Nonprofits play a vital role in communities, yet are often overlooked in legislation and policymaking. The National Nonprofit Legislative Caucus is an open, bipartisan, and bicameral group of legislators dedicated to supporting the work of charitable nonprofits and their communities. The Caucus was created to convene legislators from across the country to identify nonpartisan solutions to challenges charitable nonprofits face in our communities. Too often, the nonprofit sector is overlooked, despite the vital role it plays. The Caucus allows us to share legislative ideas to benefit nonprofit organizations in the legislators' respective states.
The Caucus was created by State Senator Cheryl Kagan (D-MD), a champion of nonprofit policy priorities, in partnership with the National Council of Nonprofits and National Conference of State Legislatures.
Legislators are invited to join the Caucus, share bills they have sponsored that support nonprofits, and collaborate with others to advance ideas. Caucus members may join the National Nonprofit Legislative Caucus Listserv to share ideas and proposed legislation amongst members as well as seek expertise and advice from nonprofit leaders.
The National Council of Nonprofits has highlighted many noteworthy legislative efforts by those in the Caucus and across the country.
- Noteworthy Nonprofit Legislation 2023
- Noteworthy Nonprofit Legislation 2022
- Noteworthy Nonprofit Legislation 2021
These include legislation in the following subject areas:
- COVID-19 Response Legislation
- Government Grants Reform
- Charitable Giving Incentives
- Tax Exemptions
- Employment Policy
- Nonprofit Advocacy Rights
- Regulation & Governance
The first organizational meeting was held on November 17, 2020, and a second call was held October 7, 2021 (watch the video).
We hosted our first in person, informal gather at the NCSL Summit in Indianapolis on Aug. 14, 2023. Sen. Kagan then spoke about the importance of nonprofits at the Five Hot Topics panel the next day. Topics of discussion included:
- Creating individual nonprofit caucuses at state legislatures (see Kentucky and Pennsylvania)
- Partnering with government through grants and contracts
- Increasing audit thresholds
- Including nonprofits in small business legislation
- Ensuring the word "nonprofit" is consistent (without a hyphen) in legislative and statutory text
- Keeping nonprofits independent from state government
For assistance or to be added to the National Nonprofit Legislative Caucus for future communications, please contact Senator Kagan’s Office at cheryl.kagan@senate.state.md.us and Tiffany Carter at tcarter@councilofnonprofits.org.
Additional Resources
- Leaders Pushing For A National Legislative Caucus, The NonProfit Times, Sept. 14, 2023.
- Legislators Eye the Vital Role of Nonprofits in Addressing Difficult Issues, Governing, Sept. 5, 2023.