Foundations Urged to Drop Jitters Over Public-Policy Work

As reported by Suzanne Perry of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, speakers at this week’s Council on Foundations leadership summit, took the view that foundationboards are far too timid about trying to influence lawmakers,mistakenly fearing it will jeopardize their tax-exempt status, in the words of Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, inWashington, and a former Democratic U.S. senator.

“The IRSencourages philanthropy to be engaged in public-policy issues,” hesaid. Foundations should collaborate with government bodies, both totap into their budgets and to have a greater impact, he continued, noting that a smallchange in public policy often has a huge “multiplier” effect.

JeanCase, chief executive of the Case Foundation, in Washington, said herorganization gives preference to projects that involve governmentcollaboration because they are “more likely to go further faster.”

Shecited her position as co-chair of the U.S.-Palestinian Partnership, agroup set up by the U.S. State Department to attract private money forprojects to improve the economy in the Palestinian territories.

TheCase Foundation also persuaded the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment to jointly support a project to provide“PlayPumps”—children’s merry-go-rounds that are attached to waterpumps—to South Africa, she said.

John Bridgeland,president of Civic Enterprises, a public-policy consulting firm inWashington, urged foundations to  gear upto influence the transition team that will be preparing policy for thenext president after the November election

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