Politics

As Jeb Bush focuses on foreign policy this week during a visit to Europe, his team at home is finalizing a fundraising blitz that will begin as soon as he steps into the 2016 presidential race. Bush will publicly announce his bid for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday, while privately embarking on what his…

White House hopefuls raking in record amounts of money in the 2016 U.S. presidential race are already being accused by watchdog groups of breaking campaign fundraising laws. But the U.S. Department of Justice is unlikely to prosecute possible violations and halt the funding free-for-all, say current and former department officials. With deadlock in the campaign…

Two groups that have claimed probable Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush is skirting federal campaign finance lawshave asked the U.S. Department of Justice asked the Federal Election Commission to investigate the former Florida governor's operation.

In a letter sent on Tuesday, Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center asked Attorney General Loretta Lynch to appoint a special counsel to investigate Bush's Right to Rise super-PAC, a group that can accept donations of any amount.

Bush, who told donors last month that he's raised record sums of money, can coordinate with the political committee as long as he's not a candidate.

The Internal Revenue Service could issue as early as next month new draft regulations governing political activity by tax-exempt organizations, according to a notice issued on Thursday. But it remains unlikely that the new rules would be in place before the 2016 election.

Ray-Ban has asked Sen. Rand Paul to stop selling branded Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses on his campaign website.

This video takes a look at three ways political direct-mail campaigns can stand out from the crowd, win donors and build engagement with voters using direct mail.

At the Council on Foundations’ annual meeting, during a plenary on the state of philanthropy, White House Social Innovation and Civic Participation Director Jonathan Greenblatt touted the potential of “social impact bonds,” or, in the Obama administration’s nomenclature, “pay for success.” It’s hard to imagine a concept that has taken off quite like social impact bonds — which aren’t actually bonds, but more like equity investments in social problems with a government payout of costs plus an investment return if the programs meet predetermined outcomes.

A bipartisan group of House members has “substantial concerns” about new Obama administration regulations for the Combined Federal Campaign, the charitable giving vehicle for the federal workforce. While praising certain elements of the new rules for increasing transparency and accountability, the members said any changes should “not negatively impact the program’s ability to serve those in need in our communities.”

The case of Jahi McMath, the 13-year-old girl who was declared brain-dead after a tonsillectomy at Children's Hospital Oakland, is now the centerpiece of a political fundraising effort aimed at lifting California's $250,000 cap for pain and suffering awards in medical malpractice cases.

Consumer Watchdog, a Southern California nonprofit that has teamed up with the state's trial lawyers on a proposed November ballot initiative to lift the limit, just sent out a mailer to supporters saying, "Hospitals like Children's actually have an incentive to let children like Jahi die."

Regardless of whether or not their objectives are sound from a policy perspective, and regardless of their political motivations, politicians’ influence will be felt. The challenge for nonprofit leaders is to be ready to step up and engage them effectively, protecting not only their organizations’ interests, but the interests of their clients, communities and the general public as well.