Section 3. GRANTOR RELIANCE

STANDARDS FOR GRANTS TO CERTAIN SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

.01 Treatment of Grants from Private Foundations or Donor Advised Funds to Supporting Organizations

As stated in Section 2.04, the enactment of the PPA imposes certain limitations if a private foundation makes a grant to (1) a Type III supporting organization that is not functionally integrated, or (2) a Type I, Type II, or functionally integrated Type III supporting organization if one or more disqualified persons of the private foundation directly or indirectly controls such supporting organization or one of its supported

supporting organization), (2) the sponsoring organization of such donor advised fund, or (3) any other donor advised fund.

Under new section 4966(d)(4), a disqualified supporting organization includes a Type III supporting organization that is not functionally integrated and any Type I, Type II, or functionally integrated Type III supporting organization where the donor or donor advisor (and any related parties) directly or indirectly controls a supported organization of the supporting organization.

Prohibited Benefit

New section 4967 imposes an excise tax if a donor, donor advisor, or a person related to a donor or donor advisor of a donor advised fund (as described in sections 4967(d) and 4958(f)(7)) provides advice as to a distribution that results in any such person receiving, directly or indirectly, a more than incidental benefit. The excise tax is imposed on any person who advises as to the distribution or who receives the benefit. A separate excise tax may be imposed on a fund manager who agreed to the making of the distribution. The new excise tax under section 4967 applies to taxable years beginning after August 17, 2006.

Secretarial Authority

New section 4966(d)(2)(C) grants the Secretary authority to exempt certain funds from treatment as donor advised funds if either (1) the fund or account is advised by a committee not directly or indirectly controlled by the donor or donor advisor (and any related parties), or (2) such fund or account benefits a single identified charitable purpose.

.03 Supporting Organizations Under the PPA

Supporting Organization Definition

The PPA incorporates the previously informal nomenclature used to distinguish among types of supporting organizations into the statute. Thus, new section 4966(d)(4)(B)(i) defines a Type I supporting organization as a supporting organization that is operated, supervised, or controlled by one or more section

509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) organizations. New section 4966(d)(4)(B)(ii) defines a Type II supporting organization as a supporting organization that is supervised or controlled in connection with one or more section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) organizations. (See also sections 4942(g)(4)(B)(i) and (ii) for parallel definitions of Type I and Type II supporting organizations). Finally, new section 4943(f)(5)(A) defines a Type III supporting organization as a supporting organization that is operated in connection with a section 509(a)(1) or (2) organization.

New section 4943(f)(5)(B) defines a functionally integrated Type III supporting organization as one which is not required under regulations established by the Secretary to make payments to supported organizations due to the activities of the organization related to performing the functions of, or carrying out the purposes of, such supported organizations.

New section 509(f)(2), which is effective August 17, 2006, prohibits certain supporting organizations from accepting gifts or contributions from certain persons associated with the supported organization of such supporting organization. This provision provides that any organization that would otherwise meet the requirements of a Type I or Type III supporting organization will be excluded under this provision if it accepts any gift or contribution from a person who directly or indirectly controls (either alone or together with related persons described in section 509(f)(2)(B)(ii) and (iii)) the governing body of a supported organization of such supporting organization or from a related person described in section 509(f)(2)(B).

New Rules Regarding Section 4958 Excess Benefit Transactions and Supporting Organizations

Section 4958 imposes an excise tax on certain persons if they engage in one or more excess benefit transactions. New section 4958(c)(3) provides that any grant, loan, compensation, or other similar payment from a supporting organization to a substantial contributor or persons related to the substantial contributor (as described in section 4958(c)(3)(B)) is treated as an excess benefit transaction. In addition, any loan from a supporting organization to certain disqualified persons is treated

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tion would normally be engaged in those activities itself.

As an alternative to relying on a written representation from a grantee and specified documents as described in A. or B. above, a grantor may rely on a reasoned written opinion of counsel of either the grantor or the grantee concluding that the grantee is a Type I, Type II, or functionally integrated Type III supporting organization.

A private foundation considering a grant to a Type I, Type II, or functionally integrated Type III supporting organization may need to obtain a list of the grantee’s supported organizations from the grantee to determine whether any of the supported organizations is controlled by disqualified persons of the private foundation. See Section 3.02, below, for the definition of control that may be used. If such control exists, the grant may not be a qualifying distribution and the foundation may be required to exercise expenditure responsibility with respect to the grant.

