In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Brian Flahaven, vice president for strategic partnerships at CASE, talks with host Dr. Bob Smith about the sweeping federal tax legislation known as HR 1 and how its major charitable giving provisions will affect higher education and other mission-driven organizations.

Brian walks through the return of a charitable deduction for non-itemizers; new limits for high-income donors; and changes influencing donor advised funds, IRA gifts and corporate giving – and why and how these shifts will shape donor engagement, capital campaigns and strategic planning in the year ahead. Their conversation highlights the importance of clear donor communication, board awareness and bipartisan advocacy as institutions navigate a rapidly evolving policy landscape.

About our guest

Brian Flahaven is vice president for strategic partnerships at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the global association serving advancement professionals across higher education, independent schools and mission-driven institutions. In this role, he leads CASE’s global advocacy, corporate relations, fundraising initiatives, CASE@Campus programs and the association’s presence in Latin America. Brian also chairs the Charitable Giving Coalition, a national alliance of public charities, foundations and faith-based organizations focused on strengthening federal policies that support philanthropy and protect the charitable tax deduction.

Before joining CASE, Brian served as manager of government relations and public policy at the Council on Foundations and was the first Public Policy and Philanthropy Fellow at the Council of Michigan Foundations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, economics and history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School. Brian earned the Certified Association Executive designation in 2016 and was named to the NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50 in 2023.