With more than one million people lost to COVID-19, the world is in mourning and rightfully so. It is not only the people we have lost, but the progress that the world had been making in becoming a more equitable, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous place. Additionally, while COVID-19 has occupied…

We are halfway through the year, and I hope you have found a sliver of downtime within this steady pace of safety measures and crisis response. We are navigating a global pandemic, imploring action around racial injustice, seeking appropriate reactions to societal challenges, and adjusting to a "…

We all could use a sense of normalcy. Hence, I am pleased to announce our fall lineup of trainings and workshops, peer conversations and summits—and, you guessed it, all virtual! We plan to deliver a mix of refreshed content alongside new formats to dive into shared experiences with peers and…

Over the last few months, our world has permanently changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has swept across the globe, extracting a high toll and exacerbating existing disparities within our globalized world and the places we live. Despite a wane in media attention, the pandemic is still a very real threat…

Happy 2020! January has kicked off with a bang as we’ve been hard at work at the Council to develop exciting programs, publications, and avenues for engagement in 2020 and beyond. I’m excited to share more about the work of our global program as the year progresses and I look forward to continuing…

It’s hard to believe that in just a few weeks we’ll be bringing in a New Year. If we consider the Internal Revenue Act of 1935 as the start of corporate philanthropy – a time when companies were permitted to deduct 5% of pretax earnings for charitable gifts, it could be concluded that corporations…

From Greta Thunberg’s passionate climate advocacyto concerns about the efficacy of multilateralism that the UN represents, there was no shortage of news from the 74th UN General Assembly. Despite only having ten years left to achieve the SDGs, recent reports are bleak. Of more than 1,000 CEOs…

We’re only a month away from the 74th UN General Assembly (UNGA) – and the world still has significant work to do if we are to meet the development thresholds set in the SDGs. This slow progress combined with a new wave of gun violence and hate crimes in the United States, alongside civil…

Like many of you, I am deeply saddened by the mass shootings that have gripped our nation. The gun violence and misguided hate is heartbreaking. But those shootings, which rocked the nation, were not the only incidents of gun violence last weekend. Individuals were killed in Chicago; a child was…

Like myself, I know many of you are using the summer as a time to reflect on your progress from the first half of the year and strategize on how to finish 2019 strong. At the Council, we’ve used the past months to meet with diverse stakeholders as we look to redefine our value, approach and…

The Council is excited to work with our partners—the community foundation affinity groups AdNet, Comma, and ProNet—to host the 2020 CFUnited, Community Foundations: Power of Place, Conference. Designed as an immersive experience for all staff at community foundations regardless of size, scale…

The United Nations' annual mid-year High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) finished earlier this week. I was in New York to join several events and enjoyed connecting with a broad variety of organizations and people working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, including many…

Recent data on giving by Americans signals concerns for US philanthropy. New research on US philanthropy shows lower levels of giving in 2018, even as our economy showed healthy growth overall. Giving USA reports less overall giving in 2018, following four years of steady growth. Specifically,…

Summer is officially here and for corporate philanthropy, I’d venture to report we are off to a great start. From the release of the 2019 Giving USA report to the number of important spring and summer sector conferences, momentum for companies’ involvement in social impact is rising. This year’s…

I’ve been thinking about Sudan recently. Protests began in Sudan during December of last year, eventually leading to a military coup and arrest of Former President Omar al-Bashir. Yet, these protests continue. Some reports say more than 128 people have been killed in these protests. As this year is…

A recent op-ed by Marin Community Foundation’s CEO, Dr. Thomas Peters, moved me to reflect on our field. Dr. Peters paints a powerful picture describing how community philanthropy can strengthen communities and support individuals, in a way that helps others relate to our work. With an opening line…