Congressman Agrees to Lead a Group to Focus on Philanthropy

Rep. Robin Hayes, a Republican from North Carolina, has agreed to co-chair a Congressional philanthropy caucus to try to raise awareness among his colleagues about issues affecting nonprofit groups and foundations.

Said his spokeswoman, Carolyn Hern: “Nonprofits have a huge role to play in the development of local communities. I don’t think a lot of members think about it in that perspective.”

Mr. Hayes offered to co-chair the caucus after some foundation leaders from North Carolina proposed such a group while meeting with him during a day of Congressional visits sponsored by the Council on Foundations last month, Ms. Hern said.

She said there was a lot of philanthropic activity in Mr. Hayes’s district and that his family started the Cannon Foundation, which has about $200-million in assets and supports projects in mostly rural areas of North Carolina.

Foundation Coalition

The Council on Foundations has been trying to line up members of both the House and Senate to form bipartisan philanthropy caucuses, informal groups that would discuss issues affecting charitable organizations. It is now working to find a Democrat to help run the House caucus as well as leaders for the Senate group.

Rodney Emery, vice president of government relations, said the council hopes the caucuses can help educate members who don’t follow philanthropic issues as closely as members of the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee — and may not fully understand the impact legislation could have on charitable groups. However, he said the council does not plan to lobby the caucuses to take specific positions. “Let’s say there is a legislative reform that comes out of House Ways and Means,” he said. “We’re not going to try influence the caucus to take a position against that reform.”

Paulette V. Maehara, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, praised the effort to set up the caucuses, saying in a statement that they can “serve as a counterpart to the continuing investigation of the sector by the Senate Finance Committee.” She added in an interview that the groups would allow philanthropic leaders to have a “collaborative dialogue” with Congress. “The learning environment is much better than sitting across from the Senate Finance Committee answering questions,” she said.