Foundations on the Hill

Join Philanthropy California for Foundations on the Hill (FOTH), a two-day event that brings together hundreds of foundation leaders from across the country to meet with Congress and discuss issues of critical importance to philanthropy. FOTH is our opportunity to share the work of philanthropy so that Members of Congress can take the best practices developed from your grantmaking and scale it up to improve the lives of millions who call our country home. #FOTH20 is timed perfectly to help elected officials understand the value of philanthropy to the social and economic fabric of our country and to stress the importance of philanthropy and government working as equal partners to ensure the continued health of our sector. Foundations on the Hill aims to inform and educate Congress about philanthropy; create visibility for philanthropy on Capitol Hill; advocate on issues affecting foundations and communities; and encourage Congress to view foundations as a resource and partner on key public policy issues.

What is Foundations on the Hill (FOTH)?

As a part of Philanthropy California, Northern California Grantmakers, Southern California Grantmakers, and San Diego Grantmakers and all of our members join foundation leaders, and regional and national grantmaking associations across the country to ensure policy makers in Washington, DC understand the landscapes of the communities we serve.

FOTH is the one time each year when philanthropy speaks with a strong, collective voice on Capitol Hill. The purpose of #FOTH20 is to:

• Educate legislators and the administration about philanthropy’s role in civil society, the importance of 2020 Census, and best practices on issues that you fund;
• Develop and cultivate relationships with fellow policy-oriented peers and policymakers; and,
• Encourage legislators to view foundations as thought partners.

Hosted by United Philanthropy Forum, FOTH is a two-day event that brings foundation leaders to D.C. for meetings with Congress about key issues of importance to foundations and philanthropy. We must change the unrealistic expectation that philanthropy will “step-in” to “fill-the-gap” and educate policymakers on the crucial role that philanthropy plays in innovation. In 2020, our conversations will focus on critical issues impacting our communities statewide, such as disaster recovery and resilience, and the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, such as protecting nonprofit nonpartisanship (Johnson Amendment). We also welcome members to share their suggestions on topics to share with our Congressional leaders.