Editor's Note: This is part of our series focusing on the winners of the 2018 Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships.  A few years ago, Barry and Gilda Boyer, two members of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa community,  were having a conversation about economic…

Editor's Note: This is part of our series focusing on the winners of the 2018 Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships.  When I learned Polk Bros. Foundation and Michael Reese Health Trust would be presented with the 2018 HUD Secretary's Award for Public-Philanthropic…

Editor's Note: This is part one of a series focusing on the winners of the 2018 Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships.  The great Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” For 75 years, The Spartanburg County…

The inaugural cohort of innovators waiting for the grand prize announcement. It was the 1980’s and Robert Scrivner was leading the way to expose the destructive realities of nuclear war and the inevitable “nuclear winter” that would destroy most life on the planet…

The word ”philanthropy” means the love of humanity. It manifests itself as generosity by individuals and organizations for the public good. We’ve seen extraordinary transformations in the Paso de Norte region brought about by the generous spirit of philanthropists – large and small – whose love for…

In June 2018, we saw concerning new developments related to the use of the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) in targeting U.S. non-profits that also work internationally. The House Committee on Natural Resources sent a letter to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) as part of an…

I have been eager to intern at the Council on Foundations since I received my acceptance letter. While coming into this experience, I did not know what exactly the Council was, I am excited to learn more about the sector and help achieve the organization’s goals. I am 1 of 7 interns here at CoF for…

As we enter summer, it’s the time of year when many in the community foundation world may be experiencing what I used to call “the scholarship slump.” When I ran a community foundation, this is a term of endearment I used for when your team has survived the first round of scholarship activities—…

I can’t believe the month of May is almost over and I am embarking on my 60th day at the Council! I have enjoyed meeting various corporate foundations and hearing about the amazing work you are leading across the country during my first two months. This week, I met with Tiffany…

The Career Pathways program is designed for leaders like me. I have a proven track record of leadership, and I offer extensive experience in cultivating strategic relationships and implementing innovative solutions to advance the position, value and, reputation of a Fortune 50 company. While I have…

Anyone who has had the responsibility of putting together a team has wrestled with the challenge of determining who will be the best match for the positions that need to be filled. At the recently completed NFL draft, teams approached these decisions from one…

On April 23, the Council on Foundations hosted an invitation-only event at the Surdna Foundation in New York to talk about Race, Poverty and Trust. Our featured speaker, Tiziana Dearing, Professor of Macro Practice at the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, discussed lessons learned from…

Our economic landscape today looks very different than it did 25 years ago. This pattern of change will inevitably continue as technological advancements are rapidly introduced to the world. To adapt to this new landscape, foundations must be willing to shift and evolve with the changing…

“You get nothing done if you don’t listen to each other.” -Barbara Bush   Listening to the remembrances of the late First Lady Barbara Bush this week, I was struck by her sense of humor, and by her uncanny talent for cutting to the heart of the matter. Mrs. Bush may not have been the…

As we consider the road ahead for the Council on Foundations, “leadership” is a word that comes up over and over again. The question is how the Council can continue to serve the broader philanthropic field while also helping to define issues and bring our members together around solutions and…

On December 20, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the first recipient of our 100&Change competition’s $100 million grant: an early childhood intervention for children in the Syrian refugee region co-developed by Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee.…