Private Foundations
Private foundations make grants based on charitable endowments. The endowment funds come from one or a small handful of sources -- an individual, a family or a corporation. Because of their endowments, they are focused primarily on grantmaking and generally do not raise funds or seek public financial support the way public charities (like community foundations) must.
“Private foundation” is the umbrella term that includes corporate, independent, family, and operating foundations. As of 2011, there were 73,764 private foundations in the United States (Foundation Center, 2011).
In 2011, private foundations held more than $604 billion in assets and gave away more than $45 billion (Foundation Center, 2011).
Below is everything on our site for private 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.
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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…
Communicating Around Disaster: A Crisis Communications Workshop
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 a.m. - 7 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 Climate…
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…
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…
Washington Snapshot: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Update
On June 30, a U.S. district court vacated the Department of Education’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) regulations, ruling in favor of the plaintiffs in National Council of Nonprofits v. McMahon. Plus, the Religious Liberty Commission Report, the Unified Regulatory Agenda, and more!
Three Things to Know About Council Members
Have you ever wondered about the organizations that make up Council membership? The philanthropic sector is broad and diverse, and the Council on Foundations is proud to support members from every corner.More than 1,000 organizations make up Council membership. Council members:Represent all 50…
Better Disagreement Fuels Better Decisions
Foundations exist to make hard judgment calls: what matters, what works, who and what to invest in. That judgment depends on people thinking well together. And most organizations, foundations included, have a practiced set of workarounds for the disagreement that real thinking requires: the brittle…
Habitat for Humanity Builds Dignified Homes for All
“We finally have a place to truly call our own.” Frankie, a veteran and single father of three.For years, Frankie juggled rising rent and medical costs for his daughter, who has an autoimmune disease. Frankie and his family now live in Hope Springs — a development built by the Greeley-Weld, CO…
Supporting Nurses in New York
There's a reason so many people come home from a hospital stay talking about their nurses. With compassion and care, nurses help nervous patients feel better emotionally while they heal physically.But behind that care, there’s a workforce under serious strain. A 2023 study by the National Council…