Council on Nonprofits

Council on Nonprofits
Name	Council on Nonprofits
Formation	1970s
Type	Nonprofit association
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Leader title	CEO

Council on Nonprofits The Council on Nonprofits is a national association that represents and serves charitable organizations across the United States. It acts as an umbrella organization for state associations, trade groups, foundations, and service organizations, engaging with entities such as Internal Revenue Service, United States Congress, National Council of Nonprofits, Independent Sector, and state-level associations like the New York State Council of Nonprofits and California Association of Nonprofits. The Council coordinates with actors including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Charity Navigator, and Guidestar to support nonprofit capacity, compliance, and advocacy.

History

The organization emerged amid the consolidation of postwar civic institutions during the 1970s and 1980s, linking to the histories of groups such as the Urban Institute, Aspen Institute, Brookings Institution, American Red Cross, and civil society movements around the War on Poverty, Civil Rights Movement, and Volunteerism in the United States. It has evolved parallel to policy developments like the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the expansion of AmeriCorps, and regulatory changes at the Internal Revenue Service and in state legislatures. The Council’s timeline intersects with major philanthropic and nonprofit milestones involving the Carnegie Corporation, Rockefeller Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and national service debates in the 1990s Welfare Reform era.

Structure and Membership

The Council’s governance mirrors federated models seen in associations such as National Governors Association, United States Conference of Mayors, American Bar Association, and AARP. Membership comprises state associations, regional networks, and national intermediaries like VolunteerMatch, United Way, Salvation Army (United States), Feeding America, and membership organizations similar to National Council of Teachers of English or American Medical Association. Its board often draws leaders from organizations such as YMCA, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Habitat for Humanity, Sierra Club, and philanthropic entities like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Committees reflect subject areas found in entities such as National Education Association, American Heart Association, National Audubon Society, and Susan G. Komen.

Programs and Services

Programs mirror capacity-building initiatives popularized by actors like Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Harvard Kennedy School, and the Kellogg Foundation. Services include legal compliance assistance tied to Internal Revenue Service guidance, fiscal sponsorship models similar to Tides Center, training akin to offerings by Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, and disaster response coordination seen in Federal Emergency Management Agency partnerships. The Council provides resources comparable to Charity Navigator ratings, Guidestar profiles, and research collaboration with think tanks like Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation, and universities such as Harvard University and Columbia University.

Advocacy and Public Policy

Advocacy work aligns the Council with coalitions and legislative campaigns involving United States Congress, Senate Committee on Finance (United States Senate), House Ways and Means Committee, and policy coalitions like Americans for the Arts and Health Care for America Now. It engages on tax-exemption debates related to the Internal Revenue Code, nonprofit governance issues referenced in cases like Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and regulatory discussions involving the Federal Election Commission, Department of Labor (United States), and state attorneys general such as those in California Department of Justice and New York Attorney General. The Council’s advocacy overlaps with campaigns led by Independent Sector, Nonprofit VOTE, Bolder Advocacy, and national coalitions around funding priorities mirrored in proposals by the President of the United States and federal appropriations processes.

Research and Publications

The Council produces reports, toolkits, and policy briefs comparable to publications from Urban Institute, Independent Sector, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Pew Research Center, Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, and BRI (Behavioral Research Institute). Research topics often echo studies by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Foundation Center, Giving USA Foundation, Johns Hopkins University, and Georgetown University on charitable giving trends, nonprofit employment, and sectoral impact. The Council disseminates guidance aligning with standards from Financial Accounting Standards Board, Governmental Accounting Standards Board, and case law summarized by entities like the American Law Institute.

Funding and Financials

Funding sources include membership dues, grants from grantmakers such as the Ford Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and contracts with federal agencies like Corporation for National and Community Service. Revenue streams are similar to nonprofit federations and intermediary organizations such as Independent Sector and National Council of Nonprofits, with budgets reflecting administration, program delivery, and grants management comparable to United Way Worldwide and regional intermediaries like Chicago Community Trust. Financial oversight references standards applied by auditors like Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and reporting consistent with Internal Revenue Service Form 990 norms.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques mirror debates affecting organizations such as United Way, American Red Cross, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Sierra Club—including concerns about lobbying limits under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), transparency issues raised by Charity Navigator and Guidestar, and debates over administrative overhead similar to disputes involving Habitat for Humanity and Doctors Without Borders USA. Controversies have engaged state attorneys general like those in New York and California and watchdogs such as ProPublica and The Center for Investigative Reporting, focusing on governance, donor restrictions, and the balance between advocacy and tax-exempt status. The Council has been drawn into sector-wide disputes involving advocacy strategy similar to those faced by Independent Sector and coalition partners like Nonprofit VOTE.

Category:Nonprofit organizations based in the United States