Michigan Nonprofit Caucus
 The Michigan Nonprofit Caucus is a bipartisan, bicameral forum through which lawmakers can collaborate on legislative and regulatory issues impacting charities and foundations in Michigan. The purpose of the Nonprofit Caucus is to enhance the ability of Michigan’s nonprofit organizations to achieve their mission on behalf of those they serve and the resources they protect. To accomplish this goal, the Caucus monitors and takes a leadership role on legislative issues that impact Michigan’s nonprofit sector. The Caucus also serves as a resource for information on the sector for their legislative colleagues. The primary focus of the caucus is on issues that globally impact the nonprofit sector.
The Caucus is co-chaired by members of the House and Senate from both sides of the aisle. In the 2009-2010 session, the Caucus had more than 70 members, split almost equally down the aisle. The Council of Michigan Foundations, Michigan Association of United Ways, and Michigan Nonprofit Association help the caucus to recruiting new members and develop legislative priorities.
Current co-chairs are:
   
Sen. Rebekah Warren Sen. Tupac Hunter Sen. Mark Jansen Sen. John Proos
(D-Ann Arbor) (D-Detroit) (R-Gaines Township) (R-St. Joseph)
   
Rep. Rashida Tlaib Rep. Vicki Barnett Rep. Amanda Price Rep. Wayne Schmidt
(D-Detroit) (D-Farmington Hills) (R-Holland) (R-Traverse City)
History of the Michigan Nonprofit Caucus
There are now more than 47,000 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the state of Michigan. These organizations work diligently across the state in the areas of human services, health care, arts and culture, education and the environment. As a sector that directly employs 10% of Michigan's workforce, the nonprofit sector is large in size and service.
Despite the breadth of the nonprofit community, it lacked a voice from within the state legislature. While the various subsectors and the issues of importance to these groups are represented through standing committees in both the Michigan House and Senate, there was not a standing committee or volunteer caucus to serve on behalf of the broader nonprofit community, which includes both charities and foundations.
To address this absence of collective leadership within the legislature, the Council of Michigan Foundations, Michigan Association of United Ways, and Michigan Nonprofit Association proposed the creation of the Michigan Nonprofit Caucus. The Michigan Nonprofit Caucus was formed and announced in April of 2009.
For more information on the caucus, click here.
Legislative Agenda
The co-chairs of the Michigan Nonprofit Caucus identify key legislative items as their policy agenda for each legislative session. To learn about the current agenda click here.
Michigan Nonprofit Caucus Members
Members from both the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate join the Michigan Nonprofit Caucus each session. Click here for the list of current members. To view the recruitment materials for the caucus, click here.
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