Public Foundations
Public foundations are grantmaking public charities that gain their funds from a variety of sources, which may include foundations, individuals, corporations, or public entities. Public foundations may engage in fundraising, and may seek broad public financial support. They may or may not have endowments. There is no legal definition of a public foundation, but most dedicate a significant portion of their annual budgets to grantmaking. Most community foundations are also grantmaking public charities.
Since public foundations may be defined in different ways, and there is no official IRS or legal definition of public foundations, it is difficult to arrive at statistics that are fully representative of the field.
Below is everything on our site for public foundations. We strongly recommend that you use the navigation or our search feature to find what you're looking for on our site. Please also visit cof.org/programs-services/public-grantmaking-charities for curated public foundation content.
Career Pathways 2023 Program Information - October Office Hours
Join us for the 2023 Career Pathways Program Information Office Hours and get answers to any questions you have about the program, application, Waldman scholarship, etc.!
The Career Pathways program is a highly selective pipeline expansion opportunity open to individuals from diverse…
Career Pathways 2023 Program Information - September Office Hours
Join us for the 2023 Career Pathways Program Information Office Hours and get answers to any questions you have about the program, application, Waldman scholarship, etc.!
The Career Pathways program is a highly selective pipeline expansion opportunity open to individuals from diverse…
Career Pathways 2023 Program Information Session
The Career Pathways program is a highly selective pipeline expansion opportunity open to individuals from diverse backgrounds who are currently employed in philanthropic institutions. This leadership development training is designed for mid- to senior-level career professionals committed to…
2022 UN General Assembly Philanthropic Side-Events
This page is an archived schedule of philanthropic side-events from the 2022 United Nations General Assembly. See the most recent UNGA schedule instead.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the UNGA side-events will be virtual or hybrid again. This page highlights events that may be of interest to…
Responding to Specific Disasters
Use these resources for tailored responses to specific disasters:
Kentucky Floods
2022 Afghanistan Earthquake
Gun Violence and Mass Shootings
New Mexico Wildfires
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Hurricane Ida
Afghanistan Refugee Crisis
2021 Haiti Earthquake
North America Wildfires
Hurricane…
Charitable Sector Mourns Loss of U.S. Rep. Walorski
(WASHINGTON) - Today, five national organizations from the U.S. charitable sector released this statement about U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski and two of her staff members. The three passed away on August 3, 2022.
The organizations are: Independent Sector, Council on Foundations, National Council of…
Building Sustainable and Inclusive Communities: U.S. Philanthropy and the Sustainable Development Goals
Philanthropic organizations in the United States are leading efforts across the country and around the world to build sustainable, resilient, and inclusive communities. Together with American city and state leaders, academic institutions, businesses, and non-profits, many philanthropies are using…
Philanthropy's Response to Kentucky Floods
Overview
Severe storms dumped torrential rain across eastern Kentucky, causing at least 37 deaths and severe damage to hundreds of houses, bridges and infrastructure. Multiple mudslides, mountainous terrain, and strong currents are delaying rescue missions and thousands are left without water…
ARPA and Philanthropy: Seizing the Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) enacted in March 2021 provided a historic commitment of federal funds to address critical needs of communities responding to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Of the larger federal investment, $350 billion is designated for state…
2020 UN General Assembly Philanthropic Side-Events
This page is an archived schedule of philanthropic side-events from the 2020 United Nations General Assembly. See the most recent UNGA schedule instead.
This page highlights events that may be of interest to foundations and other philanthropic actors and includes links to register for each event…
Accepting Charitable Contributions from Cannabis Businesses
Legal Compliance Guidance
With the sale and use of cannabis still federally prohibited while more states legalize it to varying degrees, the industry is creating far-reaching financial implications for the philanthropic sector.
“Accepting Charitable Contributions from Cannabis Businesses” will help community foundations…
Alliances in Disaster Recovery: FEMA and Foundations Collaborate for Resilience
In this webinar, we learned how your foundation can complement FEMA's disaster recovery efforts in your community. To recover successfully from major natural disasters, coordination of public, private, and philanthropic resources is important to avoid duplication of effort and to deepen…
Increasing Equitable Infrastructure Investments in Underserved Communities
In this webinar, the Council hosted Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Christopher Coes and Department of Transportation (DOT) officials responsible for community outreach for a conversation about how foundations can collaborate with community partners to support the…
Philanthropy's Response to the 2022 Afghanistan Earthquake
Overview
A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on June 22, 2022, resulting in the deadliest earthquake to hit the region in over two decades, killing more than 1,000 people and injuring 1,500. Before the devastating impact of this earthquake, Afghanistan was already…
Shared purpose. Collective voice. Greater impact.
You may notice something different about our website and social media presence. That’s right: Your 73-year-old Council on Foundations has a new look! We’re particularly excited to share this during the Council’s Member Week – a time when we celebrate and connect with our nearly 850 member…