Similarly, a sponsoring organization considering a grant from a donor advised fund to a Type I, Type II, or functionally integrated Type III supporting organization may need to obtain a list of the grantee’s supported organizations from the grantee to determine whether any of the supported organizations is controlled by the fund’s donor or donor advisor (and any related parties). See Section 3.02, below, for the definition of control that may be used. If such control exists, the sponsoring organization will be required to exercise expenditure responsibility.

.02 Standards for Determining Control and for Defining “Functionally Integrated Type III Supporting Organization”

The Service and the Treasury Department intend to issue regulations regarding the meaning of “control” under sections 4942(g)(4)(A) and 4966(d)(4)(A) and the definition of a “functionally integrated Type III supporting organization” under section 4943(f)(5)(B). Until those regulations are issued, a grantor may rely on the standards described below for purposes of sections 4942, 4945 and 4966 (as applicable). Although regulations may adopt different standards from those referenced below, those regulations will apply to

organizations. Specifically, for non-operating foundations, the grant is not a qualifying distribution under section 4942. For all private foundations, the grant is a taxable expenditure under section 4945 if the private foundation does not exercise expenditure responsibility with respect to the grant.

Similarly, the PPA treats as a taxable distribution any distribution from a donor advised fund to (1) a Type III supporting organization that is not functionally integrated, or (2) any other supporting organization if the fund’s donor or donor advisor (and any related parties) directly or indirectly controls a supported organization of the grantee if the sponsoring organization does not exercise expenditure responsibility with respect to such distribution.

Until further guidance is issued, for purposes of sections 4942, 4945, and 4966 (as applicable) a grantor, acting in good faith, may rely on information from the IRS Business Master File (“BMF”) or the grantee’s current IRS letter recognizing the grantee as exempt from federal income tax and indicating the grantee’s public charity classification in determining whether the grantee is a public charity under section 509(a)(1), (2), or (3). In addition, a grantor, acting in good faith, may rely on a written representation from a grantee and specified documents as described in A. and B. below in determining whether the grantee is a Type I, Type II, or functionally integrated Type III supporting organization. The good faith requirement is not satisfied if the collected specified documents are inconsistent with the written representation. In each case, the grantor must verify that the grantee is listed in Publication 78, Cumulative List of Organizations described in Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or obtain a copy of the current IRS letter recognizing the grantee as exempt from federal income tax.

A. To establish that a grantee is a Type I or a Type II supporting organization, a grantor, acting in good faith, may rely on a written representation signed by an officer, director or trustee of the grantee that the grantee is a Type I or Type II supporting organization, provided that:

i. the representation describes how the grantee’s officers, directors, or trustees are selected, and references any provisions in governing documents that establish a Type I (operated, supervised, or controlled by) or a Type II (supervised or controlled in connection with) relationship (as applicable) between the grantee and its supported organization(s); and

ii. the grantor collects and reviews copies of governing documents of the grantee (and, if relevant, of the supported organization(s)).

B. To establish that a grantee is a functionally integrated Type III supporting organization a grantor, acting in good faith, may rely on a written representation signed by an officer, director or trustee of the grantee that the grantee is a functionally integrated Type III supporting organization, provided that:

i. the grantee’s representation identifies the one or more supported organizations with which the grantee is functionally integrated;

ii. the grantor collects and reviews copies of governing documents of the grantee (and, if relevant, of the supported organization(s)), and any other documents that set forth the relationship of the grantee to its supported organizations, if such relationship is not reflected in the governing documents; and

iii. the grantor collects and reviews a

written representation signed by an officer, director or trustee of each of the supported organizations with which the grantee represents that it is functionally integrated describing the activities of the grantee and confirming, consistent with Section 3.02 of this notice, that but for the involvement of the grantee engaging in activities to perform the functions of, or to carry out the purposes of, the supported organization, the supported organiza

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The applicability dates set forth in this section affect only liability for excise taxes under new section 4958(c)(3). Notwithstanding any relief provided in this section, if the supporting organization pays in excess of reasonable compensation for services or in excess of fair market value for goods, it jeopardizes continued tax exemption under section 501(c)(3), and the individuals receiving the payments may be subject to excise taxes under section 4958. In addition, any relief provided by this section does not alter whether a transaction is an excess benefit transaction under section 4958(c)(1).