A New Chapter in Congressional Oversight of Nonprofits

(11-2-10) In an article for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Suzanne Perry outlines the potential outcome of today's polls and their likely effect on nonprofit oversight. Senator Charles Grassley, the Senate's "leading nonprofit watchdog," is expected to move to the top Republican post on the Judiciary Committee and Orrin Hatch is expected to assume Senator Grassley's role on the Finance Committee. Senator Hatch, who worked with Ted Kennedy to create the Social Innovation Fund, a federal grant program that helps effective charities expand social projects, is predicted to take a less confrontational approach to nonprofit regulation. "On the House side, if Republicans win a majority, the chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee, which oversees nonprofits through its responsibility for tax issues, is expected to move from Sander M. Levin, a Michigan Democrat, to Dave Camp, a Republican who is also from Michigan. Some philanthropy experts say that is good news because Representative Camp has a history of working well with Michigan nonprofits."