Interest is growing in a new tax incentive meant to spur growth and economic opportunity in the nation’s most distressed communities. “Opportunity Zones” were included in the 2017 tax bill after a bipartisan push to spur private capital into places that continue to fall further and further behind…

This month, thousands of representatives from governments, civil society, and the corporate sector will come together in New York for the 73rd annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Alongside the high-level conversations  within the UN, hundreds of side-events will address the world’s…

Earlier this week, there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered to my desk.  It was from the Community Foundation team to mark a milestone in my life—and my family’s life. We moved to the Quad Cities four years ago and I began working with an incredible group of people—board members and…

Editor's note: This post is one in a series highlighting sessions for the upcoming Endowments and Finance Summit, held in Washington, DC, on September 6-7. The Summit is where foundation leaders – such as CEOs, CIOs, CFOs, Senior Investment Officers and board and investment committee members –…

Editor's Note: As a part of our Inclusive Economic Prosperity in the Midwest convening, we're highlighting stories from the region. This article was originally published in bMag, a publication by the Bush Foundation. Pakou Hang (BF’11) and her six siblings spent much of their childhood rising…

Editor's note: This post is one in a series highlighting sessions for the upcoming Endowments and Finance Summit, held in Washington, DC, on September 6-7. The Summit is where foundation leaders – such as CEOs, CIOs, CFOs, Senior Investment Officers and board and investment committee members –…

Editor's Note: In advance of our Inclusive Economic Prosperity in the Midwest convening, we're highlighting stories from the region. This article was originally published in bMag, a publication by the Bush Foundation. Photography is by David Ellis. On an autumn afternoon in 2017, Abdirizak “…

Editor's note: This is part of our blog series featuring current participants in the Career Pathways program. Applications for the 2019 cohort open in September. I believe that it is pretty well understood in the sector that we have an imperative in foundation offices and board rooms to ensure our…

Editor's Note: The Council thanks our 2018 summer interns for their hard work over the past few months. The summer interns were: Ashul Agrawal, Michael Kelly, Reilly Tifft, Caroline Healey, Chris Tian, Ashley Morrison, and Randall Williams. As the summer is coming to a close, so is our time with…

Editor's note: This post is one in a series highlighting sessions for the upcoming Endowments and Finance Summit, held in Washington, DC, on September 6-7. The Summit is where foundation leaders – such as CEOs, CIOs, CFOs, Senior Investment Officers and board and investment committee members –…

Editor's Note: The following is an edited version of a Mott Perspectives piece written by Ridgway White, president of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The original was published on the Foundation’s website on July 16, 2018, and is being republished as a part of our series on the winners of the…

Editor's note: This post is one in a series highlighting sessions for the upcoming Endowments and Finance Summit, held in Washington, DC, on September 6-7. The Summit is where foundation leaders – such as CEOs, CIOs, CFOs, Senior Investment Officers and board and investment committee members –…

Editor's Note: This is part of our series focusing on the winners of the 2018 Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships.  In 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a nationwide smoke-free policy for all public housing locations…

Editor's Note: This is part of our series focusing on the winners of the 2018 Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships.  The Creekview Plaza housing development in Anchorage, Alaska For a decade Rasmuson Foundation has worked alongside…

In 2003, when I was a co-recipient of the Robert W. Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking, the theme of the Council on Foundations’ conference was collaboration. Instead of giving a speech, one of the co-recipients, Luz Vega-Marquis,* demonstrated the spirit of collaboration when she asked all…

Last Wednesday, the Council on Foundations interns took a trip to the Public Welfare Foundation (PWF), where we were hosted by three people. Candace C. Jones, president and CEO, Sarah Joy Albrecht, program analyst, and Alyssa Piccirilli, director of administration. Each of our hosts gave a…