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.
Washington Snapshot - December 15, 2016
We will be taking a break from sending Washington Snapshot through the end of this year, and will resume on January 5, 2017. We wish all of our readers a safe and enjoyable holiday season!
News from the Hill
Update on Tax Reform Progression in the Senate
This week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch…
Five Trends in Public Opinion
The American public is divided in its attitudes toward important national issues, and historic allegiances have shifted.
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…
Five Trends in Communications
"In this country, public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed." ~ Abraham Lincoln
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…
Five Trends in Arts and Culture
The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra performs at the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy along with the Voices of Inspiration Chorus and three young vocalists from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts on March 23, 2015.
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series…
Five Trends in Finance
Banksy's Elephant in a Room. Ignore it at your peril.
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…