--- title: "Washington Snapshot: FY2027 Presidential Budget Request" --- Plus, Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers, an Executive Order on elections, and more! ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­    ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­   | | | --- | | | | --- | | Public policy news and updates for the philanthropic sector | | --- | | April 10, 2026 What's Happening This Week... Happening at the Council What We're Tracking in DC Additional Updates News, Resources, and Events | | --- | | Happening at the Council Building Together 2026 Today — Friday — is the final day to lock in regular registration rates to attend Building Together 2026! Fewer than 50 seats remain, and we expect the event to sell out. Join us next month in Seattle for an inspiring, immersive conference designed to help you connect with your peers in philanthropy who are eager to learn the skills and strategies to collaborate across differences. Register today, prices go up tomorrow! Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers This updated Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers training will help foundation staff use their resources effectively to advance public policies that support the greater good. This training is designed for private foundation staff with a basic understanding of policy, but also serves as a refresher for staff at all experience levels whose work touches policy advocacy. Register for the next session April 22-23. | | --- | | What We're Tracking in DC FY2027 Presidential Budget Request Last Friday, the Trump Administration released the White House’s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY2027) President’s Budget Request. The budget request includes the Administration’s priorities for the next fiscal year. The FY2027 request proposes a 10% cut to non-defense spending, including cuts to the IRS, FEMA non-disaster grants, and global health and humanitarian assistance. The Administration also proposes increasing funding for initiatives such as a National Fraud Division under the Department of Justice (DOJ). Throughout the budget request, the Administration laid out efforts to limit federal government partnerships with nonprofits that are not aligned with the priorities of the Administration. Read our summary. National Religious Broadcasters v. Bessent On March 31, the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Texas issued a decision to dismiss all claims filed under the National Religious Broadcasters v. Bessent case. The case was filed by National Religious Broadcasters and several churches challenging the Johnson Amendment’s application to houses of worship. The court had been considering a proposed settlement from the IRS that would only apply to the plaintiffs’ churches. The case was dismissed because the court found it lacked subject matter jurisdiction based on the Tax Anti-Injunction Act (AIA) and the Declaratory Judgement Act (DJA), which prohibit lawsuits filed for the purpose of enjoining the collection of a tax. The court held that the plaintiff’s First Amendment claims did not arise “separate and apart from” the tax that would be imposed if the IRS were to revoke the plaintiffs’ tax-exempt statuses for violation of the Johnson Amendment, and therefore the AIA and DJA applied to bar the court from hearing the case. The plaintiffs have indicated that they plan to appeal the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In response to the court’s decision, the IRS said that it will develop guidance regarding religious institutions and the Johnson Amendment. Read more about the case and see our July statement. Budget Reconciliation Outlook Discussions continue as congressional leaders chart the path forward to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security in two steps, which includes another budget reconciliation bill. Earlier this week, the House Freedom Caucus proposed fully funding DHS through reconciliation, offering a different path than what Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had announced the week prior. President Trump has said he wants to sign the next reconciliation bill into law by June 1. Executive Order on Elections On March 25, President Trump issued an executive order titled, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” that requires the Department of Homeland Security to create and share a list of U.S. citizens with states ahead of elections; directs the Attorney General (AG) to prioritize investigation and prosecution of election-related violations; and requires the U.S. Postal Service to begin a rulemaking process on standards for mail-in voting. The EO includes a provision directing the AG and the Secretary of the Treasury to enforce laws banning foreign nationals from contributing to U.S. elections. It also directs the AG and Treasury Secretary to prioritize enforcement of laws prohibiting organizations that have received federal funds from lobbying, citing 31 U.S.C. 1352. However, this statute does not prohibit recipients of federal funding from engaging in lobbying broadly; it merely prohibits the use of federal funds to lobby for the awarding, extension, renewal, or modification of any federal contracts, grants, loans, or cooperative agreements. | | --- | | Additional Updates On March 26, President Trump issued an executive order titled, “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors.” The order requires federal agencies to ensure federal contractors are not engaging in “racially discriminatory DEI activities” through record and file access and for agencies to report any noncompliance to the order by contractors and subcontractors. Last week, the Council submitted comments in response to the General Services Administration’s proposed change to SAM.gov certification requirements for federal financial assistance recipients. The draft regulations align with DOJ’s unlawful discrimination guidance and Executive Order 14173. Over 22,000 comments were submitted, including several from Council members and partners. Last week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the Locally Led Development and Humanitarian Response Act (H.R.6196) out of committee in the State Department Authorization Act. The legislation, introduced by Reps. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) and Young Kim (R-CA), supports locally led development and removes barriers to receiving U.S. foreign aid. The IRS released new guidance regarding the designation of census tracts as qualified opportunity zones (QOZ). The new designations, which will begin in 2027, will require a QOZ to be a low-income community. The Department of the Treasury announced that it will issue rules regarding Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to prevent abuse and misuse of CDFI funds. Treasury will also add a new provision to CDFI Fund agreements to ensure CDFIs do not violate federal anti-discrimination laws. Take Action Your voice is powerful with your Members of Congress. Complete our current Action Alerts. Support the Workforce Development Through Post-Graduation Scholarships Act Support the Charitable Rollover Facilitation and Enhancement Act (H.R.2891) Support the Congressional Philanthropy Caucus Support the Grave Injustice Parity Act (H.R.7087) | | --- | | News & Resources Architecting the Future: 2026 Global Philanthropy Forum Reveals the Pillars for the Future, Alliance Black Caucus Scholarships Discriminate Based on Race, Lawsuit alleges, Washington Post Steps Philanthropy Can Take to Help Build Local Data Capacity, Urban Institute Opinions expressed in these articles belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Council. | | --- | | Upcoming Events Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers April 22 - 23, 2026 1 - 5 p.m. ET Building Together 2026 May 4 - 7, 2026 Seattle, WA | | --- | | | | --- | | 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. | | --- | | Shared purpose. Collective voice. Greater impact. Council on Foundations \| 1255 23rd Street NW, Suite 200  \| Washington,  DC  20037 You received this email because you are subscribed to receive emails from the Council on Foundations. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. View our Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe from all future emails. | | --- | | | | --- |