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.
2021 Council on Foundations - Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations (CCSF)
Publication, Research
The CCSF Study is the field’s most comprehensive and authoritative study on investment and governance policies and practices. The 2021 CCSF studies 231 private and community foundations that represent $119.7 billion in assets. Topics covered include:
Returns and Investment Objectives
Asset…
Webinar Recording: Rules of Advocacy and Lobbying for Grantmakers
It is easy to get hung up on what you think you cannot do when engaging with policymakers. The good news is, you can do more than you may think!
Though the law varies among different types of foundations, all foundation types can engage in advocacy! The Council on Foundations Legal…
Rules of Advocacy and Lobbying for Grantmakers
Recording
Members, access for free
Nonmembers, purchase in store
It is easy to get hung up on what you think you cannot do when engaging with policymakers. The good news is, you can do more than you may think!
Though the law varies among different types of foundations, all foundation types can engage in…
Career Pathways Alumni Spotlight: Exploring Knowledge Work in Today’s Philanthropy
Career Pathways is the Council on Foundation’s executive leadership development program with a primary goal to promote diversity among decision makers in the field. The Career Pathways Alumni network is composed of stellar executive leaders committed to advancing equity in the sector. This…
Career Pathways 2023 Program Information - October Office Hours
Join us for the 2023 Career Pathways Program Information Office Hours and get answers to any questions you have about the program, application, Waldman scholarship, etc.!
The Career Pathways program is a highly selective pipeline expansion opportunity open to individuals from diverse…
Career Pathways 2023 Program Information - September Office Hours
Join us for the 2023 Career Pathways Program Information Office Hours and get answers to any questions you have about the program, application, Waldman scholarship, etc.!
The Career Pathways program is a highly selective pipeline expansion opportunity open to individuals from diverse…
Career Pathways 2023 Program Information Session
The Career Pathways program is a highly selective pipeline expansion opportunity open to individuals from diverse backgrounds who are currently employed in philanthropic institutions. This leadership development training is designed for mid- to senior-level career professionals committed to…
2022 UN General Assembly Philanthropic Side-Events
This page is an archived schedule of philanthropic side-events from the 2022 United Nations General Assembly. See the most recent UNGA schedule instead.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the UNGA side-events will be virtual or hybrid again. This page highlights events that may be of interest to…
Responding to Specific Disasters
Use these resources for tailored responses to specific disasters:
Kentucky Floods
2022 Afghanistan Earthquake
Gun Violence and Mass Shootings
New Mexico Wildfires
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Hurricane Ida
Afghanistan Refugee Crisis
2021 Haiti Earthquake
North America Wildfires
Hurricane…
Charitable Sector Mourns Loss of U.S. Rep. Walorski
(WASHINGTON) - Today, five national organizations from the U.S. charitable sector released this statement about U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski and two of her staff members. The three passed away on August 3, 2022.
The organizations are: Independent Sector, Council on Foundations, National Council of…
Building Sustainable and Inclusive Communities: U.S. Philanthropy and the Sustainable Development Goals
Philanthropic organizations in the United States are leading efforts across the country and around the world to build sustainable, resilient, and inclusive communities. Together with American city and state leaders, academic institutions, businesses, and non-profits, many philanthropies are using…
Philanthropy's Response to Kentucky Floods
Overview
Severe storms dumped torrential rain across eastern Kentucky, causing at least 37 deaths and severe damage to hundreds of houses, bridges and infrastructure. Multiple mudslides, mountainous terrain, and strong currents are delaying rescue missions and thousands are left without water…
ARPA and Philanthropy: Seizing the Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) enacted in March 2021 provided a historic commitment of federal funds to address critical needs of communities responding to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Of the larger federal investment, $350 billion is designated for state…
2020 UN General Assembly Philanthropic Side-Events
This page is an archived schedule of philanthropic side-events from the 2020 United Nations General Assembly. See the most recent UNGA schedule instead.
This page highlights events that may be of interest to foundations and other philanthropic actors and includes links to register for each event…
Alliances in Disaster Recovery: FEMA and Foundations Collaborate for Resilience
In this webinar, we learned how your foundation can complement FEMA's disaster recovery efforts in your community. To recover successfully from major natural disasters, coordination of public, private, and philanthropic resources is important to avoid duplication of effort and to deepen…
Increasing Equitable Infrastructure Investments in Underserved Communities
In this webinar, the Council hosted Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Christopher Coes and Department of Transportation (DOT) officials responsible for community outreach for a conversation about how foundations can collaborate with community partners to support the…