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.
Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Survey FAQs
Fundamentals
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Washington Snapshot - October 16, 2015
Due to the Columbus Day holiday and this week’s Congressional recess, today’s edition of Washington Snapshot will be slightly abbreviated.
News from the Hill
Upcoming Philanthropy Caucus Briefing
As our readers know, the Council on Foundations has been very active in reviving the Philanthropy…
Risk, Liability and Insurance – What Your Organization Needs to Know
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In partnership with Guidestar, this one-hour webinar covers the common areas of risk for charitable organizations and how risk can result in organizational and (potential) personal liability for officers, directors and employees. Included is a discussion…
Webinar: SDG Philanthropy Platform
The Council on Foundations will co-host a webinar with WINGS, European Foundation Center, and SDG Philanthropy Platform on October 21, 2016.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 universal goals, beginning January 1, 2016, that will continue the work of the Millenium Development…
Policy Preview: An Update on the Reauthorization of the Healthy and Hunger Free Kids Act
Members, Access the Recording and Slides
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Act of 2010 authorizes funding for federal nutrition programs including:
the national school lunch and breakfast program;
the nutrition program for women, infants, and children;
and other child and adult food…
2015 Endowments and Financial Services Summit - Partners
Summit Partners
The Council would like to thank all of our partners for their support of the 2015 Endowments and Financial Services Summit.
Education Partner
TIAA-CREF Institute
https://www.tiaa-crefinstitute.org/public/institute
Leadership Partner
Annie E. Casey Foundation
www.aecf.org…
The Sustainable Development Goals
On September 25th at the United Nations, 193 countries ratified the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of global targets that will serve as a new global framework for how governments, philanthropy, non-profits, and the private sector can work together to address challenges all of us and the…
A 21st Century Call for Philanthropy: Tackle the Talent Gap
In philanthropy we’ve long known that we play a unique role by addressing society’s most pressing challenges at their root. Our work is distinct from charity – focused less on meeting immediate needs and more on tackling the underlying causes. And we’re well positioned to take risks to figure out…
Getting Started with the Sustainable Development Goals
Fundamentals
On September 25, 2015, 193 countries formally adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations. The Council’s president at that time, Vikki Spruill, published an op-ed in the Chronicle of Philanthropy urging philanthropic organizations to partner with others to help…
Just Released: Final International Grantmaking Rules
In 2012, the Department of Treasury and the IRS issued proposed regulations applicable to private foundations seeking to make grants to foreign organizations using equivalency determinations. At the time, the Council submitted comments in support of the rules, and urged Treasury and the IRS to…
Taking A Stand: A Growing Trend for Foundation Leaders
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As society continues to struggle with issues such as police-related violence, housing inequalities, health care reform, and threats to national and international security (just to name a few), philanthropy has been challenged to re-evaluate its…
Webinar Recording: Building Partnerships to Maximize Local Impact
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When giving in place, building viable partnerships with other funders and local government can lead to pooled resources, wrap around services, and result greater impact within the community. However, with many voices at the table, sometimes garnering the necessary…
A Short Guide to Impact Investing - The Case Foundation
External Resource
This guide is intended to help bring newcomers into the game. It helps high net worth individuals, family offices, and others to know some of the questions, if not the answers, to determine what’s right for them and what to do next to move toward meaningful, measurable impact.
European Refugee Crisis
In the last year, there has been a spike in the number of refugees fleeing into Europe. There are still three-and-a-half months left in 2015, but the number of arriving refugees this year is already more than double the amount from all of 2014. The camps and centers that some refugees are…
Memorializing When We Mourn
It’s an ever-clear sky today. Just as it was in 2001. And yet ever-clear and jet trails slicing September blue-skies then are now reminders, important ones, of the events of 9/11 and the losses and learnings we have experienced since.
Reminders of those we mourn can help us grieve. Public…
One Nation: Rediscovering American Compassion
NOTE: This post originally appeared in the Huffington Post.
As a boy, I remember reciting the Pledge of Allegiance with my first grade class. We said it in unison; we stood together; and over time we came to understand what it meant.
As I got older, I would listen to the recorded voice of a young…