The Pennsylvania Community Foundation Association (PACFA) is an affinity organization that my foundation helped to re-activate several years ago for the 35 community philanthropies in the state to share ideas and strategies and, when appropriate, act collectively on issues. At a recent meeting of…

Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties is honored to accept the Council on Foundations’ 2022 Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking for the work of the Social Equity Collaborative Fund (SECF). The Social Equity Collaborative Fund is an equity-focused pooled grantmaking fund borne of a…

For those of us in philanthropy, it can feel difficult to keep track of the rapidly shifting policy landscape – and how it affects our work. Grantmakers have guidelines, program directives, and division of duties. We have well-established relationships with grantees and a good sense of…

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of participating in the Spring 2022 Career Pathways cohort. Prior to this spring, I had completed three other executive leadership programs. On the first day of Career Pathways Learning Session One, while reviewing the curriculum, we were asked what might be…

My decision to pursue philanthropy was born out of frustration. I had been at the Obama White House for over a year and, like many of my colleagues, felt stifled and discouraged by a lame-duck session. Despite my fancy White House Policy Advisor title, the local impact that I hoped to foster…

Participating in the Council on Foundations' Career Pathways program changed my life for the better. How? The most valuable takeaway was to be bold and to tell the world who we are. In so many ways, Career Pathways helped me and the rest of my cohort cultivate our strengths and our voices.…

As the HR Retreat approaches each year, I crave hummus. Perhaps because we opened the first Council on Foundations and CHANGE Philanthropy HR Summit (now HR Retreat) in 2016 with dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant in San Francisco. The mezze was amazing; the night was full of curiosity. Who were…

For the longest time, I wondered why I was unable to climb the executive ladder. Seriously, I’m pretty good at my job. I am a team player and a sought-after expert. I represent my organization with integrity. So, why can’t I get past the invisible wall and achieve a role at the executive level? I…

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we all experienced social isolation. Although a necessary response to an unprecedented public health threat, it caused real harm to our mental and physical well-being.  Studies show that social isolation and loneliness increase a person’s risk for…

Like many foundations, the Barr Foundation has been on a years-long journey to center its work to eliminate discrimination based on race. Unlike many foundations, however, it has shared not just its grantmaking changes – including a focus on local organizations serving Black communities – but…

A blog series highlighting Council members' impact during our 2022 Member Week.

In 2017, the BBC dubbed Lancaster, Pa., the “refugee capital of the country,” highlighting its role in resettling more than 20 times more refugees, per capita, than the United States as a whole. To support the needs of more than 1,300 new neighbors, the Lancaster County Community…

You may notice something different about our website and social media presence. That’s right: Your 73-year-old Council on Foundations has a new look! We’re particularly excited to share this during the Council’s Member Week – a time when we celebrate and connect with our nearly 850 member…

Philanthropy can advance important ideas for a nation still emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and grappling with racial injustice and extreme political division. But we must hold ourselves accountable, too.   The Council on Foundations’ Ethics Task Force will help us do that, and I…

As Americans witness the atrocity of the Russian government’s illegal war on Ukraine, many of us feel frustrated, and even helpless. The forces at work are too large for us to imagine that we can affect them. That changed for Berks County Community Foundation earlier this month, when our friends…

.blog-author { display: none; } Last July, the Council on Foundations convened a group of community foundation leaders to develop a set of principles and policy recommendations to strengthen how community foundations use donor-advised funds (DAFs). The Strengthening Community Philanthropy Ad Hoc…