Public policy news and updates for the philanthropic sector

May 29, 2026

What's Happening This Week...

• Happening at the Council
• What We're Tracking in DC
• Additional Updates

Happening at the Council

Communications Training for Foundations

Next month, the Council and the University of Florida’s Center for Public Interest Communications are kicking off a three workshop series titled, “Better Stories, Better Language: A Communications Workshop Series.” This updated series will feature workshops that will provide attendees with the skills to tell more complex and engaging stories about the charitable sector and the work done at their organizations. The three workshops will take place between June 10 and July 8. Register for individual workshops or the whole series.

Legal Basics for Community Foundations

Join the Council’s Legal team for Legal Basics for Community Foundations on June 3. This virtual webinar and workshop will provide attendees with an overview of the nonprofit sector, an introduction to the statutes, tax codes, and legal requirements for community foundations and the legal aspects of finance and administration.

What We're Tracking in DC

Congressional Hearings with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

Next week, both the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee will hold hearings with Secretary Bessent to discuss the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget for Treasury and Treasury’s priorities. The Senate Finance Committee hearing is next Wednesday, June 3, at 10 a.m. ET; the Ways and Means Committee hearing is Thursday, June 4, at 10 a.m. ET.

We expect members of both committees to ask questions on a range of topics, possibly including the tax-exempt sector. We will watch both hearings and share an update in our next edition of Snapshot.

Congress and State Attorneys General on Southern Poverty Law Center

Last week, 16 Democrat state Attorneys General led by Keith Ellison of Minnesota sent a letter to Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, and Donor Advised Charitable Giving (formerly known as Schwab Charitable). The letter outlined concerns over the donor-advised fund (DAF) sponsors restricting grants from DAFs to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) following SPLC’s recent federal indictment by the Department of Justice. The letter argued that these restrictions undermine donor intent and advance efforts to weaponize government power. It urged the sponsors to lift the current restrictions on donations to the SPLC.

Congress also discussed SPLC: last Wednesday, the House Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing titled, “The Southern Poverty Law Center: Manufacturing Hate.” Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Republican members argued that SPLC had deviated from its original mission and had strayed to targeting conservative groups and misleading donors. Members recommended that they further investigate organizations that no longer work to advance their original missions and nonprofits sending money to extremist groups.

Office of Management and Budget Actions on Federal Funding to Nonprofits

On Thursday, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released proposed regulations on federal financial assistance. Among the many changes listed in the 412-page document, OMB proposes that agencies may consider an applicant’s affiliations with organizations engaged in activities that violate federal law, undermine public safety or national security, or advocate for overthrow of the U.S. government. The proposal would also roll back several of the changes finalized by the Biden Administration in 2024, including reinstating the English language requirement. This proposal follows executive actions last year centered on better aligning federal financial assistance with the Trump Administration’s policy priorities. We’ll share a detailed summary in our next edition of Snapshot.

Earlier this month, OMB sent a memo to federal agencies asking each department to submit a report of grants and other spending related to 49 nonprofit organizations during fiscal years 2024 and 2025, as well as the projected spending total for fiscal year 2026. The nonprofit organizations listed in the memo are largely organizations that engage in advocacy work related to immigration, civil rights, and humanitarian aid. Several foundations, including some that do not accept federal grants, were included on the list. The memo asked agencies to provide reports by May 29.

Additional Updates

• The Council submitted comments in response to the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) request for recommendations for the 2026-2027 Priority Guidance Plan. Treasury and the IRS use this plan each year to identify the tax issues they intend to prioritize through regulations, rulings, notices, and other published guidance.
• The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) released the Blue Book on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L.119-21), which explains the tax provisions featured in the law and how they impact the tax code and federal budget. Our team is reviewing the Blue Book and will add any relevant updates to our detailed summary of the bill.
• Last week, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing examining whether large environmental nonprofits have misused and turned the Endangered Species Act and Equal Access to Justice Act into a litigation revenue stream. Republican members argued that environmental groups are abusing these statutes. They heard recommendations for greater transparency from nonprofits that receive settlements, including disclosure of settlements on a website or Form 990.
• Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Protecting Charitable Giving Act (S.4539), which would increase the penalty for disclosing the identities of donors to tax-exempt organizations from a maximum of $5,000 to between $10,000 and $250,000. It also allows for prosecution of donor disclosure violations to be brought in the jurisdiction where a victim resides.
• Earlier this month, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Review Council released its final report. The report details FEMA’s activities and capabilities and includes recommendations for moving forward, including actions that would improve coordination with nonprofits. FEMA is accepting comments on the report until June 8.
• Our partners at Independent Sector are collecting proposals for their annual Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits that will explore how nonprofits and the sector as a whole are weathering current challenges. Proposal submissions will be accepted through June 27.

Keep in Touch!

Please feel free to reach out to any of us on the Public Policy Team with comments or concerns, or to share an issue, article, event, or op-ed you would like to see covered in a future Washington Snapshot.

View this email as a web page.