Family Foundations

The Council on Foundations defines a family foundation as one whose funds are derived from members of a single family, though this is not a legal term and has no precise definition. The Council on Foundations suggests that family foundations have at least one family member serving as an officer or board member of the foundation and, as the donor, that individual (or a relative) must play a significant role in governing and/or managing the foundation. Most family foundations are run by family members who serve as trustees or directors on a voluntary basis. In many cases, second- and third-generation descendants of the original donors manage the foundation.

Family foundations make up over half of all private (family, corporate, independent, and operating) foundations, or 40,456 out of approximately 73,764 foundations (Foundation Center, 2011). Family foundations make up approximately one-third of the Council’s membership.

Family foundations range in asset size from a few hundred thousand dollars to more than $1 billion. The holdings of family foundations total approximately $294 billion, or about 44 percent of all foundation holdings of $662 billion. Despite this, three out of five family foundations hold assets of less than $1 million. Family foundations gave away approximately $21.3 billion in grants in 2011 (The Foundation Center, 2011).

Below is everything on our site for family foundations. 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.

Just Released: Final International Grantmaking Rules

In 2012, the Department of Treasury and the IRS issued proposed regulations applicable to private foundations seeking to make grants to foreign organizations using equivalency determinations. At the time, the Council submitted comments in support of the rules, and urged Treasury and the IRS to…

Webinar Recording: Building Partnerships to Maximize Local Impact

  View the Slides When giving in place, building viable partnerships with other funders and local government can lead to pooled resources, wrap around services, and result greater impact within the community. However, with many voices at the table, sometimes garnering the necessary…

A Short Guide to Impact Investing - The Case Foundation

External Resource
This guide is intended to help bring newcomers into the game. It helps high net worth individuals, family offices, and others to know some of the questions, if not the answers, to determine what’s right for them and what to do next to move toward meaningful, measurable impact.

European Refugee Crisis

In the last year, there has been a spike in the number of refugees fleeing into Europe. There are still three-and-a-half months left in 2015, but the number of arriving refugees this year is already more than double the amount from all of 2014. The camps and centers that some refugees are…

Memorializing When We Mourn

It’s an ever-clear sky today. Just as it was in 2001. And yet ever-clear and jet trails slicing September blue-skies then are now reminders, important ones, of the events of 9/11 and the losses and learnings we have experienced since. Reminders of those we mourn can help us grieve.  Public…

One Nation: Rediscovering American Compassion

NOTE: This post originally appeared in the Huffington Post. As a boy, I remember reciting the Pledge of Allegiance with my first grade class. We said it in unison; we stood together; and over time we came to understand what it meant. As I got older, I would listen to the recorded voice of a young…

2015 Comments on Rulemaking for Form 990

The Council submitted comments to the Department of Treasury regarding the Form 990. These comments highlighted elements of the Form that our Legal Affairs team receives inquiries about most often, and that we've found to create issues for participants of our National Standards for U.S. Community…

The European Refugee Crisis: How Funders Can Help

Beginning in 2014, there has been a spike in the number of refugees arriving in Europe who are fleeing countries in conflict. During 2015, the number of arriving refugees has already more than doubled the amount of refugees who came to Europe in all of 2014. The unprecedented movement of people…

Three Stories Hurricane Katrina Told Me

Some people are drawn to snow-covered mountain peaks, others to the lush canopies of forests a meandering river, a shimmering plain. For me it is the call of the sea. The endless horizon brings me peace and each wave  a grace note in our ecosystem’s symphony. It is the sea where I go to think…

The Beloved Community: Hurricane Katrina's Lessons

As I've read and watched others' reflections on the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's destruction of a great American city, I'm compelled to tell some of my story. New Orleans is not a place where I practice grant making or convening, but it is a place near and dear to my heart, one I've…

Policy Preview: An Update on the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act

Members View the Recording and Slides     Are you concerned about the state of higher education in the U.S.? This webinar features policy and foundation guest speakers who provided an overview of the status of Congressional reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. This legislation…

Everything You Need to Know About Impact Investing (in 1 Hour!)

  Download the Presentation Slides It seems like everyone is talking about impact investing these days… but is it right for you and your organization? In this webinar experts will elaborate upon what it is, how to decide if it’s right for your organization and explore some of the the…

Finding the Right Investment Staffing and Resources for Your Foundation

Members, Access the Recording and Slides     Foundations use a variety of models in managing their investments. But given the pursuit of higher risk-adjusted returns, many foundations are exploring different ways to access the expertise they need and to manage increasingly complex…

Memories of a thirsty childhood

This piece was originally published in the Los Angeles Times on August 16, 2015. Drought-shaming could become a popular pastime in California's driest summer. Egregious water wasters, especially the ones with massive lawns and high public profiles, are getting called out by reporters and humbled on…

Twitter Chat: Criminal Justice Reform and Philanthropy

Bipartisan consensus around criminal justice reform is growing nationally with more foundations increasing their efforts to change the way we think about prisons and public safety. As this issue continues to gain momentum, we ask how can philanthropy take a leadership role in reforming the…

Seeing Philanthropy in Action in Grand Rapids

Last week, I got to see philanthropy in action on a great trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan. After just a few days of meeting with philanthropic leaders in Western Michigan, I had new energy, new ideas, and more proof that collaboration is driving the field forward. I was grateful to have been invited…
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