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.
Defining Livability in the Future of Community
To improve livability in downtown pittsburgh, the Colcom Foundation funded 400 planters.
Notions of “livability” are central to the Future of Community; Identity, Purpose, Place. To build a place worth caring about is to bring out the best in a community. On a good day, factors of…
Virunga: A Tale of Compelling Risk
Emmanuel de Merode, the Director of the Virunga National Park since 2008. Credit: ©Brent Stirton/Getty Images
Located in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Virunga National Park is Africa’s oldest national park. It is a critical habitat for many species, including the highly…
A Common Vision for Improving the Future of Community
Wow! Thank you Cynthia Germanotta, her daughter Lady Gaga, and the Born This Way Foundation for working with us to create that awesome video. I can’t think of a better way to start us off than with a reminder of why we do this work. All of us here are, in some way, working to build a…
We Can Always Do a Little Bit Better
James E. “Jim” Casey coined the phrase “constructive dissatisfaction” while steering United Parcel Service (now UPS) to becoming one of the world’s most successful companies. His dissatisfaction drove him to outpace the competition as he developed innovative transportation strategies, implemented…
Washington Snapshot - April 8, 2016
News from the Hill
Charity Bill Introduced in Senate
The Council is pleased to announce that this week, Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the Charities Helping Americans Regularly Throughout the Year Act (S.2750).
This bill would:
Express the sense of the Senate that…
Still Open for Business: Rural Communities Take Action to Save Their Post Offices
The Great Recession hurt many Americans, and rural communities across the US have had to continue fighting to provide residents with facilities to educate their children, businesses that offer goods and employment, and other institutions to meet residents’ needs. In rural communities, it’s not…
Strengthening Families
The Council on Foundations' 2016 Annual Conference features a pre-conference session in Baltimore during which participants will visit the Center for Urban Families.
This is reprinted from an original post on Washington Monthly.
To view the “Successes of Philanthropy” series, kindly…
Washington Snapshot - April 1, 2016
News from the Hill
House Tax Policy Subcommittee to Hold Next Tax Reform Hearing
Chairman of the House Ways and Means Tax Policy Subcommittee Charles Boustany (R-LA) announced this week that the series of hearings on tax reform will continue, with the next hearing scheduled for Wednesday, April…
Council Comments on Multistate Registration & Filing Project
The Council submitted a letter on March 31, 2016 in response to a request for information (RFI) issued in February by the Multistate Registration and Filing Project (MRFP)—an organization that works with the National Association of State Charity Officials (NASCO) and the National Association of…
A Guide to Advocacy, Lobbying & Election Related Activity: Navigating the Rules
Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law:
The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources
The purpose of this chapter is to help you understand the federal tax laws and regulations that govern how, when, and to what extent different types of foundations can engage with policymakers, their…
Expenditure Responsibility: Step by Step
Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law:
The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources
Expenditure responsibility is the federally mandated procedure that a private foundation—and some public charities—must follow for any grant made to an organization that is not a public charity.
This…
How Data Standards Can Help Save the World
Modern life is full of data—a lot of data. Sometimes it feels simply overwhelming. And that’s especially true in the philanthropic sector. It can feel like our work is simply an endless string of profiles, templates, accounts, applications, and reports. If we aren’t thoughtful about it…
2016 Endowments and Finance Summit
Why Attend the Summit?
As a summit participant, you can expect a robust learning experience where you will:
Engage in discussions about effective solutions to current foundation financial management challenges;
Hear from industry experts on key trends in foundation management, the economy,…
Washington Snapshot - March 18, 2016
News from the Hill
Hearing on Tax Reform Proposals Set for Next Week
Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy, Charles Boustany (R-LA) announced the first in what will be a series of hearings on potential approaches and proposals for tax reform.
The hearing is scheduled for…
Washington Snapshot - March 11, 2016
News from the Hill
Chairman of House Veterans' Affairs Committee to Retire from Congress
Representative Jeff Miller (R-FL-1) announced this week that he will not seek re-election at the expiration of his current term in office. First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2001, Miller…
Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources
Legal Compliance Guidance
The Council on Foundations's Compendium of Legal Resources (“Compendium”) is a comprehensive guide to foundation law for the non-lawyer. It is easy to use, self-directed, and regularly updated.
The Council developed the Compendium as a direct response to requests from our members to publish…