Private Foundations - Tax Compliance

As a governmental unit, the Univesity is not a private foundation for the purposes of either the income tax deduction limitations on charitable contributions made by taxpayers, or the taxable expenditure rules for grants made by private foundations. Some private foundations require grant applicants to submit an IRS determination letter declaring them to be exempt under section 501 (c) (3) and classified as a non-private foundation. Such a letter, or an underlying requirment that a grantee be a public charity, is not legally required of Oakland University since it is recognized for tax purposes as a governmental unit and is not subject to the taxable expenditure rules for grants made by private foundations.

See the IRSFederalTax Status.pdf for the service's position on governmental units providing proof of their status as part of a grant application submitted to a private founation.

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