November is Native American Heritage Month, a time for our nation to reflect upon the positive effect native peoples have had on the cultural development and growth of our country, as well as the struggles and challenges they continue to face. In August, the White House hosted an event for its…

Council Submits Letter to Treasury on Forthcoming DAF Regulations As part of our ongoing dialogue with the Department of the Treasury, the Council met with senior officials to deliver a letter outlining the potential negative implications that forthcoming regulations on DAFs could have on our…

We all knew that November was going to be a tumultuous month (if you hadn't heard, there's an election today). When the polls close and the dust settles, the country could be set on one of a number of starkly different paths. Perhaps because of this uncertainty, President Obama took the…

Report from the Strengthening Community Learning Forum October 13-14, 2016 | Louisville, KY One grant almost never solves the problem. Community foundations know this, and they’re not just stewards of funds anymore. They’ve become long-term facilitators, unleashing the creativity and energy of…

On Tuesday, November 8, Americans will go to the polls to elect the forty-fifth president of the United States, 34 Senators, and the entire House of Representatives, as well as hundreds of state and local officials. And while interested parties may urge constituents to get involved and participate…

On Thursday, October 27, 2016, the Chronicle of Philanthropy released this year’s Philanthropy 400, its annual ranking of American nonprofits based on the private support they raise. The special report acknowledged a record year in giving, and named Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, the charitable…

As preparation for winter holidays begin earlier and earlier, the Council wants to provide an important resource for your year-end fundraising and grantmaking activities. The IRS provides a wealth of resources on charitable contribution deductions. While I’d enjoy writing details about each of them…

Registration is open for our 2017 Annual Conference — Leading Together — in Dallas, Texas, next April 23-26, and we are asking our members to help us build the conference you want to attend. We have a call for sessions open until November 4, and we hope you will take this opportunity to share your…

An inexperienced grants manager was nervous, dreadfully nervous. One dark evening, a spirited major donor appeared at the community foundation. The donor, wanting to assist with local community improvements, recommended a grant from his donor advised fund (DAF) to the chamber of commerce, a 501(c)(…

This month, the communities affected by Hurricane Matthew are top of mind. To aid in their recovery, the Council co-hosted a special webinar with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) on Tuesday, October 11 to inform funders on how to best direct resources. A recording of this webinar is now…

From Whitehall Road to Chancery Lane, government officials and charity leaders from numerous countries navigated London’s fashion week chaos last month in their most orthopedic shoes and ill-fighting business attire to discuss barriers to international grantmaking. Specifically, they discussed…

The Council on Foundations’ 2016 Endowments and Finance Summit has come and gone, and based on the exceptional turnout and post-event buzz it appears to have been an enormous success. Over 200 foundation leaders, including chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief investment…

This week, those affected by Hurricane Matthew are very much on our minds here at the Council. On Tuesday, the Council co-hosted a special webinar with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to inform funders about recovery needs, and we have additional disaster philanthropy resources on our…

In the United States, LGBTQ History Month is celebrated during the month of October. It is an annual observance of LGBTQ history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. LGBTQ History Month was first celebrated in 1994. Among the early supporters and members of…

This post originally appeared in the Philanthropy Journal on September 26, 2016. There’s little doubt that impact investing has generated a lot of excitement, but has it translated into action? The Council on Foundations and Commonfund Institute conducted a recent survey to ask foundations about…

Here’s a story—a hypothetical one—what if Mike and Carol Brady established a foundation for their philanthropic giving?  As of late, Legal Affairs has seen an increase in inquiries both relating to and from family foundations. As such, we thought it would be ‘groovy’ to highlight some…