Some people are drawn to snow-covered mountain peaks, others to the lush canopies of forests a meandering river, a shimmering plain. For me it is the call of the sea. The endless horizon brings me peace and each wave  a grace note in our ecosystem’s symphony. It is the sea where I go to think…

As I've read and watched others' reflections on the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's destruction of a great American city, I'm compelled to tell some of my story. New Orleans is not a place where I practice grant making or convening, but it is a place near and dear to my heart, one I've…

This piece was originally published in the Los Angeles Times on August 16, 2015. Drought-shaming could become a popular pastime in California's driest summer. Egregious water wasters, especially the ones with massive lawns and high public profiles, are getting called out by reporters and humbled on…

Last week, I got to see philanthropy in action on a great trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan. After just a few days of meeting with philanthropic leaders in Western Michigan, I had new energy, new ideas, and more proof that collaboration is driving the field forward. I was grateful to have been invited…

In Pennsylvania, we’ve recently seen the failure of our state’s political leadership become a threat to many local nonprofits that provide much-needed assistance to our friends and neighbors. The governor and the state Legislature have not yet agreed on a budget, which has frozen funding for…

Last week, Walmart was proud to join 12 other major U.S. corporations to officially pledge support for the American Business Act on Climate Pledge. Those of us who made this pledge attested to the need for businesses to help reduce, avoid and mitigate the impact of rising greenhouse gas (GHG)…

On the Fourth of July, our nation comes together to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy, freedoms our service members, veterans and their families have made possible through their sacrifices. Just as Americans responded to the call to defend our liberties, our nation must respond to our call to duty –…

Ask the Expert! Want to learn more about Impact Investing? Join us for webinar discussion, Impact Investing and Community Foundations: The Nuts and Bolts. Trisha will join her colleagues Kelly Ryan (Incourage Community Foundation) and Lisa Richter (Avivar Capital) to talk you through the steps…

In 2014, the Cleveland Foundation became the first community foundation in the world to turn 100 years old.  After Frederick H. Goff founded Cleveland’s community foundation in 1914, the idea quickly took off across the United States and today there are an estimated 1,800 community foundations…

Originally featured on the Knight Foundation Blog on July 8, 2015 For many community foundations, Giving Days have been a great way to cultivate donors for their community’s nonprofits, while raising millions for local causes. Several funders have gained so much expertise in this area, that they…

Interning at the Council on Foundations is giving us a great look at a cross-section of the philanthropic field. The Council’s members, after all, come in all shapes and sizes – large, small, corporate, community foundations, and everything in between. As much as we research them, as much as we…

On July 26th, we mark the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA25), which prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation. The…

Over the last two years, the Council has been actively engaging with the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as they have taken steps that could shift the global regulatory environment for cross-border philanthropy. FATF has a large impact on nonprofit activity worldwide because of…

My book Charitable Foundations: The Essential Guide to Giving and Compliance was published in May 2015. Since publication, a number of people have asked me what led me to write the book. The Council on Foundations has asked me to address that subject in a blog. According to published reports there…

Social change transpires at a blistering pace, in both promising and discouraging trajectories.  After growing up in isolation in South Dakota and cutting my teeth decades ago as an LGBTQ human rights activist, I’m gob-smacked and elated by today’s Supreme Court decision. This decision is…

This article originally appeared on the WINGS blog, Philanthropy In Focus, on 18 June 2015. The original article can be found here. Community philanthropy is a field in expansion throughout the world – the number of community philanthropy organizations has more than doubled between 2000 and 2014.…