HARTFORD, CT -- CCP gives updates on civic engagement efforts by Connecticut funders and nonprofits (two events are on October 3, so register today!); and current Federal developments on: the Public Charge for Immigrants; regulations in response to the SALT workarounds; and the Johnson Amendment.
CT Early Childhood Funder Collaborative Co-Sponsors Gubernatorial Candidate Forum
Find out where the candidates for governor stand on early childhood and family economic success issues. Each candidate will take questions for 30-45 minutes. Christine Stuart of CT News Junkie will moderate and a panel of an early childhood leaders will pose questions to better understand each candidate's policy position on early childhood.
When: Wednesday, October 3
- 5:30 PM light refreshments
- 6:00 PM The Forum kicks off
Where: Memorial Hall, Central CT State University, New Britain
Other Candidate Events:
• October 7 l U.S. Senate Debate - WFSB in partnership with University of Connecticut
• October 11 l Candidate Forum on Disability Issues - Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities and others
• October 18 l Gubernatorial Candidate Debate - Connecticut Association of Broadcasters
• October 19 l Legislative Candidate Breakfast for Middlesex County - The Coalition on Housing and Homelessness
• October 21 l 5th Congressional Candidate Debate - WFSB in partnership with University of Connecticut
• October 30 l Gubernatorial Candidate Debate - Connecticut Conference of Municipalities
Civic Engagement
Get Out the Vote
Inside Philanthropy reviewed Fairfield County's Community Foundation's Foray into Voter Engagement. The article also mentioned partnering with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and CCP's Civic Engagement Funder Collaborative.
Nonprofits Pledge to Vote
The Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance has partnered with the Office of the Secretary of the State, to provide a unique online voter registration link for nonprofits. With this URL, they are tracking how many people registered to vote through nonprofit voter engagement events and activities. Visit their 2018 Election page to learn how to embed this link on your website and emails.
Nonprofit Vote Strategies and Messaging
OCTOBER 11: 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Join Nonprofit VOTE for their last webinar before November 6th. They'll cover the different strategies for getting out the vote and messaging that works. Your organization can make a difference in mobilizing the community you serve to get out and vote. Webinar registration >>
A Time of Reckoning
OCTOBER 3: 9:00 - 11:30 AM: Mitchell College, New London
What happens to our most vulnerable communities when state budget cuts impact the nonprofit sector? This discussion, sponsored by The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, is a companion of the series of recent CT Mirror articles by the same name. Learn more >>
I Vote for Health Care
Universal Health Care Foundation of CT is spearheading the #IVote4HealthCare campaign, a nonpartisan voter registration, education and engagement effort. They have partnered with a dozen community-based organizations via small grants for nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts in communities whose voices are too often under-represented in the health care policy debate.
Rural Rising
Neighborhood Funders Group (NFG), The Heartland Fund, and Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF) invite you to join their three-part funder webinar series to share and discuss the findings of two field scans, hear from field leaders about their work and what they need from funders, and connect with grantmakers funding in rural and small-town communities.
- Civic Engagement & Organizing in Rural & Small-Town Communities - Thursday, October 11 | 2:00-3:15 PM | Register >>
- Mid-Term Election Reflections: Implications for Rural & Small-Town Communities - Thursday, November 15 | 2:00-3:15 PM | Save the date
- Diving Deeper: Opportunities for Philanthropy and Rural & Small-Town America - Thursday, December 13 | 2:00 - 3:15 PM | Save the date
Immigration - The Public Charge Rule
From EITC Funders: The Department of Homeland Security recently announced that it has proposed a new federal rule under which immigrants seeking admission to the U.S. or applying for lawful permanent residency could be denied if family members, including U.S. citizen children, receive public benefits for which they are eligible. The potential impact of these new "public charge" rules on low-income immigrant families and their children remain is devastating.
Once the proposal is published in the Federal Register, a 60-day public comment period will be triggered; advocates and funders should be aware and prepared to respond.
Resources
- Video interview with Laura Speer, Associate Director of Policy Reform and Advocacy, at The Annie E. Casey Foundation about the proposed public charge rules; why foundations should pay attention to this rule-making process; and how funders can support immigrant families and children in a shifting policy landscape.
- Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) is continuously updating a resource page on public charge.
- The National Immigration Law Center and (NILC) and Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) are updating resources through the Protecting Immigrant Families, Advancing Our Futures campaign.
Coverage
- Newest White House Proposal on Immigrant Families Stands Out as Especially Cruel, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 9/24/18
SALT Work Around
From National Council of Nonprofits: In late August, the Treasury Department and IRS published proposed regulations designed to change how the federal government will treat donations to charitable organizations that generate state or local tax (SALT) credits. The draft regulations were developed in response to state legislation passed in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York earlier this year.
The proposal would require taxpayers to subtract the value or cost of any state tax credits they claimed from the charitable deduction claimed on their federal tax returns. The proposed rules do not make a distinction between government-run nonprofits and public charities. This would be a change from prior federal tax law that permitted full deduction of charitable donations that also allowed taxpayers to apply a tax credit based on that donation to reduce state taxes.
Filing Public Comments: Before the regulations are adopted as final rules, the Treasury and the IRS will give consideration to public comments submitted by October 11, 2018. Written comments should be submitted electronically, via the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
Johnson Amendment Temporary Reprieve
From National Council of Nonprofits: The House recessed for the November elections before the House-Senate conference committee could resolve differences over the spending bill (H.R. 6147) that contains the anti-Johnson Amendment rider. That language would prevent the IRS from enforcing the longstanding Johnson Amendment. The bill is now on hold until the post-election lame-duck session. Nonprofits will face the same challenges to the language harmful to nonprofit non-partisanship when Representatives and Senators return to negotiate the spending bill after the elections.
Access Past CCP Policy Updates >>