Schedule Unless otherwise noted, all FOTH related programming will take place at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001 The Alliance for Charitable Reform Summit for Leaders will take place across the street at the Liaison Hotel, 415 New Jersey Ave NW, in the Metropolitan Ballroom New Location! Monday, March 20, 2017 Noon 4:30 pm Registration Open Hyatt Regency, Outside of Capitol Room (Lobby Level) 1:00 3:00 pm FOTH Pre Session: Philanthropy & Civic Engagement Presented by Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers in Partnership with Funders Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP) & Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) Presenters Kristen Cambell, Executive Director, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement Alexis Anderson Reed, Deputy Director, Funders Committee for Civic Participation Steven Cole Schwartz, Director, The Partnership Funds Paul Waters, Program Associate, Public Square, Democracy Fund Our nation s democracy is facing serious challenges, as evidenced by the recent 2016 elections. Voter turnout hit a 20 year low, with just over half of voting age citizens casting ballots, and Americans of all stripes are questioning if government can work for them. At this critical moment in time, what is the role for philanthropy in civic engagement, and democracy more broadly, and what impact does it have on the change that foundations seek? Helping us answer this question will be the leaders of two national organizations focused on engaging philanthropy in civic engagement and democracy issues. Kristen Cambell from PACE will provide an overview of the current climate for civic engagement in our country and discuss why civic and democratic practice is important for the work of all funders no matter what issues you support. Alexis
#FOTH17 Schedule 2 Anderson Reed from FCCP will take participants through the nuts and bolts of how foundations should support democracy and civic engagement work. We ll also hear from some funders about how and why they are involved in supporting the civic space. 3:30 4:30 pm FOTH Orientation Is this your first time doing Hill visits, or are you looking for a quick refresher on working the Hill? If so, join us for this FOTH orientation session. Among the topics to be covered: What to Expect on the Hill So you re sitting across from your Congressperson and/or his or her legislative aide, and you ve never met them before. What are they thinking? What do they want to hear from you? How can you get them to understand your message in a few short minutes? You ll get the scoop from a seasoned Hill staffer. Presenters: Dave Biemesderfer, President & CEO, Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers and Mark Ratner, Legislative Director, Congressman Fred Upton (R MI) How to Run Effective Hill Meetings What s the secret sauce to having a good Hill meeting? You ll get important tips and advice from some seasoned FOTH participants. Moderator: Nina Stack, President & CEO, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers. Panelists: Delia Coleman, Vice President Strategy and Policy, Forefront; Seyron Foo, Director, Public Policy and Government Relations, Southern California Grantmakers; Suzanne Heckenlaible, Executive Director, Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. FOTH Q&A Last chance to get answers to your burning FOTH questions! Moderator: Maggie Osborn, Chief Strategy Officer, Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers 5:00 6:30 pm FOTH Welcome Reception Hyatt Regency, Congressional A Room (Lobby Level) Network with your FOTH colleagues from across the country and get ready for the next two days of Hill visits. Note: FOTH registration will be open outside of Congressional A during the reception. 6:30 7:30 pm SECF Reception featuring Fund for Shared Insight (Supplemental to FOTH Agenda) Hyatt Regency, Congressional A Room (Lobby Level) Please join the Southeastern Council of Foundations for a reception featuring Melinda Tuan of the Fund for Shared Insight. Melinda will briefly discuss the Fund s Listen for Good (L4G) initiative, which was launched in 2016. The goal of L4G is to explore a simple but systematic and rigorous way of collecting feedback from the people we seek to help, as well as to help nonprofit organizations across issue areas,
#FOTH17 Schedule 3 Tuesday, March 21, 2017 populations served, geographies, and budget levels to build the practice of highquality feedback loops with those they serve. We look forward to seeing you there! 7:00 am Noon Registration Open Outside Metropolitan Ballroom Main Level Liaison Hotel, 415 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001 New Location! Located directly across the street from the Hyatt Regency 7:45 8:15 am Breakfast Served Metropolitan Ballroom Main Level Liaison Hotel, 415 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001 New Location! Located directly across the street from the Hyatt Regency 8:15 11:45 am Alliance for Charitable Reform Summit for Leaders Liaison Hotel, Metropolitan Ballroom New Location! The next two years will be a time of vulnerabilities as well as opportunities for the philanthropic sector. The likelihood of sweeping tax reform has risen dramatically with the election of a Republican president along with Republican control of both the House and Senate. As part of the tax reform discussion, we've already seen lawmakers propose provisions that may threaten charitable giving. With many tax issues still undecided, nothing is completely on or off the table. We invite you to join us to get the