by Robin Schein In February, the Council on Foundations will bring together families from all over the country (and world!) to learn about and discuss the current issues affecting families who give. The 2012 Family Philanthropy Conference is not just for family foundations-it's for all families…

by Katherine Lorenz I am seven months into one of the most exciting opportunities of my life, which is also one of the greatest challenges of my life. Earlier this year, I became president of my family's foundation, the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. My 92-year-old grandfather is still…

by Jillian C. Vukusich   I love the theme of the Family Philanthropy Conference (kudos to whoever came up with it). As we all know, philanthropy changes its mantra every so often. We’ve heard collaboration and partnership and community building. “Fusion” would be a great next trend. As you…

by Sophia Guevara As a librarian, some of the clients I deal with come to me because they know what they want but just can't find it. Then there are those who never truly understood their information need in the first place. A while back, I was forwarded a question from someone interested in…

by John Harvey The Council on Foundations surveyed some of its leading members active in the global grantmaking sphere to learn what they see on the horizon. Here are their top 10 predictions for 2012: 1. Despite worldwide economic challenges, global philanthropy will continue its remarkable…

by Candace Winkler Alaska Community Foundation (ACF) is a part of a much larger movement that is nearing the end of its first century of existence. As we compare ourselves with older community foundations across the nation, we realize the magnitude of the work we are doing — and the work that's…

by Brenda Chumley On behalf of the entire team at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, I'd like to wish everyone a happy Community Foundation Week! We're pleased to celebrate by sharing how we work with other community foundations across the country. In 2004, the Greater Kansas City…

by Astrid "Oz" Spies In mid-2008, The Denver Foundation started to receive calls from food pantries, reporting that demand was up 20, 30, even 40 percent. Donations? Those were flat or down. At the same time, Colorado ranked low in comparison to other states when it came to distributing food…

by Erin Rowley There are a lot of things to love about Centre County, Pa. Beautiful natural features. Ample opportunities to socialize. An open and accepting attitude among residents. And according to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, qualities like that create a sense of attachment…

by Emily Jones Rushing So how did you find out about community foundations? For many generous people, the answer is: their lawyer, their accountant, their financial adviser, the key professional they trust to help them make a difference with their charitable dollars. Seven years ago, the…

by Chatrane Birbal As lawmakers continue to wrestle with options to reduce the federal deficit, philanthropic leaders are finding themselves defending the status quo. Recently, the Senate Finance Committee received testimony from philanthropic leaders and researchers on incentives for charitable…

by Linda Reed My trip last week to Washington, D.C., was easy and productive thanks to the Council's great government relations team. I wanted to meet with members and staff of Montana's congressional delegation to brief them on our transfer of wealth study and some new information we have about…

by Mary Galeti American families have many traditions that cross religious, social, economic, and cultural boundaries. Taking time in the latter part of the year to give thanks for all we have is one of the most prevalent. Thanksgiving is a time for food, of course, but also for family (no matter…

by Carl Little Last week was a quiet one at the Maine Community Foundation — not! Between debriefing about the annual Inspiring Philanthropy evening and preparing for the upcoming Feed a Family campaign, we barely had time to celebrate Community Foundation Week. The Maine Community Foundation…

by Lisa Philip Four years ago, when I was a philanthropic adviser at a private bank, I spoke to The New York Times for an article on global giving. In my work with wealthy families in the United States and around the world, I was seeing a growing trend of cross-border giving. Part of this was…

By: Dan Hymowitz and Heather Lord   In America, the debate lumbers on about the best way to coordinate the philanthropic sector and the U.S. government. Meanwhile, one post-conflict West African country has jumped right in — the Liberia Philanthropy Secretariat is the fruit of…