I am excited to introduce you to Lindsay Mason, the Council’s new Director of Corporate Philanthropy!   Lindsay has more than 10 years’ experience in the philanthropic sector, with a strong background building partnerships, leveraging resources, and increasing opportunities for private…

Following upon the first-ever North American Community Foundations Summit held in Mexico City February, we invited nine travel scholarship recipients who attended to write about their experiences and observations. This is the second compilation of blogs in that series. We are especially thankful to…

As you read this, I’ve landed on the beautiful island of St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, to engage with community foundations, our federal partners, FEMA, and other associations to discuss how philanthropy helps this U.S. territory, as well as Puerto Rico, continue its recovery from the…

The first-ever North American Community Foundations Summit was held in Mexico City on February 5-6 and was co-hosted with Comunalia, Community Foundations of Canada. With over 200 attendees, the Summit focused on achieving the SDGs and included discussions about reducing poverty, building resilient…

Philanthropy, at large, is a burgeoning variety of strategies for community innovation, investment, and a true love for people and the world we live in. Coming from Alaska and a place-based family foundation, I find this larger world enticing and responsive to the innovative partnerships that we…

I am deeply impressed by the relationships built in our field, sometimes from just one simple interaction at a Council event. While serving as the CEO of an Indiana community foundation, I traveled out-of-state to a Council event in 2014 to be introduced to a colleague who, to this day, remains an…

As I reflected on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week, I spent some time honing in on the words of a little song by the legendary James Taylor. “Shed A Little Light” is an homage to Dr. King and in it, the lyrics say, “We are bound together by the task that stands before us.” Those…

For some parts of the country, 2018 arrived in full force—with an arctic blast of frigid temperatures in the east and torrential mudslides in the west—all while tax reform brings new unknowns to our work. While in some respects, the impact of this tax legislation on charitable giving seems mightily…

As 2017 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on how much I’ve learned from you this year. When I transitioned to the role of Director of Community Philanthropy in 2016, from running a community foundation in Indiana, it was extremely important to me that I spoke to community foundation leaders…

The Council on Foundations is thrilled to be co-hosting the first-ever North American Community Foundations Summit (NACF) in Mexico City, February 5-6, 2018. More than 120 community foundation leaders will gather in the capital of Mexico this winter to learn new ways to think globally and act…

Approximately 50 leaders from higher education, philanthropy, and the private sector recently met at Duke University for an intimate conversation about implicit bias. Organized by the TIAA Institute, Duke University, and the Council on Foundations, “Managing Effectively Across Differences: The…

At a time when partisanship runs rampant and public divides seem numerous, this #GivingTuesday offers an opportunity for our country to focus on all the good that is happening around us and to work collectively, through donations of all kinds, to strengthen our society at every level. #…

Community Foundations Week is the perfect time to celebrate the great work community foundations do around the country. This is especially true at a time when foundations are being asked to do more and more because of federal, state, and local budget cuts. In my role at the Council on Foundations,…

Monday’s blog kicked off Community Foundation Week (#CFWeek) and highlighted our inaugural North American Community Foundation Summit. Next February in Mexico City, we will explore bold and innovative approaches to address the multifaceted issues impacting our local communities, highlighting how…

During this year’s Community Foundation Week, I’m reflecting on the innovative model of philanthropy that is the community foundation. When I joined the Council in April 2016, I was new to the philanthropic sector. However, coming from an organization where I was providing direct legal…

This month marks my 20-year anniversary of passing the bar and becoming an attorney, and sometimes I think I’ve heard it all when it comes to nonprofit law.  Thank goodness for the Council’s community foundation members, who continually challenge me with unique and interesting questions, and…