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.
Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Saying No to Hate
This interactive panel discussion will discuss the ways in which foundations have encountered and confronted the issue of hate funding. Roey Thorpe, a social justice strategist, will discuss the research she’s conducted for the Council on Foundations on values aligned philanthropy that…
Equity Everywhere for Everyone: A Place-Based Model for Community Change
The status quo of current policies, processes, and institutions that perpetuate inequities in the American South must change. The solution is to transform perceptions, beliefs and behaviors so that a community-driven value of racial equity is common place. To do so requires a movement, a set of…
The Path Forward: Prioritizing Racial Equity in Unexpected Places
Let’s be honest: when you think of regions in the U.S. where you expect funders to commit long-term effort to centering racial equity in their work, Appalachia does not come to mind. But the Appalachia Funders Network is doing just that — committing 10% of its annual budget to anti-…
Bridging Across Toxic Political Division
The violent breach of the U.S. Capitol represents only the beginning of the destructive effects toxic polarization will bring to America if left unchecked. Researchers see America’s polarization crisis as closer to political sectarianism -- and they point to how so many of us perceive those…
Committing to Equity and Inclusivity: Moving from Words to Action
Sponsored by Knight Foundation
How can philanthropy advance equity and inclusivity in every aspect of our work? The compounding crises of the last year prompted many foundations to commit to embedding equity across their organizations and in their funding, but many remain unsure where to start.…
Transformational Leadership
During this inspiring Fireside Chat, New York Times bestseller and former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, Wes Moore, will share his inspiring life story and perspective on how philanthropy can help address poverty.
Wes led the Robin Hood Foundation to one of its strongest years in the anti-…
Disrupting the Narrative: The Power of the Story
How do you change the narrative of a continent that has been entrenched in people’s minds for hundreds of years? The story of Africa is one that is often told by outsiders through frames that no longer serve this dynamic and evolving continent. Storytelling is a powerful way to shift…
The Power of Relationships to Build Equity and Change Systems
In response to severe racial disparities in COVID-19 impacts, Maine’s philanthropic sector has used its social capital to help facilitate access to emergency resources from the public sector for grassroots, immigrant-led organizations. Three Maine funders will explore philanthropy’s…
Designing With, Not For: The Journey to Develop a Community-Forward Program
How can funders plan for the future in the midst of uncertainty? The 11 funders of The BUILD Health Challenge® share their process undertaken with communities to rethink, redesign, and reconsider efforts to advance health equity. Attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look at how the co-…
Emergence and Evolution: Pivoting Internal Culture Amidst Crisis
In a year of massive change and rupture, our internal cultures and practices had to radically pivot to adapt. From creating fully virtual workplaces to holding space for processing anti-Black racism, to accommodating the needs of working families, the internal workings of philanthropy look about as…
Democracy, Healing Divides, and Civic Life
With heightened polarization and divisiveness, growing mistrust of public institutions, protests against racial injustice, and uncertainty over the electoral infrastructure, recent events have revealed the remarkable fragility of our institutions and the norms supporting them. At the very least,…
Please Forgive Our Mess. We’re Building Trust Here.
Building relationships and trust is messy. Where do you start? And how do you keep moving forward, when sometimes it seems impossible to find common ground? York County Community Foundation embarked on a journey starting in 2018 to intentionally build bridges and work together with people of color…
A Blueprint for Transformation and DEI: The Ashley Stewart Story
The remarkable transformation of Ashley Stewart, one of the country’s largest brands serving Black women, is a story about how trusting relationships make us all better. Under the leadership of then chairman and CEO, James Rhee, Ashley Stewart overcame impossible odds to bring the company out…
Solidarity Philanthropy in Action: Walking the Talk
Amidst the interrelated crises of ecological collapse, systemic racism and social injustices, there is a call to action for solidarity philanthropy. This sounds good but what does it mean in practice?
To show true solidarity as a foundation requires trust-based funding, alignment between grant…
Collective Action Strategies for Advancing Health Equity: Addressing Root Causes of Pain and Despair
Black, Brown, Indigenous and Immigrant populations have suffered disproportionate rates of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. The death of George Floyd reiterated the need to address racial justice and equity in our sector. This confluence of racial injustice and health inequities are…
A Better Path Forward: Unlikely Partnerships for the Greater Good
Sponsored by Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
This uplifting conference kickoff envisions a sector that mobilizes unlikely partnerships—especially in times of crisis—to create shared vision and real change. Philanthropic leaders are uniquely positioned to help various stakeholders find what…