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.
Global Update - September 2016
As we start September, I’m sure many of you are busy with year-end activities, whether it’s a final round of grantmaking, planning next year’s budget and program, or your annual engagement at side events for the U.N. General Assembly and other international events. It’s pretty lively here at the…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 7 - Energy
Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all -
This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 6 - Water
Goal 6: Water and Sanitation
- Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all -
This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 5 - Gender Equality
Goal 5: Gender Equality
- Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls -
This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the SDGs. The Council on…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 4 - Education
Goal 4: Quality Education
- Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning -
This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 3 - Health
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
- Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages -
This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the SDGs.…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 2 - Hunger
Goal 2: Zero Hunger
- End hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture -
This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the SDGs. The…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 1 - Poverty
Goal 1: No Poverty
- End poverty in all its forms everywhere -
This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the SDGs. The Council on Foundations…
Washington Snapshot - September 2, 2016
News from the Hill
Congressional Leaders Champion Social Investment
Representatives Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) and John Delaney (D-MD) are working to educate their colleagues on the value of social investing and the role of philanthropy in leveraging private capital to create social good. The pair have…
17 Days, 17 Goals
17 Days, 17 Goals - philanthropy's work on the Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainability. Quality education. Poverty reduction. Gender equality.
These are issues American foundations are working on every day. But this list is not uniquely American: it is global and universal. Each of these…
New Research: Foundations’ Spending in Support of Mission Holds Steady, Despite Second Year of Declining Investment Returns
Data gathered in the 2015 Council on Foundations–Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations® (CCSF) show that participating private foundations reported an average return of 0.0 percent for the 2015 fiscal year (January 1 – December 31, 2015), down from the 6…
Louisiana Floods: How Can Funders Help?
Hit by one of the largest U.S. disasters since Hurricane Sandy, residents and communities in the State of Louisiana are experiencing historic flooding and need your help. Several deaths have been attributed to the flooding, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated, and thousands are…
#EFSummit's Almost Here
Stephanie Bell-Rose is the Senior Managing Director and Head of the TIAA Institute.
The Council on Foundations’ 2016 Endowments and Finance Summit is just around the corner – Sept. 28-30 – and as co-chair of the convening's working group, I strongly encourage you to register for it!
I personally…
Global Philanthropy Update - August 2016
To keep you in the know about happenings that affect foundations that fund across borders and new opportunities for learning, sharing, and collaboration, I am excited to introduce you to the Council’s new Global Philanthropy Update. Every month, we will highlight resources available through the…
Linking the SDGs to Philanthropy
Fundamentals
Why do the Sustainable Development Goals matter to philanthropy?
These broad global goals address the same problems that our field is tackling: to reduce poverty, improve livelihoods and quality of life, and create a more equitable global society. Looking at the range of issues in the SDGs, all…
Diving into the Data: Issues Specific to the Chief Executive Officer
Continuing our blog post series about the 2015 Grantmakers Salary and Benefits Report (GSB), this week let’s take a look at the third chapter, “Issues Specific to the Chief Executive Officer.”
Get the Report
Members, remember that you can download the GSB for free.
You can also purchase the report…