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.
Five Trends in Community Development
Minding the Gaps: Jobs, Income & Wealth
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece represents the views of its author(s) and not the views of the Council.
1. A RACIAL EQUITY…
Philanthropy Responds to Another National Tragedy: Oakland Warehouse Fire
The East Bay Community Foundation has kept the Council abreast of the latest in regards to the recent tragedy in Oakland. Included in their response is a strategic move to address the safety and affordability of spaces for the artist community in Oakland.
The City of Oakland and surrounding…
Five Trends in Talent
In 2017, HR is expected to adapt to keep up with the changing business environment and evolving employee expectations.
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece represents the…
6 Ideas to Enhance Your Environmental and Human Rights Grantmaking
We have just passed a major milestone at Global Greengrants Fund, having recently made our 10,000th grant. After 22 years of effort given by so many people to reach this achievement, there are a few lessons Global Greengrants has learned in the process of supporting grassroots environmental and…
Finding New Narratives In Rural America: A Concert of Ideas
Finding New Narratives for Rural America: A Concert of Ideas
This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference.
Achieving shared prosperity for all Americans is the signal challenge of our time.
The Council on Foundations is staging an immersive, pre-conference experience…
Refining the Business Case for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within the Philanthropic Sector
Refining the Business Case for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within the Philanthropic Sector
This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference.
Much has been said about diversity, equity and inclusion within the philanthropic sector. Diverse talent pools, equitable grantmaking…
Five Trends in Technology
Pepper is a robot companion from the Japanese company SoftBank.
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece represents the views of its author(s) and not the views of the Council…
Washington Snapshot - December 8, 2016
News from the Hill
Ways & Means Republicans to Discuss Tax Reform Details
Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee Kevin Brady (R-TX) announced that he will hold a two-day meeting next week (likely December 14 – 15) with committee Republicans to discuss some specific “decision points on tax…
Quick Review of FATF's Evaluation of the U.S.
On December 1, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) released their fourth mutual evaluation of the United States anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework.* The report analyzes the United States’ level of compliance with…
Five Trends in Social Enterprise
Social enterprises help ensure the economy works for everyone because they have a proven benefit to include people who have the toughest time getting jobs due to their histories of homelessness, incarceration, mental health challenges, drug and alcohol abuse, as well as limited education…
Ending Violence Against Girls: The Summit on FGM/C: Giving Innovative Leaders the Resources They Deserve
My great aunt, Georgeanna Gibbs Browne, born in 1876 in Philadelphia, was a victim of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Her upbringing was church-going and “upper crust.” Newspaper clippings describe her twirling across dance floors at summer soirees and charity balls.
Old medical journals…
Five Trends in Media
How did we get it so wrong? (Photo Credit: Marco Verch / CC-BY-SA-4.0)
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece represents the views of its author(s) and not the views of the…
Taking a Step Back: Understanding North Carolina’s Changing Landscape
During my seven-year tenure as superintendent of Guilford County Schools, I was committed to listening to and learning from others. I listened to parents, teachers and students to understand what we could do in order to make our schools better for each child. Much of that listening and learning…
Five Trends in Civil Society
Map of the world depicting where civic freedoms are threatened (green is open; red is closed). For those interested in social justice, democracy, and rights around the world, 2016 was an annus horribilis.
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas…
Washington Snapshot - December 1, 2016
News from the Hill
Here Comes Tax Reform!
With the stars, and both house of Congress, now aligned, comprehensive tax reform is on the horizon. Last week Ways and Means Chairman, Kevin Brady (R-TX), penned an op-ed about how he hopes to give a boost to the economy by reforming the tax code, with…
Minor Successors, or What to Do When Your New Fund Adviser Isn’t Old Enough to Vote
At the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, we’ve been talking about how to deal with minor successors being named on a fund. We started looking into it after reading a discussion about it on the Philanthropy Exchange. It’s a tricky situation: If your fund adviser is underage, they may not…