Maine Philanthropy Center’s Post

The Council is tracking a potentially harmful bill in Congress, H.R.9495. We expect H.R.9495 to get renewed attention in the House of Representatives this week. The bill as drafted includes language that creates redundancies and confusion while providing the executive branch with expansive new authority that could be abused. We, along with our partners at Independent Sector, National Council of Nonprofits, and United Philanthropy Forum, have issued a statement expressing our opposition to Section 4 of H.R.9495 and its predecessor, H.R.6408. 🚨Here’s what you can do: ➡️ Learn more about our stance and what this means for the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors in our full statement here: https://hubs.ly/Q02YC3Hl0 ➡️ Contact your legislators and urge them to oppose H.R.6408/H.R.9495 unless amended to address these concerns: https://hubs.ly/Q02YBPhq0

This Thursday, H.R. 9495, colloquially known as the Kill Nonprofits Bill, is up for another vote. (Unlike the defeat last week when Republicans failed to get a 2/3 majority during a “fast track” process, this time, it only needs a simple majority to pass.) This bill, if passed, gives authority to the Secretary of Treasury to designate any nonprofit organization a “terrorist-supporting organization”—based on vague language and supposition—and strip them of their tax-exempt status. It’s governmental overreach at its very worst. Nonprofits are, at times, our society’s first line of defense against policies that harm the most vulnerable among us. This is by design when, very intentionally, the Reagan Administration began cutting federal social services—both in practice and in funding—and nonprofits picked up the slack…because people still need services with or without funding and support. If you follow me here, you know that I can rant about the sector like no other, and…this is a bad law. It does nothing to help and everything to harm. And 52 Democrats voted for it. If you are a nonprofit volunteer, board member, staff member, or donor, now is your time to shine. Here is a list of actions to take *before Thursday* compiled by Fund the People: https://lnkd.in/gebPKbXR. Nonprofit friends, activate your networks hard.

Recent federal legislation like the #IRA and #CARES Act have created incredible opportunities for more nonprofits to access government dollars. Yet these coveted grants are often reimbursement-based awards that require organizations to foot the bill for their activities upfront. Here's how funders can unlock government dollars for more grassroots orgs, as well as concrete steps nonprofits can take to prepare. Read more in this post from Ryan Ulbrich and Tivoni Devor here: https://lnkd.in/eiAWYajK

‼️ TAKE ACTION NOW ‼️ The House is set to vote on H.R. 9495, a bill that could jeopardize the existence of nonprofits as we know them. 👉 What’s at stake? Section 4 of this bill grants the Secretary of the Treasury unchecked power to label 501(c) nonprofits as “terrorist-supporting organizations” without evidence or transparency—forcing nonprofits to prove their innocence within just 90 days or lose their tax-exempt status. This follows the earlier passage of H.R. 6408, which could give a future President sweeping authority to shut down nonprofits, creating an unprecedented risk of abuse. ⚠️ Why this matters: 🔸These laws undermine due process. 🔸Nonprofits working on critical issues could face unjust targeting. 🔸Communities relying on these organizations for support will be the ones who suffer most. This is a moment of reckoning for the nonprofit sector and for every community that depends on its work. 📢 Raise your voice. Take action. Share this post. Let’s fight to protect nonprofits and the vital work they do! 🔸Act Now: https://lnkd.in/eiNZxvy2 🔸Contact your legislators NOW and urge them to oppose H.R.9495! ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eDJhQuG

🚨 Urgent Action Needed: Oppose H.R.9495/H.R.6408! 🚨 The future of nonprofits is at risk. The House of Representatives is voting soon on H.R. 9495, a bill that could put nonprofits in jeopardy. Section 4 of this bill allows the Secretary of the Treasury unchecked power to designate 501(c) nonprofits as “terrorist-supporting organizations,” without evidence or transparency—and forces the organization to prove its innocence. This is a direct violation of due process. Nonprofits would have only 90 days to demonstrate their innocence before losing their tax-exempt status. This legislation opens the door to abuse of power and could be weaponized to attack nonprofits unjustly. The consequences are clear: nonprofits, especially those working on the frontlines of crisis, will bear the brunt of this sweeping authority—and the communities who depend on them will suffer the most. 📞 Contact your legislators NOW and urge them to oppose H.R.9495 unless amended to protect the rights of nonprofits and ensure fair, transparent processes. If you are unsure who your legislator is, locate them here: https://buff.ly/2lxIrZx

