MCF Foundations on the Hill 2025 Recap

In February, MCF participated in Foundations on the Hill. The annual event provides an opportunity for the philanthropic sector to engage members of Congress about the importance of philanthropy and advocate on issues important to foundations and nonprofits. 

The MCF team met with all 10 of Minnesota's Congressional delegation offices, including meetings with Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Tina Smith, Representative Angie Craig, Representative Kelly Morrison, and staff in other offices. MCF also offered to be a resource to members of Congress as proposals effecting the sector are considered to ensure the full impact of such proposals are considered.

Topics discussed in meetings include:

Stronger Charitable Giving Incentives

• MCF shared the importance of ensuring all taxpayers have access to giving incentives. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act created a temporary non-itemizer charitable deduction that expired in 2021. With 47 million households using the deduction, giving rose dramatically resulting in $18 million in 2021. The Charitable Act (S.317 / H.R. 801) would renew and expand the universal charitable deduction to help charitable organizations achieve their missions and support their communities.
• Minnesota is one of the three states with an non-itemizer charitable deduction, which we've had for 25 years.

Protect Philanthropy's Support of Communities

• As documented in MCF's Giving in Minnesota: 2024 Report, Minnesota-based funders collective gave over $3.4 billion to benefit a broad range of communities, areas of interest, and geographic areas. Foundations, other grantmaking organizations, and philanthropic partners are working to meet immediate needs while also maintaining commitments to long-term priorities. 
• MCF also shared recent grantmaking statistics by Congressional district for each district's representative, with help from data gathered with Impala.
• Beyond grantmaking, the philanthropic sector is also uniquely positioned to convene private sector, government, nonprofit organizations, and community members to facilitate collaboration, share knowledge, and pool resources.
• Restrictions that limit philanthropic organizations will limit the good work we do. According to new public polling data, a substantial majority of voters in both parties are opposed to using our sector to raise revenue for other legislation.

Minnesota's Congressional offices expressed their gratitude to Minnesota's strong philanthropic community. Staff were appreciative of the opportunity to learn more about the work MCF members do.

MCF members also participated in Foundations on the Hill and congressional meetings, alongside MCF's Policy and Partnerships Manager, Dave Anderson, and former MCF President, *Susie Brown. These members met with representatives to share how their foundations collaborate with community to achieve impact and how public policy impacts their philanthropic work. Thank you to the following members for your leadership: Nonoko Sato (Minnesota Council of Nonprofits), RT Rybak (The Minneapolis Foundation), Ben Goldfarb (McKnight Foundation), Chris Romano and Anita Patel (Bush Foundation), Mai-Anh Tran and Katya Zepeda (Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation), Eddie Torres and Nadia Elokdah (Grantmakers in the Arts), Rebecca Peterson (West Central Initiative), and Angela Peterson (Sol de Janeiro Foundation).

*Note: At the time of this event, Susie Brown was still with the Minnesota Council on Foundations serving as President of the organization. She is no longer a part of MCF's staff and has moved on to a new role with Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation as of February 27, 2025.