Corporate Giving Programs and Foundations
Corporate Philanthropy refers to the investments and activities a company voluntarily undertakes to responsibly manage and account for its impact on society. It includes investments of money, donations of products, in-kind services and technical assistance, employee volunteerism, and other business transactions to advance a social cause, issue, or the work of a nonprofit organization. Corporate foundations and corporate giving programs traditionally play a major role in these areas.
Due to the large number of resources on our website, we highly recommend you use the site navigation or the search feature to find what you are looking for.
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Training - Self-Dealing Basics for Corporate and Private Foundations
Join the Council’s Legal Resources team for an in-depth look at the self-dealing rules applicable to private foundations under section 4941 of the Internal Revenue Code.This workshop will provide an in-depth review of the rules against self-dealing, where they come from and what they involve.…
Training - Legal Matters for Corporate Foundations & Giving Programs
Led by the Council on Foundations Legal team, this training is flexibly organized to ensure that your broad legal questions for administering funds, grants, and corporate foundation activities are addressed. The legal team will provide technical and practical understanding of complex rules and…
Training - Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers
The updated Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers training will help foundation staff use their resources effectively to advance public policies that support the greater good. This training is designed for private foundation staff with a basic understanding of policy but also serves as a…
Training - Building a Culture of Dialogue Across Differences
Join us for this half-day interactive workshop for an introduction to Resetting the Table’s celebrated approach to building a culture of productive dialogue on charged issues, even in the face of strong differences. You'll exchange your perspectives and experiences with your peers, while developing…
Washington Snapshot: Sector issues on the Hill
This week, the Senate Appropriations Committee introduced a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government at current levels through December 11. The CR also includes a provision that would prevent the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from implementing revisions or rewrites of the…
Philanthropy's Response to 2026 Washington Wildfires
OverviewWildfires forced the evacuation of more than 60,000 people within the city limits of Spokane, WA. The fire is the largest of 15 burning across the state, destroying more than 700 buildings and over 7,000 acres. It is considered the worst disaster in Spokane's history.As updates about the…
For 250 Years, Philanthropy Helped Build America. Now It Must Stand Up for It
Milestone birthdays call for both celebration and honest reflection, and America’s 250th is no exception.As the world’s oldest democracy, we find ourselves at a complicated moment. Many of the institutions we have long depended on are facing growing skepticism and strain. Too many people are…
How Minnesota Became a National Model for Investing in Rural Communities
On their 40th anniversary, it’s worth looking at what the Minnesota Initiative Foundations have built in greater Minnesota — and why they still matter.A billboard on Interstate 35 in the early 1980s said: “Will the last one leaving Duluth please turn out the light?” By then, rural Minnesota…
Recording
Our facilitators draw on real experience — including the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country’s response to the July 2025 Kerr County floods, along with lessons from Uvalde, Texas, the Maine and California wildfires, and the Baltimore Key bridge collapse.Facilitators walk through a…
Six Greater Minnesota Leaders on their Regions’ Biggest Challenges
We asked the six presidents of the Minnesota Initiative Foundations to lay out a significant challenge their region is facing today and how their communities are trying to address it.Housing Instability Across Northwest MinnesotaBy Karen White, president, Northwest Minnesota FoundationIn northwest…
2026 UN General Assembly Philanthropic Side Events
Sunday, September 20, 20262026 Concordia Annual Summit September 20 - 23 | 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. ET | In-PersonPhilanthropies Represented: Novartis Foundation, AB InBev Foundation, The National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, and more. Learn More Monday, September 21, 2026Ceres…
Washington Snapshot: Ways and Means Markup of Legislation Impacting Nonprofits
On Wednesday, the House Committee on Ways and Means held a markup of four bills that impact the tax-exempt sector. The Council opposed three of the bills. Plus, upcoming policy and advocacy trainings at the Council, the Unified Regulatory Agenda, and more.
Latin America and Caribbean Funder Circle - August 2026
This peer-learning space brings together funders working across Latin America & the Caribbean and is designed to be an informal, peer-led conversation where participants can share experiences and learn from one another as legal, regulatory, and security dynamics continue to shift across the…
Grants
The Council on Foundations does not provide grants to people or organizations (except in specific situations). If you're looking for funding for your work, check with the community foundation in your area.If you're looking for information about your own grantmaking, these resources may be helpful:…
Learning Across Differences Ideas Forum - Measuring Belonging
Belonging is a basic human need associated with a range of positive outcomes, but how do you know if programs or investments are meaningfully building it? Presenters in this session will spotlight nonprofit and philanthropic leaders who are piloting early efforts to measure the hard-to-measure.…
FAQ: The Public Policy and Illegality Doctrines
Legal Compliance Guidance
BackgroundBeginning in 2025, the public policy doctrine and illegality doctrine—both of which have been applied sparingly over the years—began to receive greater attention because of concerns they could be used to bring the tax-exempt sector more closely in-line with the second Trump Administration…