insider's view of Congress and learn about what we can do to protect private giving and educate lawmakers about the critical role of charitable organizations in a free society. This year's sessions will include: The Wildly Popular Congressional Staff Panel Republicans may control Congress and the White House, but that doesn t mean it s all smooth sailing. It also doesn t mean Democrats are wallowing in the background. As for Republicans, both Speaker Ryan and Chairman Brady along with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch have been clear that tax reform is a top priority, and the House is feverishly working on legislative language to flesh out their outline for tax reform, known as the House Blueprint. Chairman Hatch committed to drafting the Senate version, which could look very different from the House version. We will hear an insiders perspective from congressional staff on what lies ahead and how our sector can inform the debate. A New IRS and the Tax Exempt Sector The House Blueprint, as it s called, is the House of Representatives broad outline of their plans for tax reform. There s a lot to focus on, but one section has gotten little notice. Titled A New IRS for the 21st Century, the section states that an integral element of this Blueprint will be to rebuild the IRS into a modern and efficient 21st century administrator of the nation s tax system. The new IRS will have a streamlined structure aligned with the simpler and fairer tax system for families and individuals and businesses of all sizes. That s curious enough. But
#FOTH17 Schedule 4 there s no mention of the tax exempt sector and where we fit, or don t, in this new structure. Our panelists will address the issues this new IRS poses for the sector and how our sector can inform this process. A Peek Into the White House In a new Administration with a long list of policy goals including replacing the Affordable Care Act, overhauling the tax code, implementing a broad infrastructure package and more the President relies on a group of policy advisors in the White House s Domestic Policy Council (DPC) and the National Economic Council (NEC). The DPC staff advises the President on all domestic policy decisions, excluding economic issues, while the NEC advises the President on economic issues, including tax reform. Once White House policy is developed, it is advanced by the staff in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. This is the office that will work to shepherd through President Trump s agenda on Capitol Hill. Speakers from the Administration will join us to discuss the President s domestic policy priorities and their intersection with the nonprofit sector. Roadmap to Action The stakes could not be higher this year for the charitable sector. So growing and maintaining relationships with your Senators, Representatives and their staff in DC and back home is essential to defending, and advancing, the sector s legislative interests. In this session we ll offer you an annual plan a one year Roadmap for Action for connecting with your lawmakers in DC and back home to ensure you remain top of mind. We ll also offer you resources to help you execute your Roadmap to Action. 11:45 am Noon Send Off to the Hill Snack bags will be available for FOTH participants to pick up before heading to the Hill. Noon 5:00 pm Hill Visits Wednesday, March 22, 2017 7:00 9:00 am Registration Open Hyatt Regency, Outside of Capitol Room (Lobby Level) 7:30 9:00 am Breakfast & Closing Program: Philanthropy & the Free & Independent Press Breakfast served starting at 7:30 am; Program begins at 8:00 am Presenters Moderator: Vince Stehle, Executive Director, Media Impact Funders Chris Daggett, President & CEO, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Steven Ginsberg, Senior Politics Editor, Washington Post Erin Kahn, Executive Director, Raikes Foundation Irving Washington, Executive Director, Online News Association
#FOTH17 Schedule 5 Democracy in America is facing deep and serious challenges. Political debate leading up to the 2016 election was sharply polarized and the quality of information in front of voters was badly eroded, with increasing prevalence of fake news casting a haze over the electorate. Since the election, the situation seems to have only gotten worse, with political leaders challenging the integrity of the independent press, even while making blatantly false claims of their own. But a free press, enshrined in the First Amendment, is fundamental to our nation s democracy. And philanthropy has an important role in serving the information needs of communities. Even before the turbulent political season, journalism was facing major challenges, with daily newspapers continuing to shrink and fold in many communities. Now, there is even greater urgency for foundations to support a free and independent press. In our session we will hear about important developments in Washington, from experts in media and philanthropy. And we will also explore ways that foundations can work with media outlets to strengthen media coverage of critical issues at the local, state and national level. 9:00 am 5:00 pm Hill Visits 5:00 7:00 pm Philanthropy Caucus Reception Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2043 Join the Philanthropy Caucus for a social reception to recognize the role of philanthropy as a unique stakeholder in collective efforts to address some of today s toughest challenges. Network with philanthropic leaders from across the country, national charitable organizations, lawmakers and Congressional staff over drinks and hors d oeuvres.