On the heels of the release of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector's Interim Report, the Senate Finance Committee plans to hold a hearing on April 5 on the Panel's initial recommendations. An agenda and witness list for the hearing has not been released. Senate Finance Committee staff also has indicated that a bill might be introduced soon after the hearing.

Recently, we noted that McCain-Fiengold dropped a new bill to regulate 527 groups. 501(c) groups have also grown concerned with the bill - because they also engage in political advocacy and get-out-the-vote drives. They are afraid that this will serve as a starting point for Congress, leading to further regulation down the road. This is especially true if donors shift their money to 501(c)s in an attempt to circumvent new contribution limits on 527s. Check out this article in the Chicago Tribune.

A federal appeals court has ruled that the government may continue to subsidize an AmeriCorps program that places volunteer teachers in religious schools, a decision with potentially significant consequences for President Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative. The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was a setback for the American Jewish Congress, the New York-based nonprofit advocacy group that filed the lawsuit.

NPAction.org, a site that is powered by OMBWatch, features nonprofits that are engaging in campaigns or teaching nonprofits how to engage in campaigns. This month we are featuring the Columbus Rabbit House, and their Make Mine Chocolate campaign to educate people about the complexities of owning a rabbit. Check out their campaign today!