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.
Inclusive Economic Prosperity White Paper
In 2018, the Council on Foundations introduced a series of summits on inclusive economic prosperity. These summits were designed to help foundation leaders better understand the leading role that philanthropy can play in developing inclusive economic prosperity outcomes locally.
Given the…
Membership Renewal 2020: Calling All Private Foundation Members
Members, View the Recording
The Council launched a new approach to membership to better reflect the diversity of the field, but what does that mean for you? Join this members-only conference call to hear more about the model, understand the new renewal process and get your questions answered by…
Philanthropy and the SDGs: Practical Tools for Alignment
External Resource
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors' guide for philanthropists to align your practices with the SDGs.
Philanthropy and the SDGs: Getting Started
External Resource
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors' strategic guide for philanthropy to get started implementing the SDGs.
Shaping the global agenda to maximize city leadership on the SDGs
External Resource
A Brookings Institution report on the experiences of vanguard cities in implementing the SDGs.
Goalkeepers 2019 Report
External Resource
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 2019 report on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Global Philanthropy Update - October 2019
From Greta Thunberg’s passionate climate advocacyto concerns about the efficacy of multilateralism that the UN represents, there was no shortage of news from the 74th UN General Assembly. Despite only having ten years left to achieve the SDGs, recent reports are bleak. Of more than 1,000 CEOs…
Forget the Divide: It's time for us all to be "glocal"
West Central Initiative (WCI) is one of six community foundations in Minnesota created by the McKnight Foundation in 1986 to response to the farm crisis. Together, we cover the area of the state called “Greater Minnesota.” We have cities and towns in all of our regions, but we are commonly…
Career Pathways: Who are the people in your neighborhood?
I once joked with a friend that I had no personality of my own, rather that I was made up of a Frankenstein patchwork of all the people I’ve met. The tendency to wander in my storytelling? Let me introduce you to my late grandfather. The courage to opine on things not even remotely in my ken? Let…
Announcing the Council's New Membership Model – We Heard You!
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Private Grantmaker Membership
Private Grantmakers include private, independent, and family foundations, along with operating private foundations, grantmaking LLCs, and private health-conversion foundations.
Need more information? A member of our team is available to assist at membership@cof.org.
Join now
What Does Accountability Mean in Philanthropy?
At our Chicago learning session, I was inspired by the approaches of colleagues from the MacArthur, Kellogg, Joyce, Grand Victoria, and California Wellness foundations, alongside friends from BoardSource and the Council on Foundations. Over the course of three days, these brilliant women (yes, they…
Health Outside the Clinic: Community Health Workers and the Future of Healthcare
During the United Nations General Assembly in late September, Heads of State, government officials, civil society, and the philanthropic and commercial private sector will convene in New York with a focus on Universal Health Coverage (UHC). UHC is a key part of Sustainable Development Goal 3…
Previewing the UN General Assembly: A Global Community of Actors
Previewing the UN General Assembly: A global community of actors
The world faces pressing challenges that require global responses – the climate crisis, entrenched inequality, migration, and more. But with international cooperation increasingly at risk, actions taken at the local level are ever…
Preparing to Lead: Be Your Authentic Self
After working in the philanthropic field for the past 10 years, the Council on Foundations Career Pathways Program gave me the opportunity—and frankly the time—to seriously consider being an executive leader in the sector. It’s not something I could always see for myself.
I am happy to say I can…