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FEATURED EVENT
Practice and Purpose of Policy
A Training for Community Foundation Leaders
July 30 and August 6, 2024 | 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET
Virtual
Community Foundations
Community foundations are grantmaking public charities that are dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. They bring together the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits in their communities. Community foundations vary widely in asset size, ranging from less than $100,000 to more than $1.7 billion.
Community foundations play a key role in identifying and solving community problems. In 2017, they gave an estimated $5.48 billion to a variety of nonprofit activities in fields that included the arts and education, health and human services, the environment, and disaster relief. The Community Foundations National Standards Board confirms operational excellence in six key areas—mission, structure, and governance; resource development; stewardship and accountability; grantmaking and community leadership; donor relations; and communications. Foundations that comply with these standards can display the official National Standards Seal. Currently, over 500 community foundations have earned the seal.
More than 900 community foundations operate in urban and rural areas in every state in the United States; currently, approximately 350 are members of the Council on Foundations. The community foundation model also has taken hold around the world. Community foundations have participated in the growth of international giving by U.S. foundations in recent years, with international giving by community foundations more than tripling, from $103 million in 2011 to $315 million in 2015, and community foundations' share of overall international giving by U.S. foundations more than doubling, from 1.4 percent in 2011 to 3.4 percent in 2015.
You can use our Community Foundation Locator to view a list of community foundations in the United States.
Below is everything on our site for community foundations. We highly recommend that you use the navigation or our search feature to find what you're looking for on our site. Please also visit cof.org/community-foundations for curated community foundation content.
Grantmaking Innovation: Using a Competition Model to Fund Bold Ideas
Members, View the Recording
Prizes, challenges, and competitions can bring new awareness to critical issues, help grantmakers reach beyond their existing networks, and connect participants with new resources. But they are not easy to do well.
Join the Council for a discussion between two…
Washington Snapshot: Ways and Means Holds Budget Markup, Senior IRS Official Resigns
In This Week's Edition of Snapshot…
Ways and Means Committee Adopts FY 2019 Budget Views and Estimates Letter
Senior Treasury Official Leaves Agency Amid Tax Reform Implementation
In the States: SALT Workaround Bills Advance
News from the Hill
Ways and Means Committee Adopts FY 2019 Budget Views…
State Level SALT Work-Arounds: What Do They Mean for Philanthropy?
Members, View the Recording
With the passage of tax reform and the repeal of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, a handful of high-tax states—such as New Jersey, California, and New York—have been considering proposals to alleviate the new burden their residents will now face. Many of these…
Webinar: The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and Dangers to US Nonprofits
View the Recording
The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) is front page news in the wake of Russian involvement in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Since its enactment in 1938, FARA has been rarely enforced, but Congress has recently considering several bills to increase its implementation…
Washington Snapshot: JCT Estimates Number of Itemizers Will Decrease Under New Tax Law
In This Week's Edition of Snapshot…
JCT Estimates Number of Itemizers Under New Tax Law
IRS Issues Guidelines on New Opportunity Zones
FEMA Seeks Youths
Commerce Releases New Strategic Plan
In the States: SALT Workaround Bills Advance
News from the Hill
JCT Estimates Number of Itemizers Under…
Federal Budget
The Council provides an analysis of the annual president's budget request and congressional appropriations measures focusing on proposals that may affect foundations and the broad nonprofit sector.
Historically, budget requests put forward by the Administration serve as a messaging…
Career Pathways Builds Strong Foundations
When I first learned of the Council on Foundations’ Career Pathways program, I wasn’t sure whether I should apply. I was interested by the programs’ goal to increase the number of people of color in senior and executive positions in philanthropy and to thereby deepen capacity for impact in the…
Global Philanthropy Newsletter—February 2018
Last week in Mexico City, the Council co-hosted the first ever North American Community Foundations Summit, which brought together more than 200 leaders to discuss how we can truly leave no one behind and achieve the SDGs in North America by 2030. It was a powerful conversation about our shared…
Washington Snapshot: Congress Ends Brief Shutdown, New IRS Commissioner Officially Nominated
In This Week's Edition of Snapshot:
Brief Government Shutdown Ended with Passage of Budget Deal
Trump Administration Releases 2018-19 Budget
Repeal of Johnson Amendment Raised at National Prayer Breakfast
President Trump Officially Nominates New IRS Head
FEMA Requests Comments on Natural Hazard…
More Than 80 Philanthropic Leaders Commit to Working Across Borders to Achieve the SDGS in North America
Coming out of a historic meeting that brought together philanthropic leaders from Canada, Mexico and the United States, more than 80 philanthropic leaders have joined in solidarity and pledged to work to reduce poverty and increase opportunity for all across North America. This commitment marks the…
North American Philanthropy: United to Leave No One Behind
More than 200 leaders from across North America gathered in Mexico City for the inaugural North American Community Foundations Summit on February 5-6, 2018.
Out of this historic gathering, the Council on Foundations and event co-hosts Community Foundations of Canada and Comunalia from Mexico…
Inclusive Economic Prosperity in the Midwest
What is Philanthropy's Role in Economic Development?
To understand the role that philanthropy can play in inclusive economic prosperity, it helps to examine the landscape that contributes to a healthy economic ecosystem that is both equitable and innovative.
The Council on Foundations and our …
Veterans Philanthropy Exchange Policy Meeting at the Public Policy Summit
The Council on Foundations’ inaugural Public Policy Summit included specific programing to determine a policy agenda for the Veterans Philanthropy Exchange in Philadelphia, on April 12, 2018.
This meeting of Veterans funders took a deep dive to explore public policy issues foundations could…
2018 HR Summit - Registration
Registration
Online Registration
Register Now
If you don't want to register online, you can complete the paper registration form and send it to registration@cof.org.
Registration Rates
Member Rate before April 30, 2018 = $499
Member Rate after April 30, 2018 = $549…
Community Philanthropy Update—February 2018
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…
Nonprofit and Philanthropic Leaders Call on Congress to Leave the Johnson Amendment Alone
Nonprofit and philanthropic leaders renewed their call for preserving the Johnson Amendment, the longstanding law that protects their organizations from the divisiveness of partisan politics. The call comes as House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) used the National Prayer Breakfast to express…
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