The Customer Education and Outreach (CE&O) function of the Exempt Organization division of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was established in 2000 to develop the strategic direction of the nationwide education and outreach programs for exempt organizations. Specifically, this office develops and delivers programs and products designed to assist exempt organizations to better understand their tax responsibilities that are required by the Internal Revenue Code.

Many academic institutions offer degree programs that develop, cultivate, and promote professionals who shape the exempt organization sector. The student populations of these academic institutions may one day be the leaders and managers of the exempt organizations that makeup the nonprofit sector. Hence, CE&O believes that the students of these academic institutions are an important audience to reach with education and outreach programs.

Therefore, CE&O is in the process of developing a new academic program initiative that will reach out directly to academic institutions that offer degrees related to the non-profit sector. Through the use of our existing tools and the possible development of additional resources, CE&O proposes to collaborate with these institutions to promote the education of exempt organization tax law.

The IRS invites comments and suggestions for the implementation and content of the proposed initiative. First, the IRS is requesting general responses to this initiative. Second, the IRS is seeking individuals and/or institution volunteers willing to provide more extensive input into and feedback on the proposed initiative. While the IRS might not be able to accommodate all volunteers, it will take steps to ensure that a diverse range of viewpoints are represented.

The IRS invites interested members of the public to submit written suggestions to help shape this initiative. All submissions will be available for public inspection and copying in their entirety. Members of the public may submit suggestions or drafts by email, mail, or hand-delivery. All comments should refer to Announcement 2009-26, and may be mailed to:

Hand delivered items may be delivered Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., to:

Comments may be submitted electronically to: academic.initiative@irs.gov. Please include Announcement 2009-26 in the subject line of any electronic communications.

Exempt Organizations regrets that it will be unable to respond individually to suggestions or drafts. All comments should be received by June 6, 2009.

The principal author of this announcement is Pilar Oberwetter of Exempt Organizations. For further information regarding this announcement, contact Pilar Oberwetter at (202) 283-8946 (not a toll-free call).