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.
2015 Annual Meeting - Leading Together: Hope and Opportunity in a Destabilized World
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Combine Funders and Shake
In summer 2012 I was a brand new Program Officer and wasn’t sure what to expect when I joined a group from the Jewish Funders Network (JFN) on a rural bus tour of eight youth camps in three days. My traveling companions were members and guests of the JFN Disability Peer Network. We were all trying…
Learning in Lansing
High school completion program helps refugees of all ages earn their diplomas
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of…
Investing for Impact – Improving the Lives of Frederick County Citizens
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…
Removing Barriers to Grantmaking, One Provision at a Time
When disaster strikes, who do you call first? Unless she’s a volunteer firefighter, you probably didn’t say your accountant. Foundations are often the first to offer critical resources to charities that are on the ground helping serve the immediate needs of victims. But when a private foundation…
Long Term Recovery
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…
Preparing for ‘When’ by Creating More Resilient Communities
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…
Can The American Dream of Home Ownership Be Restored?
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…
6 Reasons to Play with Matches
The idea of coordinated giving days is gaining momentum. These social media campaigns provide an image-building opportunity for community foundations as well as opportunities to build the capacity of our grantees to raise money for themselves. Rather than providing technical assistance, project…
Paradox Community Trust Story
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…
Washington Snapshot - August 15, 2014
With lawmakers out of town for the month, the action—and the policy news— has shifted away from Washington to local communities. As a reminder to our readers, Washington Snapshot will be taking a short summer break the next two weeks, returning on Friday, September 5th. We hope you enjoy the last…
Does Certainty Matter? Why We Are Activating in August
Ready to Activate?
See how you can get involved with efforts to pass the America Gives More Act when the Senate returns to Washington. Our easy to use toolkit includes customizeable documents will walk you step by step through the process of meeting with your lawmakers and engaging the media…
In Lexington, KY, Blue Grass Community Foundation serves as liaison between grassroots movements and national funders
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall…
WEBINAR: How Funders Can Respond to the Surge of Unaccompanied Children Migrating to the United States
Thousands of children are making the dangerous journey north from Central America and Mexico alone. The number of unaccompanied immigrant children migrating to the United States has increased, and experts anticipate 80,000 to 120,000 new arrivals in 2014. A complex array of federal agencies handle…
4 Lessons About Getting Started with Giving Days
Online giving days are generating huge interest among community foundations.
Giving online is increasing in double digit percentages year over year, yet in our community, many of the nonprofits we serve have barely have a website let alone a “Donate Now” button. As a result, we thought it was…
Community Foundation of Utah's Social Investors Forum
Here’s proof you don’t need an endowment to have a significant and disruptive impact on your region’s philanthropic landscape.
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The…