Speakers:

• Jon Pratt, co-chair, Independent Sector Annual Conference Host Committee; executive director, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
• Pat Read, senior vice president, public policy and government relations, Independent Sector

Government Oversight of Nonprofit Organizations

The nonprofit sector has seen momentous activity and change in government oversight and regulation of our activities at the federal and state levels. Speakers from government oversight agencies and nonprofits that have been directly involved in the development and implementation of new rules for charities will share perspectives on current and future developments in federal and state regulation of charitable organizations.

Speakers:  

• Ronald Schultz, shareholder, Leonard, Street and Deinard

State Regulations:

• Jody Wahl, investigator, Minnesota Attorney General's Office Charities Division; president-elect, National Association of State Charity Officials

Respondents:

• Robert Collier, president, Council of Michigan Foundations
• Julie Floch, director of not-for-profit services, Eisner LLP; member, IRS Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities
• Florence Green, executive director, California Association of Nonprofits

From appropriations to taxes to deficits, every aspect of the federal budget affects the charitable sector: the programs we manage, the constituents we serve, and the health of our philanthropic organizations. Representatives from organizations engaged in budget activity share their strategies and lessons learned.

Speaker:

• The Honorable Tim Penny, senior fellow, University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs; co-director, Humphrey Institute Policy Forum

Respondents:

• Candy Hill, senior vice president for social policy, Catholic Charities USA
• Nan Madden, project director, Minnesota Budget Project
• Sue Nelson, vice president of federal advocacy, American Heart Association

Effective public policy work requires strong coordinated action at the national, state and local level. Many community-based organizations are reluctant to include advocacy as part of their work. Explore how we can work more effectively with CBOs to increase our capacity for successful public policy and advocacy.

Speakers:

• Aron Goldman, executive director, Policy Development
• Molly Greenman, president and CEO, Family & Children’s Services
• Karen Starr, senior program officer; Otto Bremer Foundation

Political Contributions and Advocacy

From coalition-building to sign-on letters, nonprofits use a variety of strategies to influence public policy. But because money plays such a pivotal role in political campaigns and policy development, tracking donations is an effective, although often overlooked, advocacy strategy.  Tap into an innovative way to access this important advocacy tool.

• Barbara Bonifas, deputy director, The National Institute on Money in State Politics
• Rosalind Gold, senior director for policy, research, and advocacy, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund
• Dan Newman, executive director, MAPLight.org

Nonprofit organizations are uniquely positioned to impact voter mobilization and civic engagement. Learn how groups can drive change on an issue, build a powerful and permanent advocacy capacity, and create a culture of civic engagement within their organizations.

Speakers include:

• Marcia Avner, public policy director, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
• Dan Cramer, president and co-founder, Grassroots Solutions

Successful advocacy movements must, of course, include the groundswell of support that constitutes a grassroots movement, but there must also be strong involvement from grasstops advocates – community leaders that can leverage powerful relationships with policy-makers. Researching our own boards, donors, and volunteers can be a good place to start building the grasstops lobbying supports that are becoming ever more crucial to our advocacy success.

Speakers include:

• Melanie Lockhart, director, state and chapter affairs, March of Dimes
• Daniel Smith, national vice president, government relations, American Cancer Society
• Paul Thornell, vice president of public policy, United Way of America

Competition for attention to public policy issues is fierce and local and national groups are often challenged to find the right balance in setting and addressing local, state and national priorities. Nonetheless, local and national organizations must connect in a way that supports the full spectrum of issues. Organization leaders share their perspectives and strategies for succeeding at the balancing act.

Speakers include:

• William Daroff, vice president of public policy, United Jewish Communities
• Bill King, president, Minnesota Council on Foundations
• Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota

Break

The Senate Finance Committee and the Charitable Sector: A Look at What Lies Ahead

Dean Zerbe, tax counsel for the United States Senate Committee on Finance, will share insights into recent changes in the laws regulating charitable organizations and the Committee’s remaining concerns about hospitals, nonprofit governance, executive compensation, and accountability. This special session of the Public Policy Action Institute is open to all conference participants.

Note: Times and program details are subject to change. Please check back for frequent updates.

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