MCF Foundations on the Hill 2026 Recap

In March, MCF participated in Foundations on the Hill. This 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 9 of 10 Minnesota's Congressional delegation offices, including meetings with Senator Amy Klobuchar and Senator Tina Smith, and staff in other offices.

Meeting Topics

Protect Philanthropy's Ability to Support Our Communities

• As documented in MCF's Giving in Minnesota: 2025 Report, Minnesota-based funders collective gave over $3.8 billion to benefit a broad range of communities, areas of interest, and geographic areas. Foundations and nonprofits are working to meet immediate needs while also maintaining commitments to long-term priorities. 
   
• MCF and its members shared recent grantmaking statistics by Congressional district, as well as member stories about the impact philanthropy is having in each district. 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.
   
• The meetings provided a venue to share about the impact Operation Metro Surge and other federal actions on the community, and how foundations and nonprofits are stepping up to meet increasing needs. This included acknowledging that the sector doesn’t have sufficient resources to fill federal funding gaps and that a multi-sector effort will be needed to help Minnesota recover from the impacts of federal immigration activities.
   
• Policies are needed to support, not constrain, philanthropy such as supporting and expanding tax incentives for charitable giving, protecting the ability of foundations, individuals, and businesses to give back, and advancing public-private partnerships.
   
• MCF asked that Minnesota’s Congressional delegation support policies that protect philanthropy’s independence and ensure the sector can keep investing in Minnesota communities, and to oppose proposals that harm the sector’s ability to support communities. 

Join Congressional Philanthropy Caucus

• The bipartisan Congressional Philanthropy Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives relaunched to promote a deeper understanding of the contributions, work, and role of foundations in communities across the nation, and to advance policies that strengthen American’s philanthropic and charitable sectors. MCF asked the Minnesota Congressional delegation to join the Congressional Philanthropy Caucus. Rep. Betty McCollum is currently a part of the caucus.

Stronger Charitable Giving Incentives

• MCF shared appreciation for the inclusion of the universal charitable deduction in the federal budget reconciliation bill passed in July 2025 (H.R. 1), which created a permanent charitable giving incentive for non-itemizers.
   
• MCF shared the increasing popular use of the IRA charitable rollover as a way for older Americans – many with modest incomes but significant retirement savings – to support the charities they care about. The bipartisan IRA Charitable Rollover Facilitation and Enhancement Act (H.R.2891 / S.3975) would expand giving incentives by allowing individuals to make IRA charitable rollover contributions to donor-advised funds (DAFs).  MCF asked the Minnesota Congressional delegation to support this bill. Rep. Michelle Fischbach is currently supporting this bill.  

Minnesota's Congressional offices expressed their gratitude to Minnesota's strong philanthropic and nonprofit community. Staff were appreciative of the opportunity to learn more about the work MCF members do to support Minnesota communities. MCF offered to be a resource to members of Congress as proposals affecting the sector are considered to ensure the full impact of such proposals is understood.  

MCF members and partners participated in Foundations on the Hill and Congressional meetings, alongside MCF's President Michelle Maryns, Vice President of Policy and Partnerships Katina Mortensen, and Policy and Partnerships Manager Dave Anderson. These members met with representatives to share how foundations and nonprofits collaborate with community to achieve impact and meet community needs, especially in times of crisis. Thank you to the following members and partners for your leadership: Halla Henderson (Minnesota Council of Nonprofits), Mai-Anh Tran and Katya Zepeda (Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation), Aaron Zimmerman (PFund Foundation), and Nancy Fasching (Southwest Initiative Foundation).