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.
Sample Policy on Records Retention and Destruction
Sample Document
Sample formal policy on records retention and destruction for board approval.
This sample document is being provided for informational purposes and is not to be shared without the permission of the Council on Foundations. Use of the sample document does not create an attorney-client relationship,…
Sample Due Diligence Policy for Grantmaking
Sample Document
Sample internal policies and procedures for grantmaking due diligence.
This sample document is being provided for informational and is not to be shared without the permission of the Council on Foundations. Use of the sample document does not create an attorney-client relationship, and the…
Sample Nondiscrimination Policy
Sample Document
Sample nondiscrimination policy for hiring, internal promotions, training, opportunities for advancement, and terminations.
This sample document is being provided for informational purposes and is not to be shared without the permission of the Council on Foundations. Use of the sample…
Sample Bylaws & Articles of Incorporation
Sample Document
These sample bylaws and articles of incorporation are not a model to copy; rather, they are provided purely to illustrate what such a document might look like. Each state will have its own form or particular requirements to follow, which may differ from state to state.
For other examples and…
Sample Whistleblower Policy
Sample Document
Editable whistleblower policies that establish procedures to prevent or detect and correct improper activities; encourage each foundation director, officer, employee, and volunteer to report what he or she in good faith believes to be a material violation of law; ensure the receipt, documentation,…
External Resource
The CDFI Fund has identified over 41,000 population census tracts that are eligible for designation as a QOZ, including (1) 31,680 population census tracts that are Low-Income Communities (LICs) eligible for designation as QOZs; and (2) 9,453 non-LIC population census tracts that are eligible for…
External Resource
Now that Opportunity Zones have been designated, individual and corporate investors are then given the opportunity to defer capital gains taxes when they reinvest the earnings in these communities. Additional incentives accrue over five, seven and ten years if the investment is maintained – thereby…
External Resource
The OZ program is intended to spur long-term investments in low-income census tracts in the U.S. The new law allows investors to place unrealized capital gains (a profit from an investment that hasn’t yet been sold) into authorized O Funds that invest capital into OZs. The greatest benefits would…
External Resource
With the creation of the federal Opportunity Zones incentive program, trillions of dollars in new private investment will flow into pre-designated low-income communities around the country. But will this investment benefit the people living in these communities now, or will they be displaced as new…
External Resource
Treasury and IRS have issued an initial set of proposed regulations and guidance on how the Qualified Opportunity Zone tax benefits under IRC 1400Z-2 (including the certification of Qualified Opportunity Funds and eligible investments in Qualified Opportunity Zones) will be administered.…
Sample Social Media Policy
Sample Document
Editable internal polices for staff, board members, and committee members about the use of social media.
This sample document is being provided for informational purposes and is not to be shared without the permission of the Council on Foundations. Use of the sample document does not create an…
Legal Matters for Corporate and Private Foundations - Los Angeles, CA
Led by Bryan Del Rosario, Staff Counsel for the Council on Foundations, and Lindsay Mason, Director of Corporate Philanthropy, this workshop is organized to ensure common legal questions for administering grants, board governance and charitable giving activities are addressed. Bryan will…
External Resource
As the United States faces division over the increasing religious diversity in the nation, faith leaders and philanthropists came together in 2018 to discuss #ThisAmericanMoment. The event, This American Moment: Bridging Religious Divides, was co-hosted by the Council on Foundations, The…
External Resource
Addressing how our nation can maintain its historical commitment to embracing people of all faith backgrounds against a backdrop of polarization, Pluralism in Peril by the Inclusive America Project looks at tools and strategies available to defenders of this core American value.
Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law:
The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources
Making grants to institutions outside of the United States is challenging and rewarding. We hope this revised publication will be a useful resource that encourages grantmakers of all types to expand…
External Resource
Do the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) matter for real people? In 2015, at the United Nations, all countries agreed on the set of ambitious economic, social, and environmental targets to be achieved by no later than 2030, guided by a central motivation to “leave no one behind.” But is the…