empower individuals and corporations to tackle [tough] issues.
- Be modern: Spearhead a national counterpart to the Clinton Global Initiative that brings together corporate and philanthropic leaders to address issues in the United States.
- Be creative: Embrace new civic engagement models for soon-to-retire baby boomers and prepare our country to reap the rewards of this activist generation. Creative thinking could include a new twist on AmeriCorps that allows scholarship dollars for a grandchild or a reverse GI bill to pay for second career training. Repayment could be made through service in industries with predicted labor shortages, such as teaching and nursing.”
- Linda B. Carter, President and CEO, Community Foundation of Broward (Florida)
Ways Philanthropy Can Aid with Economy Recovery
“Community and private foundations are interested in working with the new administration to help successfully implement the economic recovery and stimulus package. In particular, we are uniquely positioned to serve our communities through our deep knowledge of the most pressing needs of our community residents and of the non-profit organizations that are on the front lines providing direct services to those most vulnerable. We are also well connected to the networks of civic leadership and philanthropic partnerships organized for research, planning, and the development of innovative solutions to the major challenges of our times.
Here are five main ways that we can be of service:
- Innovations ready for scale: Inventory the innovations sponsored by foundations and identify the leaders and organizations with the capacity to bring them to scale.
- Building 21st century priorities: Some new priorities could include:
- investing in metropolitan development as a key engine for national economic competitiveness
- investing in small business in key sectors of our economy
- strengthening science, math, engineering, and technology education
- organizing an education system continuum from early childhood education through college (the p-20 initiative)
- stimulating a green economy and community-based responses to climate change
- developing mixed-income communities that replace isolated conclaves of public housing
- providing new approaches to alleviating poverty
- Transportation and planning: A group of national and community foundations is exploring forming a collaboration to make national, state, and local transportation policies and investments more economically efficient, environmentally sustainable, and equitable.
- Preserving essential nonprofit infrastructure: Implementing parts of the economic recovery strategy will require strong nonprofits to carry out the work. We have a good sense of the nonprofits that are critical to our community’s continued vitality, and those with great leadership and effective programs.
- Regional collaboration: Each region has unique opportunities that would benefit from collaboration and established collaborations are present in most of our nation’s regions. For example, private and community foundations across the Midwest are already collaborating on addressing common priorities, such as global competiveness, high-speed rail, Great Lakes preservation, and immigrant integration.”
- Terry Mazany, President, Chicago Community Trust
