The Non-Profit Times recently published an article, called “On Capitol Hill.” The article focuses on a new Senate caucus that will “help educate those on The Hill about the nonprofit sector.”

The philanthropic sector has “not done a good job in the past of showing members of Congress, and giving them the tools to show, what philanthropy is doing in their district,” said Steve Gunderson, CEO of the Council on Foundations (CoF) in Arlington, Va. “We hope to do a better job of that and communicate that message,” he said.
“The council had always seen its job in the past as telling the field what Congress is doing. We want to change that to be more proactive rather than reportive,” Gunderson said, adding that last year, the council introduced a legislative agenda of its own for the first time in many years.
U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) sent a “Dear Colleague” letter just before the August recess encouraging senators to join a new Senate Philanthropy Caucus. Last year, the CoF helped to form the House Philanthropy Caucus, which now totals about 42 members.

The article goes on to talk about the important work done by private foundations, nonprofit groups and individual philanthropists. The author also discussed the vital roles each group plays in states and how important it is for “members of Congress to be informed about developments in the philanthropic sector.”