To improve livability in downtown pittsburgh, the Colcom Foundation funded 400 planters.   Notions of “livability” are central to the Future of Community; Identity, Purpose, Place. To build a place worth caring about is to bring out the best in a community. On a good day, factors of…

Emmanuel de Merode, the Director of the Virunga National Park since 2008. Credit: ©Brent Stirton/Getty Images   Located in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Virunga National Park is Africa’s oldest national park. It is a critical habitat for many species, including the highly…

James E. “Jim” Casey coined the phrase “constructive dissatisfaction” while steering United Parcel Service (now UPS) to becoming one of the world’s most successful companies. His dissatisfaction drove him to outpace the competition as he developed innovative transportation strategies, implemented…

Myanmar’s Tech Community Codes as Part of the MaePaySoh Hack Challenge -- Photo by Andrew Thornley   On November 8, 2015, millions in Myanmar went to the polls to cast their votes – many for the first or second time in their lives – for members of the Union Parliament as well as for the 14…

Imagine this scenario: it’s Monday and John Smith waits to be released from the county jail. In his hand, he holds confirmation of a medical appointment for Tuesday that someone from a community-based organization arranged for him, anticipating he will get the medical treatment he needs. John is…

  An increasing percentage of jobs in the United States require a college degree, certification, or credential beyond high school. It hasn’t always been this way. In the past, good manufacturing jobs didn’t require more than a high school degree. These jobs provided middle class wages,…

  Incourage’s work is redefining place-based philanthropy to realize a simple yet bold vision: A Community That Works Well for All People, led by values of Equity, Opportunity, and Shared Stewardship. Over two decades, we have seen a resilient community emerge after crisis with a shift in…

I attended the AdNet, CommA, and ProNet Professional Networks for Community Foundation staff this week in New Orleans, which represents the first time these three professional peer network groups have convened together. This combined event clearly reflects the community foundation way of…

The Great Recession hurt many Americans, and rural communities across the US have had to continue fighting to provide residents with facilities to educate their children, businesses that offer goods and employment, and other institutions to meet residents’ needs. In rural communities, it’s not…

The Council on Foundations' 2016 Annual Conference features a pre-conference session in Baltimore during which participants will visit the Center for Urban Families. This is reprinted from an original post on Washington Monthly. To view the “Successes of Philanthropy” series, kindly…

National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations has been an important resource for the Community Foundation of Central Georgia (CFCG). During CFCG’s most recent strategic planning process, the board set three goals. One of these goals is to be a “trusted, ethical, and excellent organization”.…

I believe the intent of community foundation offerings—from endowment building, convening, to grant making—is to be thoughtful, intentional, and sustainable in their approach to community challenges and opportunities.  My personal experience with community philanthropy is best explained…

When my grandparents, Sam and Helen Walton, set the course for our family’s philanthropic vision in the late 1980s, they set out to make lasting change by empowering individuals. My grandfather often said there is no limit to what can be accomplished when people are given opportunity and…

Historically, community foundations have worked to create change by making grants to local nonprofits, advocacy groups, and other organizations. But a new breed of funders is showing how, by serving in yet another role, they can foster change that is more comprehensive, more responsive to residents…

This is reprinted from an original post on Washington Monthly. To view the “Successes of Philanthropy” series, kindly visit Washington Monthly. Introducing “Successes of Philanthropy” In America, more so than in other countries, philanthropies play a unique and important role of supporting…

"Can you imagine if we designed the entire city for children?" This was stated by Enrique Peñalosa Londoño, former Mayor of Bogota, Colombia, and it has stuck with me for many years. The idea of designing an entire city for children, or better yet, giving back to a community that our children, and…