Civil Society in America faces the challenge of storytelling. Democracy thrives on the free availability of information and viewpoints. We must guard against hegemony that stifles innovation and protect voices of the marginalized. To do so, we should ensure that everyone's story is told. Making…

On Feb. 11, the Ford, Knight, Open Society, MacArthur, and Mozilla, Foundations together launched NetGain:  Working Together for a Stronger Digital Society as a major shared initiative.  The NetGain initiative advocates that building the Internet as…

The Council’s 2015 Annual Meeting is only a little more than a week away! Over the past year, Council has worked with members, colleagues, leaders in the field, academics, and many other important voices to lay the groundwork for a multi-year thought leadership project called the Evolution of…

Spring Break Road Trip with my brother and sister almost 20 years ago With Spring Break behind us, making plans for the end of the school year and summer is in full effect... and we want YOU to know about YOUTH PHILANTRHOPY ON THE ROAD! This summer and fall, we are mixing the best parts of…

Kim Bluitt, Member Relations Director, Pacific Q&A with Jonathan Lorenzo Yorba, President & CEO, The Community Foundation Serving the Counties of Riverside & San Bernardino, Now in its second year, Philanthropy Week in Washington, March 16-20, 2015, was a week-long series of events…

For the first time in its history, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has expanded its mission to include promoting affordable housing for low-income residents who ride public transportation throughout the county.  Thanks to a voter-approved sales tax increase…

Sunday, I was in the middle of greeting a small gathering of 15 women and men as we prepared to leave on the Women’s eNews walking tour of New York’s financial district. We offer the tour every Sunday in March as one important way for us to celebrate Women’s History Month. A male member of the…

While the Perrin Family Foundation has spent the past two decades supporting the leadership development of young people in Connecticut, our understanding of and approach to leadership development has undergone a dramatic shift. Initially, we understood leadership development simply as a strategy to…

A few weeks ago, we were happy to join several hundred of our colleagues in San Francisco for Hispanics in Philanthropy’s (HIP) 2015 Conference and HIPGiver Gala. The daylong series of events focused on Latino leadership in the philanthropic sector, as well as exploring the needs and opportunities…

This week the Council released its 2014 Grantmakers Salary and Benefits Report. The most comprehensive source on national foundation staff composition and compensation, the report provides us with an opportunity for self-reflection about our individual management practices. It also serves as a…

An engaged group of seventy funders came together January 27 for a learning forum hosted in Los Angeles by the Council on Foundations and Southern California Grantmakers entitled, “Politics, Policy, and Philanthropy: How Your Funding Priorities Could be Impacted This Year.” The 2016 election cycle…

Ask the Expert! Want to learn more about Disaster Philanthropy? Join us for a live chat Q&A on the Philanthropy Exchange with Regine Webster and Anna Hurt from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. For one hour, they will be on the Open Exchange ready to answer your questions about…

What does revolutionary change look like? That question was at the heart of Confluence Philanthropy’s 2015 Practitioners’ Gathering. In the world of investment advisors and Wall Street finance, a revolution can start with two words: “Sell it.” Five years ago, my family and I decided that we would…

It comes as no surprise that the Unites States is experiencing a dramatic population increase.  What will surprise many is the Southeastern region is witnessing the bulk that population growth. The State of Georgia ranks 8th in the nation for foreign born residents. Within the 20-county…

Humble. If there were one word that ought to drive philanthropists, that’s it. I am not saying it is always a word that does drive us. I am saying it ought to be.  It can be exciting and fulfilling to work in the world of philanthropy, to collaborate and work with generous people,…

Low-income families typically have few options for emergency cash, forcing many to rely on high-cost payday loans for unexpected financial needs. But these loans, which are disproportionately marketed to low-income and minority communities, lead to repeated cash shortages that drive consumers to…