FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 19, 2012
Contacts:
Sasha Abrams
Sasha.Abrams@moore.org
650-213-3181
Mary Anne Rodgers
MRodgers@packard.org
650-917-4702
New Resource on Lobbying and Advocacy Rules Now Available
for Private Foundations
Four major foundations launch free, online training for the philanthropic community
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, William and Flora
Hewlett Foundation and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation have jointly launched a free, first-of-its
kind online training for program staff at private foundations to help them navigate the rules of
advocacy and lobbying.
The interactive resource provides program staff with a legal overview about how to remain within the
law when the grants they fund, or activities they do involve advocacy and lobbying. The course takes
less than an hour to complete and features “Maya”, a new program officer that leads participants
through the training.
“While there are many rules and regulations applicable to our grantmaking, we find the IRS lobbying
laws are some of the more important ones for our staff to clearly understand,” said Mary Anne
Rodgers, General Counsel for the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. “Since these rules apply to
all private foundations, we wanted to share this important resource with the field and make it
accessible to program staff across the country.”
The training includes three easy-to-follow modules that cover issues such as:
 An overview of how lobbying laws apply to private foundations and whom and what they can
legally fund.
 The types of grants private foundations are allowed to provide and how to fund when
advocacy and lobbying are involved.
 Guidelines and tools to help foundation staff engage with grantees and legislators.
Participants can also return to the training at any time for a refresher and click on the individual
modules to refer back to specific topics.
The goal of the course is to supplement existing in-person workshops or trainings that legal counsel at
foundations already provide to staff and it is intended to be the first in a suite of free training resources
for private foundation staff.
“This online training sets a new standard for grantmaker education on lobbying issues. It understands
where grantmaking staff are coming from and allows them to customize their experience,” said
Lawrence Mendenhall, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at Humanity United. “The
training’s flexible functionality and use of hard-hitting examples is a potential game-changer for
grantmakers and grantees working to change policy while remaining compliant with the IRS rules.”
For more information and to view the training, visit http://www.learnfoundationlaw.org.
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Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead
healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift
themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with
the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life.
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been making grants since 1967 to help solve social and environmental
problems at home and around the world. The Foundation concentrates its resources on activities in education, the
environment, global development and population, performing arts, philanthropy, and makes grants to support disadvantaged
communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, established in 2000, seeks to advance environmental conservation and
scientific research around the world and improve the quality of life in the San Francisco Bay Area. The foundation's science
program aims to make a significant impact on the development of provocative, transformative scientific research and
increase knowledge in emerging fields.
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a private family foundation created in 1964 by David Packard (1912–1996),
cofounder of the Hewlett-Packard Company, and Lucile Salter Packard (1914–1987). The Foundation provides grants to
nonprofit organizations in the following program areas: Conservation and Science; Population and Reproductive Health; and
Children, Families, and Communities. Foundation grantmaking includes support for a wide variety of activities including
direct services, research and policy development, and public information and education.
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