|
|
|
Upcoming Events
Save the Date!
San Diego Mayoral Candidate Forum: Issues of Importance to the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector
March 26, 2012, 7:00PM-9:00PM (Forum & reception. Check-in begins at 6:30.)
The Old Globe
The City of San Diego will welcome a new mayor in 2013, marking a new era for the city. How will the next mayor support the efforts of our philanthropic and nonprofit sectors? VoiceofSanDiego.org's Scott Lewis and KPBS's Gloria Penner will moderate a forum with San Diego mayoral candidates on issues of critical importance to philanthropy and nonprofits. Stay tuned for registration information!
This candidate forum is being sponsored by (list in formation):
Southern California Grantmakers Public Policy Conference
Feb. 28, 2012, 8:30AM-5:30PM
The Center for Healthy Communities, Los Angeles, CA
FREE to SDG members (Select the "Other Regional Affiliate" registration option and enter the code POLICY2012)
SDG encourages members to join Executive Director Nancy Jamison and Director of Communications Michelle Slingerland in attending the Southern California Grantmakers' Public Policy Conference for free. Conference attendees will discuss and build upon efforts to align the sector's work with local, state and federal government.
Read the full conference agenda & details.
Foundations On the Hill
March 21-22, 2012
Washington, D.C.
For this year's Foundations On the Hill -- the annual convening of grantmakers in the nation's capitol that is organized by the Forum of Regional Assocations of Grantmakers and the Council on Foundations -- the three California regional associations will travel as a single delegation. Meetings are being scheduled with state senators and officials at key federal offices, including the Education, Justice, Housing and Urban Development departments, as well as the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. Would you like to travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in these meetings with delegation representatives? Email michelle@sdgrantmakers.org for more information.
|
|
This Just In!
President Obama Introduces Budget Proposal
 | |
KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom |
The Obama administration's fiscal year 2013 budget proposal released yesterday includes four provisions relevant to the philanthropic sector: - It includes limiting the tax value of itemized deductions high-income taxpayers can claim to a maximum of 28 percent, regardless of their marginal tax rate.
- It supports the scheduled reinstatment of a limit on itemized deductions in 2013 that was phased out in 2001.
- It includes the "Buffett Rule." Specifically, it states that "those making over $1 million should pay no less than 30 percent of their income in taxes."
- It calls for a single, 1.35 percent excise-tax rate on investment income of private foundations. Under current law, private foundations are subject to a two-tiered rate structure that generally imposes a 2 percent rate but that allows a foundation to pay only 1 percent if certain requirements are met.
You may read more about the President's budget proposal on The White House Blog, and more about the charitable deduction in this special section in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. To read about the Council on Foundations' immediate response to the budget announcement, click here. Stay tuned for more on this issue as it develops... |
|
California's Budget Season
Governor Brown's proposed 2012-13 budget plan relies heavily on proposed tax increases and deep cuts to the state's safety net systems-including welfare benefits, child care programs and healthcare options for the state's most vulnerable communities. To balance the budget, there are tax increases proposed for the November ballot: nearly $7 billion annually from a combination of increased sales tax (half a cent for four years) and income tax (on those earning more than $250,000 for five years). The Legislative Analyst's Office disputes the precise amount the proposed increases will generate, with preliminary analyses predicting $4.8 billion in the first year. As state legislators begin to consider the proposal, the Governor has made a commitment to push the ballot measure for tax increases himself, restating his position during his State of the State Address on January 11th. And he is not alone in his efforts to find a solution to California's budget crisis:
|
|
Nonprofit Lobbying In An Election Year
As grantmakers and grantees plan programming activities for the coming year, it is important to remember the partisan restrictions on advocacy efforts, and a good time in general for a refresher on what is and is not allowed. Review the Legal Parameter resources on P4: Philanthropy Public Policy Portal (a project of the three California regional associations of grantmakers) or visit the Alliance for Justice's Election Activity page. On November 3 last year, SDG hosted a program titled "Nonprofits Can (and Should) Lobby: Learn How Funders Can Help" featuring Pat Libby, author of The Lobbying Strategy Handbook and creator and director of the Institute for Nonprofit Education and Research at the University of San Diego. To access presentations and materials from that program, click here. |
|
California Adopts "Benefit Corporations" Through the Corporate Flexibility Act
While there has been a certification process that allowed businesses to prove that social benefit was part of their objective, corporate legal structure previously didn't allow this mission to come ahead of profit making. This for-profit legal structure is one of several "hybrid" models that allow for double bottom line activity. Other hybrid models include Low-profit Limited Liability Companies (L3C) and Flexible Purpose Corporations, and Social Purpose Corporations (currently proposed in Washington).
More reading:
|
|
CA Legislative Roundup
California Supreme Court abolishes redevelopment agenciesIn December, the California Supreme Court ruled on a case declaring that state lawmakers had the authority to abolish redevelopment agencies, as outlined in budget companion Bill AB26. This decision came after several groups sued the state, claiming the legislation was unconstitutional. Cities and counties are now determining how best to transfer the projects underway and handle the dissolution of agencies and transition of their employees. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, however, proposed Senate Bill 654, which, if passed, would allow municipalities to permanently retain the portion of redevelopment dollars earmarked for affordable housing projects.
California loosens restrictions on nonprofit property tax exemptionsIn December, the California Board of Equalization issued a Letter to Assessors outlining less strict qualifications for the "California community benefit test" that must be demonstrated for nonprofit property tax exemption. Nonprofit lawyers had previously questioned the restrictions of the test, pointing out that the 2011 letter contains language of particular concern to grantmakers. The Board indicated that grantmaking " easily lends itself to quantification" and can therefore be used as a measure of community benefit, though no details are included on how such measurement would be carried out. |
|
Public Policy Resources
Advocacy funding pays off big, study saysFoundation funding to support policy advocacy, community organizing and civic engagement generated significant returns for low-wage workers, communities of color, rural residents and other marginalized groups, a new study says.
White House announces program to provide employment opportunities for youthOn January 5, the White House announced Summer Jobs+, a new call-to-action for businesses, nonprofits, and government to work together to provide pathways to employment for low-income and disconnected youth in the summer of 2012.
Latest additions to RECO: Resources for Evaluating Community Organizing
Grantmakers may want to bookmark RECO, the Alliance for Justice's online tool for organizing the latest research, publications and resources to supplement evaluation efforts. Golden Governance: Building Effective Public Engagement in CaliforniaThis report, released in October 2011, outlines the strategies undertaken by seven communities across California to rethink and restructure governance and their approach to civic engagement in spite of economic woes. Co-sponsored by the National Conference on Citizenship, California Forward, the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement at Pepperdine University and the Center for Individual and Institutional Renewal. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
We'd love to hear from you!
Thank you for being a member of San Diego Grantmakers. We are always trying to improve our services to members, and we welcome your feedback. Please send your thoughts, comments and suggestions to nancy@sdgrantmakers.org. |
|
