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.
Quarterly Member Update: 1st Quarter 2015
Join us to hear more about how you can maximize the Council's network to further enhance your work in the field. Senior leaders from the Council will be present to discuss additional services, initiatives, and updates that have an impact on the larger philanthropic community.
Register Now…
Giving As Good As We Get
As my boss and Blackbaud CEO Mike Gianoni noted, “#GivingTuesday has gone from a simple idea to become a genuine global phenomenon.” The unofficial start to the end-of-year giving season once again kicked off this #GivingTuesday, December 2nd 2014, and with #UNselfies shared and charitable gifts…
FREE WEBINAR: Philanthropic Engagement Opportunities in HUD’s National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC)
Free Webinar Open to All Philanthropic Organizations
Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at 1pm ET
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched the National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC) in September 2014. Through the NDRC, HUD is partnering with the Rockefeller Foundation…
Increasing Influence and Measuring Impact for Organizational Social Media
An article recently published in Research & Development shared how researchers are using social media to draw attention to their research. Discussing their work with reporters and sharing on social media seemed to increase the likelihood that one’s research is cited, thereby…
Disappointment as House Fails to Make Charitable Provisions Permanent
This afternoon, the United States House of Representatives failed to advance the Supporting America's Charities Act (H.R. 5806), a milestone bill that would have widely benefited philanthropy and charitable organizations across the country. The vote broke down along party lines, with 275 Members…
Council Applauds New Philanthropic Pledges to Support Veterans and Military Families
Joining Forces Impact Pledge organizers announced five new pledges to the Philanthropy Joining Forces Impact Pledge at an event at Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum last week. With the new commitments, a total of 35 participants have pledged more than $200 million over the next five years to…
2015 Annual Meeting Call for Sessions
Call for Sessions Details
Thematic Areas
Planning Your Session
Presenter Information
Key Dates
The Council on Foundations' Annual Meeting is the premier philanthropic event that showcases innovative strategies, trends in the field, thought leadership and…
Leadership Development: An Essential Investment for Nonprofits
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…
A Stellar Community: Community Foundation heightens Stellar Community effort
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…
Legal Compliance Guidance
Foundation recordkeeping is an inherently dull topic—unless it’s done wrong. The foundation manager who has not kept adequate documentation regarding expenditure responsibility grants risks an IRS audit. Similarly, a foundation manager confronted with a trustee succession battle will find the…
It Takes a Community to Build a Community Foundation
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…
Avid about AVID: Student credits success to Destino grantee
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…
Duty, Honor, Country: Supporting Those Who Have Served
As a nation we cherish the value of service. Few among us take this spirit to heart more than our men and women in uniform. Coming from all walks of life, they join forces to safeguard our country.
Americans are proud of their men and women in uniform and are quick to honor the sacrifices made…
Fundamentals
What is a charitable organization?
What is a foundation?
What is a private foundation?
What is a public charity?
Do charities pay taxes?
What are some key differences between a public charity and a private foundation?
What are some different kinds of private foundations?
What are the…
The Second a Disaster Strikes
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…
Creating a Welcoming Community
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…