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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Funder Roundtable on Indian FCRA Amendments 2020
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On September 20, 2020, the lower house of the Indian parliament passed a bill amending the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), signaling a significant shift in how foreign funding is regulated in the country. The bill has since become law after the president…
New Indian FCRA Amendments Impact Foreign Grants to Indian NGOs
The Ministry of Home Affairs released guidance indicating that FCRA-Registered nonprofits have until March 31, 2021 to open the new designated FCRA bank account. Nonprofits do not need to visit the State Bank in Delhi to open this account. Funders may consider resuming grantmaking to Indian…
National Study Reports Strong Investment Results in 2019 Increased Foundations’ Intermediate-Term Returns
Contact:
William Szczecinski
Prosek Partners
646-818-9029
wszczecinski@prosek.com
Contact:
Nicole Forman
Council on Foundations
202-991-5913
nicole.forman@cof.org
New York, NY, (September 24, 2020) — Data gathered in the 2019 Council on Foundations–Commonfund Study…
2019 Council on Foundations - Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations (CCSF) Report
Publication, Research
The CCSF report is the field’s most comprehensive and authoritative study on investment and governance policies and practices. The 2019 CCSF studies 265 private and community foundations that represent $104.7 billion in assets. Topics covered include:
Returns and Investment Objectives
Asset…
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New Report Outlines How Philanthropy is Responding to 2020 Crises
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Dalberg
Philanthropy California
Council on Foundations
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The public health, racial justice, and economic crises of 2020 have affected millions of Americans and laid bare the glaring inequities in our systems and institutions.
A new report from Council on…
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2020 Public Policy Summit - Working Group
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Ken Austin
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The Wallace Foundation
Ben Chandler
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Principal, Government Relations
Blackbaud…
Shifting Practices, Sharing Power? How U.S. Philanthropy is Responding to the 2020 Crises
Publication
The public health, racial justice, and economic crises of 2020 have affected millions of Americans and laid bare the glaring inequities in our systems and institutions.
A new report from Council on Foundations, Philanthropy California, and Dalberg Advisors outlines how the US philanthropic…
Washington Snapshot: Senate Republicans Introduced a Slimmed-Down COVID-19 Bill
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World Health Organization: Situation Dashboard
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Balancing Purpose, Payout, and Permanence: Strategy Guide
Publication
This Strategy Guide, developed in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy, invites you to reflect more deeply on how your foundation chooses to balance the four factors of Purpose, Conditions and Trends, Time Horizon, and Assets for Mission, especially in times of greater…
Outsized Challenges Demand Creative Solutions: Expanding Payout through Debt Financing
Many philanthropic institutions are exploring ways to access additional resources to respond to the deep seeded racial inequities that permeate most aspects of American society and the devastating effects of COVID-19, which is widening inequality around the globe.
The Ford Foundation…
2020 UN General Assembly Virtual 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 September, many parts of the United Nations General Assembly and its hundreds of side-events will be held virtually for the first time due…
Disaster Assistance and Emergency Hardship Funds: Charitable Assistance for Individuals and Communities
Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law:
The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources
The Council on Foundations has long been involved in helping foundations and funders navigate grantmaking in times of disaster and hardship. We have published various materials over the years related to…
Trends in Disaster Philanthropy: Examining 15 Years of Disaster Giving to the Asia-Pacific
External Resource
Give2Asia's report looks at 15 years of its grantmaking to understand giving patterns, program impact, and opportunities in the philanthropy sector.