Your voice matters 🚨 Take action to protect nonprofits! H.R. 9495 / S. 4631 is a bill that would devastate our communities, our organizations, and our democracy. It would let the Executive Branch unilaterally shut down any nonprofits they disagree with, without due process. The potential for overreach, subjective application, and abuse of this legislation is enormous, and the consequences for organizations and the people they serve cannot be overstated. As nonprofits, we have the right under the 1st amendment to protest and advocate for or against legislation that will directly impact our sector, and with this bill, this right is at risk. Despite significant mobilization against the bill, H.R. 9495 passed in the House on 11/21, but there are still action steps you can take. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4f7C9rD

Urgent: Your Voice Needed to Protect Minnesota Nonprofits 🚨 The U.S. House is voting on HR9495 tomorrow/Wednesday - legislation that could significantly impact nonprofit organizations across Minnesota and beyond. Unlike last week's vote requiring a two-thirds majority, this round only needs a simple majority to advance. Why This Matters: The bill returns to the House floor under modified voting rules A simple majority is now all that's needed to pass Minnesota's nonprofit sector needs your advocacy Take Action Now: Contact Rep. Craig's office Express your opposition to HR9495 Share how this legislation would affect your nonprofit's mission The strength of our nonprofit sector depends on engaged citizens like you. Let's ensure our representatives understand the real-world impact of their vote. #NonprofitAdvocacy #MinnesotaNonprofits #HR9495 #CommunityImpact #NonprofitLeadership

Nonprofit Professionals....this came across my feed and it seems really important that we are aware and taking action. Congressional Summary of the Bill: “This bill postpones certain tax filing deadlines for U.S. nationals and their spouses who are unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad or held hostage abroad. It also allows for a refund and abatement of tax penalties and fines paid by detained individuals. The bill terminates the tax-exempt status of terrorist supporting organizations.” And how do they define a terrorist supporting organization? According to the bill: “‘terrorist supporting organization’ means any organization which is designated by the [Treasury] Secretary as having provided… material support or resources to a [terrorist] organization…”

*AWARENESS* 🗣️NONPROFITS ACTIVATE YOUR ADVOCACY The House is taking up H.R. bill 9495 for the second time in two weeks. See how your representatives voted here: https://lnkd.in/eztzhNYg H.R. 9495 empowers the Secretary of Treasury to designate 501(c) organizations as “terrorist supporting organizations” and revoke their tax-exempt status with minimal due process. It would allow the Secretary to bring such accusations without disclosing the evidence behind them and would place the burden of proof on the organization to disprove the allegations. The potential for overreach, subjective application, and abuse of this authority is enormous, and the consequences for organizations and the people they serve cannot be overstated. Read the joint statement from Council on Foundations, Independent Sector, National Council of Nonprofits, and United Philanthropy Forum: https://lnkd.in/ee6G4Nhj

🚨 URGENT: Protect Our Nonprofits 🚨 H.R. 9495 is being voted on Monday, 11/18 and threatens nonprofits by allowing their status to be revoked without evidence if they are "terrorist supporting". While in theory this is a good thing, not requiring evidence is incredibly dangerous and creates a huge opening for our nonprofits to be targeted unduly. TAKE ACTION: 1. Call your representative TODAY (find yours: house.gov/representatives) You can find how they voted on this bill last week here: https://lnkd.in/gTB6FDzU 2. Tell them to vote NO on H.R. 9495 3. Share this post This affects ALL nonprofits and the communities they serve. Every call matters!